Selling Tickets Via Bank Transfer on Gumtree. Can I Be Scammed?

I am trying to sell some festival tickets and had 3 responses last night. Two came within 5 minutes and I ignored one because they said they had come from Canada and didn't wish to miss it. (alarm bells).

I was then talking to another person who after a few messages has said..

"Thanks for all of the information, making it much easier!
Okay so I definitely can transfer no problem. However, I do have a bit of an current situation! I'm in the process of transferring my money over from Canada which is proving to be much more of a pain than I had original anticipated!
If you are alright with this, what I am willing to do though, is send the $800 to you that I can for now, and then this week once the money has entered my account (it's currently being processed over). You hold on to the tickets, as I'm sure you would want to make sure you are paid in full haha (which i guarantee will happen!), and once I complete the transfer early this week you could send the tickets over?

What are your thoughts?

I do want to send as much as I can, as I'm sure you would like to have the money sooner rather than later."

Now, surely this cannot go wrong at my end as long as I wait until the payment is showing in my bank account? (I appreciate that they may try to send me a screenprint to trick me). Also, since they are e-tickets and I can change the name I suspect I can overwrite them anyway if I had done something foolish. The total cost is only another $200.

Thanks

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Comments

  • What festival is it?

  • +3

    Give the details of an account you don’t use much and as soon as the cash arrives transfer it to another account with a different bank. Sounds pretty safe to me?

  • smurfer

  • +1

    When you see the money in your account, withdraw the money and smell it to ensure they are real cash. Only then you will be in total control. You can elect to scam the buyer out of $800 or release the tickets and hope for the rest of $200. Probably a 50-50 chance you will not get the remaining $200.

    • I essentially have 3 tickets so I thought that I could send them 2 out of 3 (as they have paid 80%) and it is fair for both of us.

      • It's really up to you. In the end one side has to trust the other side. Like they would be trusting you with $800 not knowing if they would receive any tickets at all before you send them 2 tickets worth $666.67.

        • They are definitely having to have more faith.. but that then makes me suspicious :)

          Cheers

  • no…don't do it! Sell to a local - cash on delivery

    • +1

      Sometimes you could be mugged doing a COD.

    • Selling to a local for a festival in another state is not easy :)

      • Is it for Bluesfest?

        • Nope, CMC Rocks :)

  • When people write that much on internet usually they are scammer.i know you might have decided to trust them so no point to tell you not to do it.

    • I have written just as much to be fair :)

      I have given them my account with no cash in it :)

  • Don't do it like seriously. Now it is so easy for them to send you a fake transfer receipt that looks legit as hell. Unless if you are willing to wait until the money clears and you can see it in your account, please sell local and COD or to fellow trusted OZB. Good luck for the sale!

    • +4

      Wait for the money to hit your account. It's that simple. If they send you a transfer receipt then ignore that. Like the old Lithuanian saying "money in the bank, send the festival tickets"

  • +2

    The real risk is actually to the Canadian - they’re sending money on the hope that you’ll be honest. I think you’re fine. Receive the $800, hold it and the tickets, receive the remaining $200 and then send the tickets on. I don’t see any risk to you in this situation to be honest. As others have said, wait until the money has cleared in your account. Ignore any fake receipts they send through (if they do).

  • As above, cash out and smell the money before posting it.

    They're ok as long as it's not nigerian prince

  • -2

    Bank transfer should be in your account within 30 seconds these days. Their bank will only allow transfer of cleared funds, so you should be fairly safe when you see the funds in your bank account.

    • That only applies between banks that use the Faster Payments Service, which excludes three of the big four (ANZ, NAB, and Westpac do not).

      • lol I was about to ask who does jhmtaylor bank with??

  • +1

    Don’t accept it. If the funds came from a fraudulent bank account or stolen account. The bank have a right to clawback the funds deposited, which means you will have a debit against your bank account and then your bank will chase you.

  • +1

    Its a scam. This is quite common. They will deposit more than you ask for and they will request you refund the difference. Your funds will clear and you may even be able to withdraw the funds but once the other bank flags that the funds were from a fraudulent source they will claw it back from you.

    Now you have lost some of the funds you have refunded back to them.

  • The fact that you feel uncomfortable enough about this to post on ozb asking about it should be answer enough for you. Trust your gut; don't do it.

  • tough call. Obviously you want to sell the tickets. Could you find more buyers if you reduced the price??

    I think I'd try to get less $$ from a more trust worthy source, but if the tickets are going to end up in the trash otherwise, you'd might as well take a chance??
    … if you're going with this offer make it clear that it's a non-refundable sale and they'll lose 100% of deposit if the final payment isn't forthcoming.

  • Gumtree. In person only. Cash only.

  • Is it a coincidence that the first one was from Canada (which you ignored) then the second one is moving money from Canada? I say don't accept.

  • Thanks all,

    The $800 did indeed come through last night.
    The names check out (facebook) and the story matches up.

    I have paid 2 of the tickets and will send the other on final payment.

  • Why People purchasing e-ticket online? won't the buyer scare more to be scam then the seller?
    A Seller can sell Mutiple(same e-ticket) to others and be the 1st one to go into the event…

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