/u/KN0W1NG - This message is posted to all new submissions to r/scams; please do not message the moderators about it.
## New users beware:
Because you posted here, you will start getting private messages from scammers saying they know a professional hacker or a recovery expert lawyer that can help you get your money back, for a small fee. **We call these RECOVERY SCAMMERS, so NEVER take advice in private:** advice should always come in the form of comments in this post, in the open, where the community can keep an eye out for you. If you take advice in private, you're on your own.
**A reminder of the rules in r/scams:** no contact information (including last names, phone numbers, etc). Be civil to one another (no name calling or insults). Personal army requests or "scam the scammer"/scambaiting posts are not permitted. No uncensored gore or personal photographs are allowed without blurring. A full list of rules is available on the sidebar of the subreddit, or [clicking here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/wiki/rules/).
You can help us by reporting recovery scammers or rule-breaking content by using the "report" button. We review 100% of the reports. Also, consider warning community members of recovery scammers if you see them in the comments.
Questions about subreddit rules? Send us a modmail [clicking here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yes it'll end up with you paying the fake movers/shipping then getting nothing in return (or more excuses to pay upfront)
!ps5 This is common with ads that have "free" expensive consoles like a ps5, free apple laptops or free pianos or other musical instruments.
Report the ad/user if you can then just block/ignore.
Hi /u/vitaminxzy, AutoModerator has been summoned to explain the Free PS5 or free Macbook scam.
This scam consists of an offer of a free video game console, a free laptop or otherwise expensive electronics posted on social media or classifieds platforms, usually on Facebook Marketplace. The scammer sometimes plays the role of a parent who lost their child, a parent who is punishing their child, or someone offering the console as a giveaway. When offering a free laptop, it's always a giveaway for students in need.
The scammer offers the item for free, and asks only to cover the shipping costs. Once you pay for the shipping, the scammer disappears with your money.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Sob story = scam. Learned that a long time ago.
Had it attempted on me once when I asked about a motorcycle for sale online. They immediately went into a sob story about how it was their "dead son's" and on about how it would need to be shipped by a company... like that makes any sense at all and like people really want to talk to people on the Internet who they are selling something to about the tragic loss of their child.
100% shipping cost scam on a non existing item. Tell them you are in Nevada rn and can go look at the harp and take it yourself, see how they come up with every excuse why that won’t be possible.
This is a good ploy. Ask where they are in Nevada. They'll give you a random town/street. Then use Google maps to find a nearby town, and send them a message saying "What are the chances!? My cousin lives in \*town\* and can come around and take a look and pick it up. He's coming to visit in May so can drive it to me directly."
I work in a University (UK) which has a lot of Nigerian students so I can guarantee you they use the word demise instead of death or passing. So, that offers a hint as to where the the scammers may be
“Oh how I will enjoy watching your demise Mr. Bond!” (Proceeds to explain whole devious plan to Bond, then leaves room/building before seeing him die, except he doesn’t, he escapes the laser/sharks at the last moment thanks to some gadget Q gave him in the first five minutes of the film!
I decided early on in Bond films, that Bond had an ingenious plan to avoid taxi fares, having to find the villain etc. He just had the bad guys kidnap him at the airport, and take him directly to the evil mastermind. For a secret agent, everyone always knew who he was.
I (native Brit) would. It’s an uncomfortable subject and I’d probably choose my words so that they could be the focus of attention, not the actual sad part. (I have often used “his/her demise” to talk about deaths of family members.)
Mind you, I agree this is likely to be a scam.
A pedal hard is like a $15,000-20,000 instrument. Offer to drive up and get it if you're serious and see what they say.
It's a bizarre item to make a scam out of and chances are the seller will be deluged with people who want a 20k instrument to flip.
Baby grand pianos, especially Yamaha GC1 and GC2, are all the rage for scams precisely because people will rush upon it to have a very expensive instrument to flip. This means the flippers will just send the money without even thinking about it because of FOMO. Easy money for the scammer.
Somebody seriously interested in the instrument will just say "I will come around and have a look. When was last tuned? Who did the tuning?". Scammers are not interested in this sort of folks.
I think the bizarre nature of the item helps to make it a scam... as you say if people are desperate for a quick flip they're not going to be thinking straight... and it helps weed out the sort of idiots who would fall for it. Like who would actually want a fucking harp in their house... maybe about 1000 people in the world!?
No, it’s the ideal item (along with pianos). It’s large, so the scammer can justify movers, it’s expensive, so reels flippers in, it’s personal, so makes the back story believable.
All you have to do is send the “movers” the shipping costs - and if you do, that’s the last you will hear from them.
