An online scammer met his match when he got busted while trying to steal from a seller in the Facebook marketplace.
Scammer Met His Match
According to the image making rounds on social media platforms, the scammer asked the OP to tell him how much he had on his PayPal account since he had received a notification regarding the payment.
The OP was trying to sell an elliptical machine via the Facebook Marketplace when this happened. He was quick to text back, telling the scammer that such scams did not work on him.
Give Me $50
When the scammer realized he had been busted, he immediately apologized and confessed that he had tried to scam the OP. He proceeded to tell him that he was broke and asked for a $50 handout.
The OP was succinct as he told him he had a solution before promptly blocking him.
In a backstory, the OP said the scammer had initially sent a ‘Paypal’ email with a shady link that could have done several things, including stealing their login info. He also pretended that OP’s PayPal link did not work, which led the OP to believe he wanted to steal their Paypal address when he asked for their email instead.
Redditors Weigh In
When he posted the image on Reddit, it went viral, and users had different comments to make on the same.
One person offered a preview into how a close friend was scammed using similar tactics, “”Confessing” and then pivoting to begging with a sob story is a pretty common scammer tactic. My neighbor’s grandma got taken by a romance scammer (nothing serious, a few hundred dollars) but told him she was done after her kids stepped in and proved to her satisfaction that George Strait was not divorcing his wife and did not, in fact, need Apple gift cards from internet randos. Then the guy admitted everything, apologized for scamming her, and started video calling her, talking about how his life sucks, his kids are starving, and how there are no good job opportunities in the Philippines. He milked her for way more that way than he got with the romance scam.”
Turn the Table on the Scammer
Another offered a long-lasting solution, “I woulda sent him a job application or job search site link.”
Someone suggested that the OP should have played the dirty game as well, “Arrange for delivery. Meet in a bad neighborhood. Keep stalling him (“traffic’s bad, 10 more minutes!”), then never show up.”
“Years ago, I did something similar too, so you know the government gives you free 10 thousand. I kept saying I’m rich, they can keep it, so the person asked me for money,” added another user.
Are These Scammers for Real
Others couldn’t help being sarcastic about the whole situation. One said, “I’m so poor I need to resort to easily prosecutable social media short grifts just to afford basic goods like home exercise equipment.” Another added, “All they need is a little kindness by helping them out with a few dollars. Then they’ll realize where they went wrong in life and start turning their life around by seeking honest work.”
Someone wondered how the scammers’ minds operated, “First thing I think to do after someone tries to scam me is to give them money. Flawless logic.”
Another said scammers are never sorry, “It’s never I’m sorry I did it; it’s really I’m sorry you caught me.”
Has someone ever tried to scam you online? What was the experience?
This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.
