Lame Nigerian is trying to rip me off! What are my options?

[zewone]

So yesterday an auction ended for my roommates PSP I put up for him.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180011166798&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:UK:11
It was fairly low, so I was hoping the highest bidder would pay (last week I sold a Razr and the guy never paid, bad luck this month). I sent the invoice right after the auction ended.

This is the buyers reply:

Hello Robert,
I just want to let you know what a great product you here.This phone of yours is a very nice PSP and i am happy to have bid on it. I just want to let you know that i want to send the phone to my son in Nigeria as his birthday gift. So findout how much it will take to post the PSP to him Via USPS and get back to me with the new total for immediate payment. Below is my son's address in Nigeria.

Name : Olasukanmi Bamidele
Address : 4, Sariyu Street Itire
City : Surulere
State : Lagos
Country : Nigeria
Zip code : 23401.

Get back to me with the new total and also your paypal email so i can send payment to you as soon as possible.
Best regards.
Dr Alison Bracken.

I've seen all this kind of crap before from other people's posts. Never happened to me. In the auction I put I only ship to the U.S. Should I remind the buyer that?

But whats the point? We all know this person has no intention of paying. Look at her feedback. I'm sure their next email will be telling me about this wonderful escro service we should use.

If someone is willing to pay for the PSP for the amount the auction is for let me know. My roommate needs some extra cashflow pretty bad.

[Supreme]

dont even bother e-mailing them back, they wont even respond. just report them to ebay, wait til they get banned, then file a claim and say the buyer is no longer registered. then you will get your fees back that instant.

[maddfrog]

What is up with this whole Nigerian thing there? I went to the site after maybe a year of looking at auctions and everyone has something on that. Is it a bot or actually people doing this stuff?

[Yusuke-Urameshi-]

Tell them that you said you'll only ship to the US but you're willing to make an exception, just this one time, for them. Say you'll do it if they'll be willing to pay for shipping with their Fedex/UPS account. Then, ship them an oversized box filled with bricks, rocks, and dog shit (and anything else you can think of. Be creative! :D). It will cost them a shitload of money and they'll be repulsed. Problem solved.
Edit: Maybe add a story about it on your ME page, to prevent further scammers from getting to you

[zionoverfire]

What is up with this whole Nigerian thing there? I went to the site after maybe a year of looking at auctions and everyone has something on that. Is it a bot or actually people doing this stuff?

Bascially, they've expanded into sending fake ebay emails, obtaining users passwords and then bidding with perfectly vaild accounts with good feedback and then trying to have the item shipped to them.

[Negative]

Why would you sell this on Ebay.uk and then ship to US only?

[RAMSTORIA]

i like the box of shit idea. i second it.

[GrimNecroWizard]

i like the box of shit idea. i second it.
Third'd Pleeeeeeeeeeeease do it <_<

[SMMM]

holy shit, you're British?!

"Personal cheque"

hehe..how cutte..

[JimmieMac]

Here's a story about some guys that can help you out, See, in 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to military prison for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. So, if you have a problem, if no one else can help, and you can find them, maybe you can hire The A-Team.

I wish I knew more to help you find them but these dudes are a crafty bunch. Good luck.

[Ugamer_X]

www.zug.com/pranks/powerbook Rinse and repeat.

[Chacrana]

1) Don't sell it to him.
2) Nigerians can't be trusted. Those generous princes always try to fuck you over the second you give them your routing number.
3) I fourth the bag of shit idea.

[Technique]

Scamming the Scammer (http://www.p-p-p-powerbook.com/) Here's a great story about a guy that decided to play around with the scammer instead of ignoring him. Maybe you can get some ideas from him ;).

[zewone]

Why would you sell this on Ebay.uk and then ship to US only?
I didn't. Thats weird. I logged into my account today and everything was in pounds instead of $ and I was all "WTF?".

I don't know whats up with that.

[whoknows]

How nice of the person. I hope if I ever go to Nigeria one of my parents sends me a PSP

[Negative]

http://419eater.com

You are welcome.

[briansraregames]

Tell them that you said you'll only ship to the US but you're willing to make an exception, just this one time, for them. Say you'll do it if they'll be willing to pay for shipping with their Fedex/UPS account. Then, ship them an oversized box filled with bricks, rocks, and dog shit (and anything else you can think of. Be creative! :D). It will cost them a shitload of money and they'll be repulsed. Problem solved.
Edit: Maybe add a story about it on your ME page, to prevent further scammers from getting to you

I love this idea, but if you do try it, be sure to use a fake return address or it might come back to hurt you.

[Yusuke-Urameshi-]

I love this idea, but if you do try it, be sure to use a fake return address or it might come back to hurt you.
He should wait til another person tries to scam him and use that address. The two scammers can battle it out then :)

[Snake2715]

He should wait til another person tries to scam him and use that address. The two scammers can battle it out then :)

Now thats funny.

[mcgavin27]

Scamming the Scammer (http://www.p-p-p-powerbook.com/) Here's a great story about a guy that decided to play around with the scammer instead of ignoring him. Maybe you can get some ideas from him ;).
that was a great read. Thanks for posting that.

[Mookyjooky]

http://419eater.com

You are welcome.
No one has quoted this, so I will... these are the ultimate scams, way better than that lame p-p-powerbook one.

These guys are getting tattoos of the people who owned them.

http://419eater.com/images/trophy_room/trophy_room5/09_kinsley_odunze.jpg

http://419eater.com/images/trophy_room/trophy_room4/09_richard.jpg

[Quackzilla]

Just send a second chance offer to the second highest bidder...

[toldawg128]

Report him to ebay. He's got too many negative feedbacks to not be banned. Relist the PSP.