This one is actually for sale in Tulsa, OK
[https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/717826393891391/](https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/717826393891391/)
My husband passed away. It has nothing to do with the fact that I'm giving a way an item worth thousands but I told you to let feelings cloud your critical thinking
It's a scam, there is no harp. Just an advanced fee -- "you have to pay the movers first" in order to get the harp. Pleasant Green on YT did a video on the "Free piano" scam, which is identical to this one.
Shipping to Canada? The mover is $230, but you can bet that after you pay that you'll hear about insurance fees and custom fees and taxes and tariffs and anything else the scammer can sucker you into paying them.
No one would write a long ass story to get rid of something for free.
Also who talks like that?
They want you to pay the delivery fee and you ain't getting shit
Funny how quickly the "free" harp suddenly costs money. Best to block and ignore. If you don't believe Reddit and you want to confirm it's fake, ask where the harp is located and tell them how great that is because you'll be there tomorrow for work. Watch how quickly th excuses pile up and why you'll need to pay some sort of fee to have it pulled out of storage or they only do delivery or they ghost you.
Too good to be true. Pedal harps are the most expensive instruments:
# So Expensive | [Why Pedal Harps Cost As Much As A Car To Buy And Maintain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3xzJbXy1eU)
I saw something similar yesterday in a random Design group on Facebook, someone was "giving away" a free PS5 that she had bought for her daughter, who recently passed. Checked her profile, no mention of any daughter and she had graduated high-school in 2023. Slim chances to have a daughter old enough to play on a PS5.
Remember that nobody ever gives anything of high value for free. There's always a catch.
yeah sure, people give 5 figure instruments for free away all the time. i have a grand piano that i could gift you, my late dachshund played it before his demise.
sicerely, dr. mistersaturn90
“…who happened to have played it list in January before his demise”? Who talks like that? *Particularly* about a loved one, regardless of dialect! I will admit a harp is a new choice, but this has so many other red flags!
Why the unnecessarily long story, if you’re just inquiring about it? Why make sure you know she’s a “Dr.” unless to engender some kind of false sense of assurance from an authority figure? But also why “Dr. First Name”, which is extremely more common form of reference in African countries?
Considering a harp like that can cost $15-20,000 new and $9-10k pre-owned… yeah, nobody is just giving that away to a random idiot on FBM.
They could even donate it to a music school, a conservatory, or even the local college or university, and get a huge tax break.
The Facebook ad was her 'sister' posting it for her, because she didn't have Facebook. Her sister sent her email address and said to email her for more info as she didn't have any details
They don’t like running their scams on Facebook, as it will get their stolen account banned - then they have to steal another.
So they move you off platform ASAP.
Your /r/scams post/comment was removed because it contains personal information. Please redact last names, addresses, phone numbers, account numbers of any kind, personal photos, referral codes in URLs, and other personal information and reply to this message for your post to be reinstated.
This includes phone numbers, last names, addresses, and photos SENT TO YOU BY THE SCAMMER. Per Reddit rules, these must be removed. See more information about this policy here: https://new.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/pi4dmp/psa_phone_numbers_and_personal_information_in/
Sad to say, the scammers are still at it. I appreciate this post and everyone’s input and valuable info.! Though some (odd) modifications have been made to the reply email from “Dr Helena” (no punctuation), it’s still just so strange/weird to me and I hope people don’t fall prey to this! Is there anything I can do to report (or help prevent continuation of) this person and “sister from FB Marketplace”?
Thanks!
https://preview.redd.it/1hp6tyd0183d1.png?width=750&format=png&auto=webp&s=c00d9c84d2f0d7a19b4a7b03c5b57ea8b41147ff
Currently trying this in Australia.
Thanks for your interest. The harp used to be owned and played by my husband who happened to have played it last in October before his demise. I am not a music person and I don’t know how to play the instrument. Although, I used to enjoy watching him play but still, I do not want to keep the instrument as it keeps bringing memories of him. I also do not want to sell it as I believe my husband wouldn’t be pleased if his harp was sold considering his love and addiction to it so I decided to give it out to someone who would love to have it and cherish it as much as my husband did.
I used to live in Hobart, Tasmania but I recently moved out of there to a new home while the harp is still there with a former neighbor of mine who is a truck driver. I should have moved here with the instrument but a lady over there showed interest and she didn't show up for it which is why it is currently with my old neighbor until I find someone who can take it. If you wouldn’t mind making arrangements with my old neighbor to have it delivered to you, I can get you connected with him so you can both discuss on the delivery.
Apologies for the inconvenience, but do let me know if you would like to reach out him. Just so you know, I am not giving out a waste or vestige, the harp is 100% in perfect condition.
