Ebay Scam - Buyer Requests Shipping to Different Address

This scam usually occurs when an innocent victim's PayPal account has been hijacked. The scammer will not change the hijacked account's shipping address as this will send an email to the true account holder. Instead, the scammer will try to convince a seller to ship the item to a different address which is often in another country. Typically the scammer will claim that he is moving or that the item is for a friend.

It can happen to a genuine buyer as well, it happened to me when I moved house, naturally I did not want things going to my old address and I had forgotten to change the address on paypal. I contacted the seller asked them to send it to the new address but told them to wait while I confirmed it on paypal.

If the buyer wants to send to another address ask them to confirm this through paypal. Paypal will alert the account holder who will then hopefully confirm all is ok or is fraud. Whatever way wait a few days before sending.

If you have already sent the item all is not lost

Mark the item as not dispatched it doesn't matter that you have sent if off if they think you haven't sent it off they are more likely to spring to action.

Tell them you won't send the item until the address is confirmed by paypal, explain to them that without a confirmed address you cannot send off. Even a gift to someone is easily confirmed in paypal. I have sent many items to different addresses but always put the address in paypal rather than asking the ebay seller to do so.

Contact the royal mail or courier company and explain the situation especially if you have sent it by tracking method. They will often return the item to you or at the very least hold it until it is confirmed.

If you have sent the item off and you only have proof of posting then it's a little more difficult though not impossible. If this doesn't work then the next step is debt collection or fraud squad. You have their address and you may get someone to intercept the parcel before it gets to them.

You can also let your buyer know quickly that sending to a different unconfirmed address is fraud and that unless it is confirmed by paypal you will be reporting them to ebay and do it, the sooner you do it there is a possibility of reversing things around.