How to avoid scammer on Mudah

I am trying to buy a second hand MacBook Pro retina display or a MacBook Air online. The obvious many places I would visit would be Mudah. Mudah is such a bad place to look for gadgets, I have had a bad experience with this company but if you still want to jump into rivers full of crocs, perhaps my sharing could help.

Easy steps to test a legit seller;

Email them from Mudah website
Use a newly created email to email the seller (to conceal your identity). Mostly fraudsters do not reply to emails. The logic here is that, they want you to call them; they want desperate buyer. Are you desperate enough for the item posted? 9 out of 10 desperate buyers will call rather than email.

You will likely not receiving any reply.

(disclaimer: This is my suggestion, I don’t want to pretend that this will help everyone to identify a fraudster but in my experience – scammer is more focus on getting you to lose money rather than answering your patty questions.)

If you decided to call them;

Here’s what you should do, ask lots of questions! Before you start asking, please let him/her know that you want to ask some questions and if that is okay for him/her? (Get a paper write down the details for reference later)

  • Ask him/her for MacBook technical question – Processor (Speed), Memory(RAM size), HDD or SSD Size, CDROM? Screen Size? come with camera? Keyboard light?
  • Ask him/her for the serial number of the MacBook?
  • Ask him/her where she bought the unit (which outlet)?
  • Ask him/her when he bought it?
  • Ask him/her who service his purchase? Get names if possible. (Yes or no is a good infos – Under normal circumstances we don’t get the names of a service person, but if he/she did, we can call the outlet to verify if the person really working there)
  • Ask him/her why he want to sell it?
  • Ask him/her prefer COD or bank transfer? Ask why for either answer.

Verify MacBook infos with Apple Serial Number Info dot com
Go to http://www.appleserialnumberinfo.com/Desktop/index.php Verify the answers given by seller with the informations.

Free softwares
If the MacBook came with Adobe Photoshop or any expensive software, you should stop calling or email this person. No one will give you an expensive software for free. Software on a Mac normally very expensive, logically, no one will give you for free.

I hope these suggestions help. If you have better one, please share.

Example of potential fraud (Case study)

Too good to be true
Too good to be true offer. I have check the serial number on this ads, it generate an error. In this case, you should abandon your desire to buy.

The reason why Mr. Latif wants to sell his MacBook is because he is in need of cash. He also prefers not to go through all the hassle to sell this unit and prefer local dealing as he pointed out. As of this writing, he has changed the offer price from RM2250 to the current RM1990. Also to point out, he never respond to emails.

Here’s the suspicion, a person who is in need of cash; 1) Doesn’t want hassle 2) Prefer local dealing. These information doesn’t add up to a person who is seriously in need of cash.

Seller input
(RED ALERT) Postage: Free Domestic Postage

A domestic postage of a 3KG of this MacBook Pro Retina would easily cost RM30 and a person who is in need of cash, seriously, will not give in for free.

The earlier 2013 version of the MacBook Pro with Retina (Feb 13, 2013) has the following 2.4GHz processor and Graphic specs;

2.4 GHz (i7-3630QM) quad-core Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge with 6 MB on-chip L3 cache Optional 2.7 GHz (i7-3740QM) with 6 MB on-chip L3 cache
Optional 2.8 GHz (i7-3840QM) with 8 MB on-chip L3 cache

Intel HD Graphics 4000 with DDR3L SDRAM shared with main memory (13″)

It’s pretty alarming that this seller getting his MacBook’s info wrong, unless this is not his MacBook. No OS X Yosemite in early 2013 and I guess he is doing a very bad cut & paste work. Since software is easily upgradable, this is still plausible a fraud.

Update Feb 20, 2015

Apparently this scammer gets back to me today and request that I bank in RM200 so that he can drive to Kuching. Rules #1, people who genuinely want to sell will NOT ask money from you first. If the seller is desperate, they will bring the item to you and try to sell you that way. ONLY SCAMMER asks for the money first.