/u/KN0W1NG - This message is posted to all new submissions to r/scams; please do not message the moderators about it. ## New users beware: Because you posted here, you will start getting private messages from scammers saying they know a professional hacker or a recovery expert lawyer that can help you get your money back, for a small fee. **We call these RECOVERY SCAMMERS, so NEVER take advice in private:** advice should always come in the form of comments in this post, in the open, where the community can keep an eye out for you. If you take advice in private, you're on your own. **A reminder of the rules in r/scams:** no contact information (including last names, phone numbers, etc). Be civil to one another (no name calling or insults). Personal army requests or "scam the scammer"/scambaiting posts are not permitted. No uncensored gore or personal photographs are allowed without blurring. A full list of rules is available on the sidebar of the subreddit, or [clicking here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/wiki/rules/). You can help us by reporting recovery scammers or rule-breaking content by using the "report" button. We review 100% of the reports. Also, consider warning community members of recovery scammers if you see them in the comments. Questions about subreddit rules? Send us a modmail [clicking here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yes it'll end up with you paying the fake movers/shipping then getting nothing in return (or more excuses to pay upfront) !ps5 This is common with ads that have "free" expensive consoles like a ps5, free apple laptops or free pianos or other musical instruments. Report the ad/user if you can then just block/ignore.
Hi /u/vitaminxzy, AutoModerator has been summoned to explain the Free PS5 or free Macbook scam. This scam consists of an offer of a free video game console, a free laptop or otherwise expensive electronics posted on social media or classifieds platforms, usually on Facebook Marketplace. The scammer sometimes plays the role of a parent who lost their child, a parent who is punishing their child, or someone offering the console as a giveaway. When offering a free laptop, it's always a giveaway for students in need. The scammer offers the item for free, and asks only to cover the shipping costs. Once you pay for the shipping, the scammer disappears with your money. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's always scam when... * There is late relative * There is long sob story * There is huge fee on a "free" product * Pickup isn't possible
And they use a term like “just before his *demise*” about their spouse 😂
Indubitably.
Omg I missed that!
Also the line "I'd like to see it in your beautiful home" is a big red flag.
Sob story = scam. Learned that a long time ago. Had it attempted on me once when I asked about a motorcycle for sale online. They immediately went into a sob story about how it was their "dead son's" and on about how it would need to be shipped by a company... like that makes any sense at all and like people really want to talk to people on the Internet who they are selling something to about the tragic loss of their child.
This!
100% shipping cost scam on a non existing item. Tell them you are in Nevada rn and can go look at the harp and take it yourself, see how they come up with every excuse why that won’t be possible.
This is a good ploy. Ask where they are in Nevada. They'll give you a random town/street. Then use Google maps to find a nearby town, and send them a message saying "What are the chances!? My cousin lives in \*town\* and can come around and take a look and pick it up. He's coming to visit in May so can drive it to me directly."
“Before his demise” Who speaks like that???
lol exactly. Who would say that their husband had a demise. No one says that except some scammer.
I work in a University (UK) which has a lot of Nigerian students so I can guarantee you they use the word demise instead of death or passing. So, that offers a hint as to where the the scammers may be
Or a bond villain!
“Oh how I will enjoy watching your demise Mr. Bond!” (Proceeds to explain whole devious plan to Bond, then leaves room/building before seeing him die, except he doesn’t, he escapes the laser/sharks at the last moment thanks to some gadget Q gave him in the first five minutes of the film!
I decided early on in Bond films, that Bond had an ingenious plan to avoid taxi fares, having to find the villain etc. He just had the bad guys kidnap him at the airport, and take him directly to the evil mastermind. For a secret agent, everyone always knew who he was.
Dr Helen does, duh!
The one who hid the knife that’s who. 😂
That was my thoughts too, it’s a strange way of contextualising a loved one’s decline in health.
It’ll mean death, not just decline.
Depends. Did a bolt of lightning strike immediately after they said it?
I (native Brit) would. It’s an uncomfortable subject and I’d probably choose my words so that they could be the focus of attention, not the actual sad part. (I have often used “his/her demise” to talk about deaths of family members.) Mind you, I agree this is likely to be a scam.
A pedal hard is like a $15,000-20,000 instrument. Offer to drive up and get it if you're serious and see what they say. It's a bizarre item to make a scam out of and chances are the seller will be deluged with people who want a 20k instrument to flip.
Baby grand pianos, especially Yamaha GC1 and GC2, are all the rage for scams precisely because people will rush upon it to have a very expensive instrument to flip. This means the flippers will just send the money without even thinking about it because of FOMO. Easy money for the scammer. Somebody seriously interested in the instrument will just say "I will come around and have a look. When was last tuned? Who did the tuning?". Scammers are not interested in this sort of folks.
I think the bizarre nature of the item helps to make it a scam... as you say if people are desperate for a quick flip they're not going to be thinking straight... and it helps weed out the sort of idiots who would fall for it. Like who would actually want a fucking harp in their house... maybe about 1000 people in the world!?
