That Time I Outsmarted a Scammer: A Reddit Story

Hey, it’s Jonesy here with a tale of almost getting scammed but dodging the bullet. So, I was scrolling Reddit, keeping up with all things marketing, digital, and affiliates when I came across someone selling a 125k follower Instagram account for $300.

Now, usually, I don’t buy accounts, we prefer to build our own (shoutout to GheeFunny, Sultan_of_Savage, Listen My Son, and ShutUpKaren), but the price and niche caught my attention. Even though the account posted memes using copyrighted material, I figured I could still make it work with affiliate marketing.

I decided to play along. But buying an account through Reddit without the security of an escrow service or something like Flippa can be a sketchy game, so I set some ground rules:

1. Message me from the account: Check.
2. Accept PayPal instead of Cashapp or Apple Pay: Check.
3. Confirm receipt of my $1 test payment: Check.
4. Pay via Goods and Services to protect the transaction: Here’s where things went sideways.

After sending the test dollar, I offered to pay the $300 with a 5% bonus to cover fees and keep things fair. But suddenly, Mr. Scammer starts insisting on PayPal’s “Friends and Family” payment instead.

🚩 Red flag alert 🚩

He claimed he refunded my $1 because he wouldn’t get the money until October 2 if I didn’t send it “the right way” via Friends and Family. Nice try, pal.

Our convo went like this:

Scammer: You have to send friends & family im refunding it back
Me: No deal, good luck.
Scammer: Why would i wait till october 2nd to get paid… i’m doing good business!
Me: That’s not my problem, that’s between you and PayPal.
Scammer: You aren’t losing! If I don’t send the login, you can file a claim and they’ll refund you.
Me: Nah, I run this as a business. Sending friends and family is a risk, and I’m not falling for that.

He tried to flip the script and accuse me of being the scammer. Gotta love it.

The Lesson: Always Use PayPal Goods and Services

This guy wanted me to risk my money with zero protection, and that’s a hard no. Here’s why:

1. No Buyer Protection with Friends and Family: If the seller doesn’t follow through, you’re out of luck. No refunds, no disputes.
2. Buyer Protection with Goods and Services: If things go south, you can file a claim and potentially get your money back.
3. Why Some Sellers Insist on Friends and Family: They want to avoid fees, or worse, they’re trying to scam you. In this case, it was the latter.

So yeah, if a seller insists on Friends and Family, walk away. Better yet, run. And always protect yourself with Goods and Services.

Got scammed? Nope.
Lost my time? A little.
Gained a story? Absolutely.

Moral of the story? Scammers are everywhere, but so are smart buyers. Stay sharp out there.