Scammer email reply

Sent from my iPad

11 responses to “How to avoid scammer on Mudah”

  1. i think these scammers have scam some other people and use their information as a cover line, I just started selling on Mudah and I encounter all these scammers, Thank God i google up and read about them as i had a gut feeling of uneasiness as there are like 3-4 mails bearing the same technique- gonna play them out , wanna see what happen…

  2. Scammer: Mohamed Ismail Bin Ali Piah. Telephone no: 601136684498. Scammer on mudah.my pretending he wants to buy my item (Shoes worth RM 27), to be shipped to his partner in Sabah. He asked how much plus shipping, I said RM27+14=RM41. Then says to send account details and email then wait bank confirmation because he is transferring money from overseas. Then he asks if I received email confirmation. I said no, then he said check spam. Then in the spam there is an email from some overseas bank saying an amount of RM542 was transferred to my account and that it should be REFUNDED!! SCAM!! At this point I knew it was a scam. I asked him how much was transferred, he said “Read the email very well”.
    Wierd thing I noticed is that (could be helpful to tell if he is scammer):
    1. When I asked questions about what shoe size is the partner?Send me the postal address to send the item to. How much did you transfer to my account? No answer. He just ignored the questions.
    2. Scammer asked for email address. Which is wierd considering people want to communicate faster, so why not send bank transfer payment confirmation on whatsapp.

    Beware.

    • Also got the same scammers. But then i sound back to him bcause he said “did u want to go to jail ” to me bcause i did not transfer money rm631. Rm131 for my item but the “scotia bank” said that i need to pay more because the bullshit regulation said so. Then i answered “i go to jail or you that i will put in the jail ” then he blocked me. Lol desperate for money. Before he said he want to bring me to jail he called me a very thousand times. Who the hell he is that he force me to do rm631 trasacttion, before he want me to transfer rm631, he must ask for my permission firest. Tbh, my acc bank money not reaching rm500 -,- this ismail act like i am the one who is scammer instead of him . Scammer who is not finished their school pity for him .

    • I think its the same guy..using nama Jana James..asked me to ship the item to his or her friend in Sabah.. Why these scammers using Sabah… atleast change the location..lol
      Doubt it when I received two message from different numbers saying the same thing..asked him back wheres the address to be sent.. he ignores that..

    • Thanks the info. I’m almost cheated by him. Thanks now his number is 0194952648

      • Incredible! Still in operation. It seems no one makes a police report and send copy to Mudah and to the bank involved — or our police forces are just not up to the games for these scammer.

  3. scammer : Mohamad Zakwan bin Ahmad fauzi 164203518180 , i sell something on mudah.my for rm50 , he asked me to bankin rm450 to this account no. Here is scammer email:

    Please understand that our top most concern is the satisfaction of our customers. We are heartily sorry to inform you that, we are unable to credit your account with (RM50.00 MYR ), because your buyer’s account could not transfer that amount into your account and the least amount that we could process to your account is ( RM 500.00 MYR ). We want you to understand that an extra amount of ( 450.00 MYR ) has been automatically deducted from your buyers account, we have approved the ( RM 500.00 MYR ) and it is ready to be in your account after completing the process below:

    1. Refund Back Overcharged Amount ( 450.00 MYR ) to the agent account below first.

    2. Take an image or screenshot the receipt of the refund and forward it directly to your buyer and also to our verification department merchandisefunddept @consultant.com as a proof of refund for verification.

    3. Once we receive (Proof / Receipt ) from you, it will be VERIFIED and we will UNLOCK the ( 500.00 MYR ) into your account immediately.

    4. Note that this transaction has been approved on our data base and it cannot not be cancelled or reversed so, the refund is COMPULSORY to complete this transaction by refunding the additional amount.

  4. WANTED Bonyxavier Anak Thomas Address: Lot 842 lonoog 10 96400 mukah sarawake.. This is one of the cheater in Malaysia with account information 19th yours of age while he attend a collage.. If you get this information report to the nearest police station..

    Maybank
    Acc Name: Bonyxavier Anak Thomas
    Acc number: 111057273378

    0109742503
    0194859606
    ic 980406135957
    bonyxavier56@gmail.com

  6. yea, i found that alot Macbook’sscammer serounding Mudah , with some hardly access COD areas, and will ask u to lock the deal with some cash cause someone was dealing with him/her as well , so will give who pay 1st. so guys bewares of ridiculous low prices of gadgets !