wonder if anyone has gone through the buyer protection process here? paypal must be aware of the myriad of ways scammers work.
I was contacted by the same guy. Looks like they’re going through old WTB posts to target buyers.
I got one from them too and flagged it
Been scammed , seller insisted on Zelle. Now ask for a call or a photo of the seller with the item and an ID before further business. They always disappear after that.
On friends and family requests by sellers, there are tax implications to using buyer protection. PayPay is required by some States to file a 1099-k when greater than $600.
In that case the seller when selling at a loss needs to (warning: Claude):
- Report the gross proceeds (the 1099-K amount) on Schedule 1, Part I, Line 8z – Other Income, described as “Form 1099-K Personal Item Sold at a Loss.”
- Report cost, capped at the proceeds amount, on Schedule 1, Part II, Line 24z – Other Adjustments.
Legitimate sellers may not want to deal with that and request friends and family payment.
Personally I’d want to speak with someone on a video call for large transactions. Also basic investigation with a real name should generally yield some combination of a phone #, Linkedin, home address, age etc.