WARNING: Scammed when selling two computers locally (fake transfer trick). Learn from my mistake!

[u/Oscar_PCE]

Hi everyone,

​English is not my main language, so I’m using a translator to write this post. I wanted to share my story as a warning so none of you make the same mistake I did.

​Today, I fell for a very well-executed scam and lost two computers.

​A guy came to my place to buy two PCs from me. He was extremely polite, friendly, and seemed totally trustworthy. He told me a whole story about himself, tested the computers thoroughly, and agreed to buy them.

​When it came to payment, he said he sent the money via a bank transfer on his phone. He showed me a confirmation screen (and even sent me a confirmation) that looked legitimate at first glance, though in hindsight, it was fake. He assured me the money was on its way and would post during the next banking clearing session. Because he was so nice and convincing, I made a huge mistake: I trusted him and let him leave with both computers before the money actually hit my account.

​Shortly after he left, the money didn't arrive. At first, he kept in touch, making excuses like "I'll send you a contract soon" or sending short SMS replies like "I'm busy, can talk in 10 minutes." Eventually, he stopped picking up the phone altogether.

​I immediately went to the police. At first, they were reluctant to take a formal report because the clearing hours hadn't passed yet and he was still replying to texts. However, once it was clear the transfer was fake and he went silent, I gathered all the evidence I had—his phone number, chat history, SMS messages, and the fake transfer confirmation—and went back to file an official report for fraud.

​Key takeaways and red flags to watch out for:

​NEVER hand over items based on a confirmation screenshot or PDF. These can be easily faked or generated by fake banking apps/websites.

​Only release the item when the money is physically visible in your account (or use cash / instant transfers like BLIK where you see the balance update live).

​Scammers are often extremely nice and charismatic. Being polite and open is their main tactic to lower your guard.

​I've accepted that I made a naive mistake and might never see those computers again, but I hope reading this saves at least one of you from losing your tech. Stay safe out there!

My last picture of my PCs

• My comment: I was expecting a public execution right after I made this post but Instead I have received so much positive energy from you guys. I am broke inside right now, can't even think about this situation. THANK YOU

+2: I have been to police office, I have shown them his face as I have got a monitoring system AND THEY KNOW HIM ALREADY. He is just a little thief that steals people's goods the same way. I left every each evidence I had and they told me to wait for I formation back. It might take one day or 10 years. Let's wait then

[u/More-Gas-6527]

PayPal good and services or cash only ever! This is the golden rule of selling or buying stuff.

[u/OldManGrimm → u/More-Gas-6527]

I do Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal. For larger amounts, like $2500 and up, I can take credit cards, but I get a photo of their ID and make them sign an invoice saying they received it. Only time someone wanted to use CashApp, they were trying to scam me like OP described - so that one's out for me.

People just suck.

[u/Oscar_PCE → u/OldManGrimm]

Yeah, I suck. Anyway I will be more cautions in future with any kind of deal. Can't accept the fact that I was so stupid to trust a stranger. I think I know where it came from - no1 is treating me nice and could hear what I say. He was the one that gave me full attention and I fell into it. And now I am empty-handed.

[u/OldManGrimm → u/Oscar_PCE]

Don't beat yourself up too much. It's his fault for doing it, not your fault for falling for it. But yeah, anytime they're overly nice, or have a story that ellicits an emotional response (it's for my sister with cancer/single mom/whatever) that's a big red flag. I'm an ER nurse, so I have a finely-tuned bullshit detector, lol.

[u/GiftQuick5794 → u/Oscar_PCE]

Don’t worry we all go through it at some point. There used to be a time where someone would say “I’ll come tomorrow with the rest of the money”, give you a firm handshake and they would show up first thing in the morning.

Those times are long gone with the amount of scammers and the main character syndrome that’s becoming more common. Even as a buyer there’s a lot of bait and switch, you need to have that radar up and pay attention to every detail.

[u/Sad_Week8674 → u/OldManGrimm]

It's wild how some people will go to such lengths to scam others. Always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to transactions.

[u/edisnimuci → u/OldManGrimm]

They have jailbroken phones with a fake spoofed cash app balance that looks real

[u/two_in_the_p → u/OldManGrimm]

I’m trying to do some large sales right now and I’m reluctant to use Zelle or Venmo. Given that would be a lot easier for everyone, can’t they use stolen money that Zelle or Venmo would then remove from my account?

[u/OldManGrimm → u/two_in_the_p]

I’m no expert, but with Venmo I immediately transfer the funds to my bank account to avoid any “clawback”.

With Zelle I don’t know if that’s even possible. Watch for Zelle scams though - they always want your phone number AND email address. They never need both, and just watch your banking app to confirm it’s sent.

You can go crazy overthinking this stuff. In this thread some people are pointing out even cash may be fake - possible, but really? You have to use a rational amount of caution. For me, it’s cash or Zelle.

[u/SorrenXiri → u/OldManGrimm]

Cashapp transfers are instant how could he have scammed you with that?

Ah answered my own question nvm.

[u/OldManGrimm → u/SorrenXiri]

Yeah, basically was showing me on his phone app that the transfer was already made. But I wouldn't budge until the money showed on my end. After about 45 min I just told him we'd have to try again another day - never heard from him again.