Looking for opinions

[watchintime]

I had an odd experience today and was just looking to get some thoughts on what I should do. I sold a few watches to a trusted seller and received a check in the mail to help fund a larger purchase. I have used this seller multiple times in the past and have done transactions like this where I have received a check in the past as well. Today he calls and says I had emailed him to wire money to my account and that I would shred the check and was upset that I cashed the check. I tell him that I never sent those emails and no money was wired to any account I own. He tries sending me a copy of the email thread to me, I can see that there appears to be a correspondence but not what was said. All I can see is a header to the message and the sellers signature but none of what is typed. It is my email address in the header but I never sent them nor can I see the messages in the sent mail folder in my account.
I guess I am just looking to see if I should get an attorney or police involved or wait for the trusted seller to do something.

Thank you for reading all of this and I appreciate all your insights

[Thatguy]

I would ask for more info such as rest of email chain and were money was wired. Strange situation.


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[Art 1]

Who was it?

[Chewbacca]

If I read and understood correct, I don't see an issue for you to worry about at this point.

[Fabrice M]

Who is it?

[watchintime]

I would rather not post their name at this point until I see how this unplays. They have a great reputation and I don’t want post negative of them if nothing comes of this. I believe this is a case of fraud, just wasn’t sure if I could be held liable for anything.

[Ruud Van Driver]

Try picking the phone up first, especially if you've dealt with the seller several times previously.

If you can't see what was sent, explain to him that you can't see the messages. Then ask him to scan the messages and send them as PDF documents so that you can read them.

Keep it reasonable as it might be a genuine misunderstanding. They do happen.

The identity of the buyer is not important right now. Try and work things out like grown-ups first; there might be a perfectly logical explanation for this and no one needs to get their Alan's in a twist just yet.

Good luck, I hope you work things out.

[Knappo 1307]

Originally Posted by Ruud Van Driver

Try picking the phone up first, especially if you've dealt with the seller several times previously.

If you can't see what was sent, explain to him that you can't see the messages. Then ask him to scan the messages and send them as PDF documents so that you can read them.

Keep it reasonable as it might be a genuine misunderstanding. They do happen.

The identity of the buyer is not important right now. Try and work things out like grown-ups first; there might be a perfectly logical explanation for this and no one needs to get their Alan's in a twist just yet.

Good luck, I hope you work things out.

Amen! Everyone nowadays wants to email, text, istagram, etc... Just pick up the damn phone. So many things are lost in translation through informal texts, a simple phone call will probably clear things right up..

[superdog]

Agree with Ruud. Pick up the phone. Something seems off.

[Abdullah71601]

Has his check cleared?

When you spoke to him on the phone, why did he say he mailed a check if he was supposed to wire money (according to email)?

Originally Posted by Knappo 1307

Amen! Everyone nowadays wants to email, text, istagram, etc... Just pick up the damn phone. So many things are lost in translation through informal texts, a simple phone call will probably clear things right up..

I think they've already spoken about this.

[Knappo 1307]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

Has his check cleared?

When you spoke to him on the phone, why did he say he mailed a check if he was supposed to wire money (according to email)?



I think they've already spoken about this.

Yep, you're right. Not enough pictures for me to follow the story..

[watchintime]

Yes we did speak on the phone earlier. I had asked him to mail the check and he did last week. Then he said I emailed him saying I wanted the money wire transferred and I would shred the check. But I never sent this I did see some of the correspondence and it does look like it is from my account. But I never sent them and there is no recollection of it in my sent mail or deleted emails folder. I have this email account linked to my phone and never saw any of these messages from him ever appear. I already changed email passwords not sure if I was hacked or he was. I really don’t think he is lying to me but just not sure if I should be concerned

[Investr]

None of this adds up!! Ive done numerous (over 20 sells with TSs) and never been paid by check, always a wire. Something fishy here......

[swils8610]

I’ve done wires mostly. I did sell a TS here and him send me a check. No issues.


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[tbonesteak]

This whole story is so confusing, I mean I follow along, but something is amiss.

Where was the money wired to? Do you have a name on the bank account?

[sco]

Did you get the money wired to you?

[watchintime]

Sorry if I’m making this confusing. He told me money was wired to a Wells Fargo account. I have never had a Wells Fargo account.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by watchintime

Sorry if I’m making this confusing. He told me money was wired to a Wells Fargo account. I have never had a Wells Fargo account.

change your passwords. It seems like someone knew you just made a sale and then tried to intercept the payment. Someone is compromised here.

[cop414]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

change your passwords. It seems like someone knew you just made a sale and then tried to intercept the payment. Someone is compromised here.

This would be my opinion with the information given. I’d say that one of you have had an acct compromised by a third party. Let us know how this plays out.

[bdex75]

Originally Posted by cop414

This would be my opinion with the information given. I’d say that one of you have had an acct compromised by a third party. Let us know how this plays out.

Someone likely compromised your email account and started communicating with the buyer of the watches you sold, as you.

You wanted a check, and got a check.

Your email was hacked and the perp sent an email (as you) to the buyer stating you would tear up the check and wanted the money wired to a WF account. (Their WF account).

Buyer sent a wire and you still have a check to cash.

They were taken due to whoever hacked your email account.

I don’t think you are liable, but this is a sticky situation and I am not an attorney.

Have you cashed the check??


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[brandrea]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

change your passwords. It seems like someone knew you just made a sale and then tried to intercept the payment. Someone is compromised here.

Exactly this.

[Gaijin]

Originally Posted by watchintime

Sorry if I’m making this confusing. He told me money was wired to a Wells Fargo account. I have never had a Wells Fargo account.

The plot thickens. If this really is the true trusted seller that you are talking to and corresponding with you have nothing to worry about.

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by watchintime

Sorry if I’m making this confusing. He told me money was wired to a Wells Fargo account. I have never had a Wells Fargo account.

He must have been hacked.

[TheVTCGuy]

Possible your email (or his) was hacked?

[Laszlo]

Geez, so the trusted seller might be out twice paid... eek.

[FairTradeRep]

Some good advice here.

[Fredrik]

The from field in emails are just like the "from:" on the backside of an envelope, you can put anything there. You need to look at the email headers to check where the emails actually originated. I would guess that it is actually the seller that has been compromised.

[watchintime]

Thank you all for the advice and insight. Spoke with the seller a few times today. He and his bank are looking into this as fraud. He asked me to send a notarized letter stating I never recieved the wire transfer and that I don’t have a bank account with Wells Fargo which I happily did. We both believe it is a fraud case but not sure how the hacker was able to make it look like me and me to never receive the emails in my account.

[Valle de Joux]

Originally Posted by watchintime

I had an odd experience today and was just looking to get some thoughts on what I should do. I sold a few watches to a trusted seller and received a check in the mail to help fund a larger purchase. I have used this seller multiple times in the past and have done transactions like this where I have received a check in the past as well. Today he calls and says I had emailed him to wire money to my account and that I would shred the check and was upset that I cashed the check. I tell him that I never sent those emails and no money was wired to any account I own. He tries sending me a copy of the email thread to me, I can see that there appears to be a correspondence but not what was said. All I can see is a header to the message and the sellers signature but none of what is typed. It is my email address in the header but I never sent them nor can I see the messages in the sent mail folder in my account.
I guess I am just looking to see if I should get an attorney or police involved or wait for the trusted seller to do something.

Thank you for reading all of this and I appreciate all your insights

NEVER accept a check in the future for any watch dealings?

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by Valle de Joux

NEVER accept a check in the future for any watch dealings?

the check appears to be the only thing about this whole situation that worked as planned. OP sold the watch and cashed the check