NOT SURE

[MISSOBREE]

I HAVE ADVERTISED SOME ROSEWOOD FURNITURE ON GUMTREE.  I HAD A TEXT MESSAGE FROM SOMEONE ASKING IF I STILL HAD IT AND COULD I EMAIL THEM.  I HAVE RECEIVED A REPLY TODAY SAYING

Thanks for your response,

I want you to consider this a deal as i am willing to pay your full asking price! i actually want to buy it for a family member who is urgently in need of it, i have checked through your posting and i'm fully satisfied with it. 

Unfortunately, i would not be able to come personally to view/collect, i work offshore as an instructor on a oil rig so i don't have time at all, but like i said i am 100% OK with the advert.

However, I will pay you via PayPal once you are ready and send my courier agent to collect after you have fully received your money via PayPal as that is the only means of payment available to me at the moment. I would also appreciate if you could remove the advert asap.

I will contact the courier agent now so please get back to me with a suitable collection time.

I'm not 100% sure of this.  if they paid the money to me via Paypal and i then transferred to my bank could they then try to claim it back if this was not a genuine person?

[sharpiemarker]

Scam. Ignore the message. Yes, they can dispute the transaction later and you will need to pay it back even with you withdrew the money to your bank if you somehow lose the claim.

[lancelotme]

and how do you prove you have delivered the furniture with online trackable DC if his carrier comes to pick up the furniture?

If you go along,he would send the next email that his payment for the furniture and shipping included has been made but witheld until you show good fairth by paying his carrier 499 dollars.

Once you  paid 499 shipping then his payment of furniture plus 499  shipping will be released to you. 

[Judith123]

I agree with Sharpiemarker and Lancelotme, it's a scam. 

GO HERE (and search for Scams):  www.fbi.gov

Or, HERE (Internet Crimes):  https://www.ic3.gov/crimeschemes.aspx  

You can probably find the same, or similar, scams already reported to the FBI. 

I had a similar situation... So long ago, it's hard to remember the details, but it sounds like your situation, almost word for word --- someone buying for someone who "urgently" needs it...  In fact, I think the "buyer" worked on an oil rig.  The bottom line was, he wanted me to pay the (make-believe) shipper, like, $700,... before I realized his check was no good.  (The "buyer" and "shipper", no doubt, in cahoots with each other.)

(I smelled "scam" right away and had already read about the scam at the FBI's site.  But, I played along (scammed him) -- I just wanted to see if he would, actually, send a check.  He did and, as I said, it was no good.  But, after Ihinted that I was on to him, I never heard from him again...  didn't ask for his check back, or anything.  😉 )

You should ask yourself these questions:

---  An instructor on an oil rig (makes good money, I'd think) can't buy his family furniture closer to their home?  And, maybe, nicer furniture after saving all the "shipping" expense.

---  If the family is so desperate, they won't settle for furniture sold more locally?  Why are they so desperate for "your" furniture (with the time and expense to get it shipped to them)?   Can beggars be choosers?  (LOL) 

I say it's a scam.  Go with your gut.  (Your gut is, probably, telling you it's a scam, or you wouldn't be on this board asking for hope or reassurance...)