Chinese shipping scammer on Reddit
Hey guys. A few days ago I posted in a local subreddit asking about how I could order a Bambulab 3D printer from China and ship it to Bangladesh (Bambulab doesn't ship directly here, and there's no authorized resellers). A Reddit user messaged me and provided the WhatsApp number of an (alleged) Chinese freight forwarder company.
I messaged them and their prices seemed very reasonable. Not too high, not shadily low either. Their WhatsApp business account had pictures of their warehouse, a location, and overall it set off no alarms. They offered to purchase my product through 1688 (Chinese version of Alibaba) and ship it to my country via FedEx. I paid the amount for purchasing the product through Paypal Goods and Services without much concern, thanks to Buyer Protection.
A few days later, they sent me photos of my 3D printer at their warehouse. I reverse-image-searched the photos just to be safe, and no results came up. All seemed well. Then they asked me to make the rest of the payment so they could book the shipping. They said Paypal withdrawal would delay my shipment significantly.
As I'd already received photos of my product at their warehouse, I didn't see a reason to suspect them. If they were scamming, why take the trouble of purchasing the product?
They suggested making the payment through a local bank transfer to an alleged local escrow. I agreed and sent the rest of the payment. 5 days later, they blocked me on WhatsApp.
I opened a Paypal dispute. A few hours later I received a email threatening me and my family, and blackmailing me to close the Paypal dispute.
I posted about this in a few subreddits, and 4 people have reached out to me so far. One had already fallen victim to this same scammer, while the other 3 had been approached by them but were able to back out in time having seen my posts.
I lost around $330. It might not sound like a lot, but a country where the average monthly salary is $164, it is a substantial amount.
I believe this issue deserves more attention. Especially since the scammer is still active and messaging people. What should I do next? Should I post the scammer's information and bank account details here? Not sure if the rules allow that. Any help is much appreciated.
Hey guys. A few days ago I posted in a local subreddit asking about how I could order a Bambulab 3D printer from China and ship it to Bangladesh (Bambulab doesn't ship directly here, and there's no authorized resellers). A Reddit user messaged me and provided the WhatsApp number of an (alleged) Chinese freight forwarder company.
I messaged them and their prices seemed very reasonable. Not too high, not shadily low either. Their WhatsApp business account had pictures of their warehouse, a location, and overall it set off no alarms. They offered to purchase my product through 1688 (Chinese version of Alibaba) and ship it to my country via FedEx. I paid the amount for purchasing the product through Paypal Goods and Services without much concern, thanks to Buyer Protection.
A few days later, they sent me photos of my 3D printer at their warehouse. I reverse-image-searched the photos just to be safe, and no results came up. All seemed well. Then they asked me to make the rest of the payment so they could book the shipping. They said Paypal withdrawal would delay my shipment significantly.
As I'd already received photos of my product at their warehouse, I didn't see a reason to suspect them. If they were scamming, why take the trouble of purchasing the product?
They suggested making the payment through a local bank transfer to an alleged local escrow. I agreed and sent the rest of the payment. 5 days later, they blocked me on WhatsApp.
I opened a Paypal dispute. A few hours later I received a email threatening me and my family, and blackmailing me to close the Paypal dispute.
I posted about this in a few subreddits, and 4 people have reached out to me so far. One had already fallen victim to this same scammer, while the other 3 had been approached by them but were able to back out in time having seen my posts.
I lost around $330. It might not sound like a lot, but a country where the average monthly salary is $164, it is a substantial amount.
I believe this issue deserves more attention. Especially since the scammer is still active and messaging people. What should I do next? Should I post the scammer's information and bank account details here? Not sure if the rules allow that. Any help is much appreciated.