Red Flags

I remember a time when I didn't have to be suspicious all the time. It was a good feeling to not feel that way and I miss not having to constantly be in doubt.

Back in the early days of Kijiji, I could put an item up for sale and within a few hours, someone—often, a several people—would reach out and make an offer. Within a day or two, that item would be gone.

I think the last things I sold were DW's and my kayaks, about a year ago. And for some reason, kayakers don't mess around: they're serious when they reach out.

But since then, whenever I list something on this online shopping platform, one of three things will happen:

1. The item will be ignored. Completely. No one wants it.
2. The person will low-ball an offer to an extent that I'd rather keep the item.
3. Someone will enthusiastically reach out, claiming an interest. They don't even really haggle over the asking price. And that's because they're looking to scam me out of that item.

Before Christmas, I listed my old Insta360 One X action camera on Kijiji. I was throwing in all sorts of accessories, such as a weatherproof case, a dive case, a mini tripod, extra batteries, and more.

Initially, I listed the gear for $300 because I saw someone selling the One X, alone, for $400, and thought I'd make a quick sale. But after a couple of weeks without even a nibble, I dropped the price to $250.

Still, crickets.

I dropped the camera to $200, and still no one seemed interested. So when the ad elapsed, I didn't renew it. I'll see if Henry's or Vistek are willing to take it, for whatever, as a trade-in. I think this 2018 technology isn't worth much, considering how far the Insta360 cameras have come since.

When I bought my DJI Neo 2 drone, I listed my old Neo on Kijiji, thinking that someone would want it. The technology was only about 18 months old and it's a very good drone. Coming with two spare batteries and a charger, a remote controller, spare propellors, and a form-fitting, water-resistant case, I thought my asking price of $400 was reasonable, considering I had probably used the drone for fewer than two hours and it was in mint condition.

Immediately, people reached out with offers. Someone offered $250, and I politely declined the offer.

When Amazon dropped their price for this kit to $375, as a Christmas sale price, I dropped my price to $350. Even after Christmas, when Amazon brought it back over $400, I kept my price at $350 for about a month after, and then dropped it to $320.

Somebody offered $150 and I didn't even respond to their message. To me, they weren't serious about the drone.

But a week later, they messaged me again to see if I had seen their offer. I responded, respectfully letting them know that for less than $300, I might as well keep the drone and use it as a backup. It was a perfectly fine drone and I wasn't willing to give it away.

A few days later, the person offered $250, and I reminded them that I wasn't willing to let it go for less than $300. They then countered with $270, at which point I wished them good luck in their search.

But then I started thinking that this person really wanted the drone and were a serious buyer. So I reached out and said that if they could come up to $280, the drone was theirs. This was $40 less than my asking price and $20 less than my minimum acceptance price, but only $10 more than their upper limit.

No deal.

The drone is still on Kijiji and I'm hopeful that more interest comes with better weather.

When I returned from Costa Rica, I made the tough decision to sell my Nikon 200–500mm zoom lens. At 2.3kg, it's too heavy for me to wield. I need something lighter.

I posted it on Kijiji and within an hour, I had some interest. Or so I thought.

The person wanted to pay for the lens with a certified cheque, which is a red flag. There are too many scams involving fake certified cheques that I spotted this scheme right away and blocked the person.

I had someone else who was interested, but as we chatted, he discovered that he wouldn't be able to use the lens for his intended purpose. He was going to watch the FIFA soccer match in Toronto and he was planning to bring his Nikon D500 (for which the lens would be perfect), but he learned that he wouldn't be allowed in the venue with a lens that is longer than six inches, and this lens definitely is.

He was a nice person to chat with, but sadly he couldn't use the lens for his purpose.

And then there was someone who reached out, who was interested, and didn't haggle about the price. This raised a flag but the person asked me all sorts of questions about the lens and even asked me for a video of me holding the lens.

I thought that this was a strange request but was no skin off my nose, so I sent him a short clip.

When he said that he was in Richmond, BC, a second red flag was waved. I asked him why he was shopping for a used lens so far from home. Couldn't he find this lens in Western Canada? He replied that similar lenses were either too expensive or didn't seem in as good a shape as mine. He added that he'd give me an extra $150 to ship it, and he provided his address.

I told him that as soon as I received his e-transfer, I'd head straight to the shipping depot. And shortly thereafter, I received an e-mail informing me of said e-transfer.

