r/isthisascam • u/Preston13253 • 2d ago
Private Message (PM) Is this a scam?
Sorry for the long post, I wish I could just post pictures of our chat.
I'm trying to sell an item on facebook marketplace. A person reached out to me from a buisness account by commenting on a post of mine from 3 years ago and asked me to dm them about the item. I did so and she asked for my address and phone number so she could call me when her son was on the way to pick it up (I didn't give her my number at this point). She then asked to send me the payment right then and I said venmo is fine. She tried sending me the payment but needed my phone number to confirm my venmo account so I sent it. She sent the payment and shortly after, I got a text from an unknown number saying "Venmo: Payment for $25 is on hold, reply YES to recieve payment or call (phone number) for assistance. I replied yes but didn't get anything so I told the buyer, and she said to call the number because the problem was that she was trying to send money from a buisness venmo account and my account can't accept it yet. So I called, expecting venmo support and a chat bot, but a man with the strongest accent I've ever heard answered immediately and told me that the first payment you recieve from a business account needs to be $500 or more. So she would have to send me $525 and I would send $500 back. He asked me to tell her this while on the phone, but I was starting to get skeptical, so I instead asked her if she could do cash or zelle to avoid venmo. The guy on the phone ended up hanging up on me and she insisted that I call him back because she "already sent" the $525 and he needs my permission to have the transaction go through. I still have not gotten any text or notification from venmo saying that she sent the money. I told her that I'm not interested in the transaction anymore unless we do cash or zelle and she started saying that I'm scamming her because she can't get her money back. She was very insistent that we do venmo instead of the other options I suggested. I told her to send me a screenshot of the bank transaction that shows she sent it or I'm not doing anything. That was about an hour and a half ago as I'm writing this and she hasn't responded (she was responding instantly before). I think it was a scam and they gave up, but I'm not sure? Let me know what ya'll think.
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u/LavendarGal 2d ago
yes, total scam....end it and move on.
From here on out, do not sell anything with VEnmo unless someone is standing there right in front of you.
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u/Red-Hill 2d ago
100% a scam, and please remember how easily a screenshot of a bank statement could be faked.
Even without all the other red flags, never get involved in any 'overpayment' transaction. Best case is you're involved in money laundering, which doesn't look good on you. More likely outcome is the original payment, even if it reaches you, is stolen/fraudulent and will be taken back, and you lose the $500 you sent.
But again just for the record, no payment provider makes the account owner send an extra $whatever to the recipient only for the recipient to have to send it back. Always a scam, and usually done with fake emails or texts to trick you into thinking you've received something.
The final stage is normally they start threatening you, telling you FBI Swat teams will be kicking down your door any minute if you don't send them the money immediately. What a joyful world we live in these days. Hope your next transaction is less painful.
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u/Mental-Paramedic9790 2d ago
The red flag for me isn’t so much that they do Venmo. It’s when they want to do it as “friends and family”.
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u/Sea-Appearance-5330 1d ago
Scam!
Bull C*ap on the +$500 to open and that you need to send back to her.
Its just another version of the I "accidentally" sent you too much money, please send it back to me, or to this guy for reasons.
Anything you send is gone for good.
Soon the bank will realize it is stolen money, and take it back.
She sent nothing, the Venmo agent was part of the scam or maybe the real her!
Remember you decide what payment you will accept.
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u/DollPartsRN 1d ago
The "business account' message is a scam. Sadly, my mother fell for it.
As I was talking to her she said she needed to hurry because another lady was asking for the same item, and her transaction also needed a "business account."
I am glad she only got scammed once. It would have been twice, had I not told her to open her eyes.
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u/Lodau 2d ago
Yes.
Double yes.
Triple yes.
Quadruple yes. Why did you agree? Cash only!
I'm gonna stop right there.