Except, it wasn't the typical Interac notification of a deposit into my account. I have my account set up such that I don't need passwords: as soon as money is sent from one institution, it's automatically put in my bank account.

This e-mail, from the Royal Bank, informed me that the money for the transaction had been sent but that a hold was placed on it, pending confirmation of a FedEx shipping number. A link in the message told me to click it to add this number.

Because I was looking at the e-mail on my phone, I didn't take any action. I wanted to inspect the message on my big screen, when I was sitting in front of my computer. But between communication with the buyer, who sent me his mailing details, I had bundled the lens in its box with some bubble wrap, and taped the ends to seal it in.

Within seconds of my reading the message, the person reached out to me. He said that he received a message that the funds were being held, and this must be something new through FedEx and the bank. He asked when I expected to the FedEx depot, and to let him know as soon as I shipped the package.

Another red flag was raised but the e-mail seemed legit. Was there a setup whereby you could hold funds until a shipping number was provided?

I'm no dummy. I went straight to the Internet, starting with Interac.

I learned that Interac never places a hold on an e-transfer. Ever. They are simply the conduit between banks. Once you send an e-transfer, it's sent.

I used Perplexity, giving it the details of this interaction and describing the held e-transfer and the e-mail. It verified what I had learned from Interac and suggested that this was a scam. It warned me not to click any link in the e-mail, and if I had, what to do to protect my bank details.

Of course, I clicked nothing. I'm not stupid.

The 'buyer' asked me if I had gone to the FedEx depot yet, as he wanted to know if the lens was on its way. "You were so close," I wrote back. "I have the lens all packaged and was about to head out the door. Instead, I've forwarded your e-mail to Interac's phishing department (Perplexity provided me with the e-mail address). Better luck next time."

I promptly blocked the person.

Last week, I mentioned that I'm now selling my Nikon D7200 camera and several lenses, including the long zoom. I've put them together to sell as a single package, though I'm willing to sell components separately.

The day after my posting went live, someone reached out and expressed an interest in the 200–500mm lens. I told them my asking price (same as in the ad for the lens, alone), and they said that they'd think about it.

Since then, crickets. At least he wasn't a scammer.

But on Friday, when I awoke, I saw a message from someone who was interested in the whole kit. His uncle was interested in photography and this complete kit would be a great birthday present.

Often, when someone gives me a backstory, I raise a red flag. Not a big flag, but my suspicions become heightened a little.

The person asked if I would be willing to accept $50 off from my asking price, and I agreed. I noticed, from the text message—side note: if a person contacts me by text, instead of through Kijiji's chat platform, it's another small red flag—that the person had a Montreal-area number.

I pointed this fact out to the person, and said that if they would like, we could meet somewhere between Ottawa and Montreal, unless the person was already planning to come to my city. Instead, the person asked if I could ship the gear directly to his uncle, who lives in Sarasota, Florida. He would cover the shipping expenses.

Major red flag.

When the scammer who was supposedly in Richmond, BC, asked me to ship the lens, I learned that it would cost about $130 dollars for an express delivery. With all of the gear that this Montreal person wanted, it would cost more than $200, I figured.

I responded, letting him know that I didn't feel comfortable shipping the gear to the U.S., but for an extra $50, I would personally drive to Montreal and deliver the camera gear to him, and he could ship it to his uncle.

It costs more than $50, in gas, to drive to Montreal and back, but because he hadn't haggled very much, I was willing to put in the time and expense to ensure that I wasn't being scammed.

Shortly thereafter, the person came back and said that he was away, on business, and he wanted the gear shipped to his uncle ASAP. He didn't want to miss out on this opportunity, he added. He was even willing to offer a "tip."

Alert status: red.

He also sent me the mailing details of his uncle's home in Sarasota. Of course, I immediately went to Google maps, and discovered that the address is a warehouse in an industrial park.

Not wanting to let the scammer know that I was on to him, I said that if he is truly serious about giving his uncle this gear as a birthday gift, he could contact me again when he returns from his business trip. I wished him a good day.

And then there was silence.

I've sold bikes, winter tires, furniture, appliances, computers, and electronics on Kijiji. The sales were straightforward and, for the most part, stress-free. But lately, people want to pay very little for items; or worse, nothing at all.

It's sad that our society has gotten to the point where interactions with strangers need to be conducted under a cloak of suspicion and doubt. But to protect ourselves that's the state in which we now find ourselves.