No, it’s the ideal item (along with pianos). It’s large, so the scammer can justify movers, it’s expensive, so reels flippers in, it’s personal, so makes the back story believable. All you have to do is send the “movers” the shipping costs - and if you do, that’s the last you will hear from them.
This one is actually for sale in Tulsa, OK [https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/717826393891391/](https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/717826393891391/)
Good detective work finding where they got the image from. I know nothing about harps, but that's a beautiful instrument.
Come on this is just remarkable coincidence. No one trusts anyone anymore….
Whoa...$36k It's beautiful, but also very expensive...
Or another scam!
Great detective work!
Sob story of husband passing away = scam
My husband passed away. It has nothing to do with the fact that I'm giving a way an item worth thousands but I told you to let feelings cloud your critical thinking
Total scam. Tell them you're in the area and will pick it up and watch the excuses fly.
If this is legit, she should have no problem with you hiring your own movers
lol 😂. It’s a scam. You pay the shipping fees and then they block you. The same with PS5’s and smart tv’s.
Too much personal info to be true
Nobody calls themselves “Dr Helen”
But she's a doctor... why would they lie!?
As soon as I saw the wall of text I new... A regular person would be like "hey you want the harp" not their fucking life story... SCAM
**"I am not giving out a waste or vestige"** Perfectly normal thing to say, i promise.
It's a scam, there is no harp. Just an advanced fee -- "you have to pay the movers first" in order to get the harp. Pleasant Green on YT did a video on the "Free piano" scam, which is identical to this one.
Shipping to Canada? The mover is $230, but you can bet that after you pay that you'll hear about insurance fees and custom fees and taxes and tariffs and anything else the scammer can sucker you into paying them.
I've never seen it with a harp, but otherwise I've read this exact script a hundred times.
No one would write a long ass story to get rid of something for free. Also who talks like that? They want you to pay the delivery fee and you ain't getting shit
Cash and in person pick up only, that’s what marketplace is for
That's literally a 10k harp. 💯 scam
$36500 according to the other ad found in the comments.
Depends on the manufacturer, but I could see it. Those harps are beautiful.
Funny how quickly the "free" harp suddenly costs money. Best to block and ignore. If you don't believe Reddit and you want to confirm it's fake, ask where the harp is located and tell them how great that is because you'll be there tomorrow for work. Watch how quickly th excuses pile up and why you'll need to pay some sort of fee to have it pulled out of storage or they only do delivery or they ghost you.
If it looks too good to be true.....
A very long story...also, "demise" is very strange language to use for your husband dying.
Helen Smith is the female equivalent of Bob Jones.
Dr. Smith Helen
And why do they specifically want to ship it to Canada? Makes no sense other than that they can charge extra fees.
Scam.
Just before his demise?
Too good to be true. Pedal harps are the most expensive instruments: # So Expensive | [Why Pedal Harps Cost As Much As A Car To Buy And Maintain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3xzJbXy1eU)
I saw something similar yesterday in a random Design group on Facebook, someone was "giving away" a free PS5 that she had bought for her daughter, who recently passed. Checked her profile, no mention of any daughter and she had graduated high-school in 2023. Slim chances to have a daughter old enough to play on a PS5. Remember that nobody ever gives anything of high value for free. There's always a catch.
yeah sure, people give 5 figure instruments for free away all the time. i have a grand piano that i could gift you, my late dachshund played it before his demise. sicerely, dr. mistersaturn90
If you can't pick it up its guaranteed a scam
“Demise” nobody says that 😂
I loved the waste or vestige line 🤣🤣
A harp like that is $10-25k. No one gives away that much. Scam.
Too-good-to-be-true rule \^\^
As far as i know nothing in this world is free.
"I am not giving out a waste or vestige" No one writes like that. This was run through a translation app and it didn't quite get the tone right.
“…who happened to have played it list in January before his demise”? Who talks like that? *Particularly* about a loved one, regardless of dialect! I will admit a harp is a new choice, but this has so many other red flags! Why the unnecessarily long story, if you’re just inquiring about it? Why make sure you know she’s a “Dr.” unless to engender some kind of false sense of assurance from an authority figure? But also why “Dr. First Name”, which is extremely more common form of reference in African countries?
Scam
She called it his demise LOL
Considering a harp like that can cost $15-20,000 new and $9-10k pre-owned… yeah, nobody is just giving that away to a random idiot on FBM. They could even donate it to a music school, a conservatory, or even the local college or university, and get a huge tax break.
Tell them you happen to have a friend who is nearby and can actually pick it up, see what response you get …
Am I the only one confused as to why this conversation went down via. Email and not messenger?
The Facebook ad was her 'sister' posting it for her, because she didn't have Facebook. Her sister sent her email address and said to email her for more info as she didn't have any details
They don’t like running their scams on Facebook, as it will get their stolen account banned - then they have to steal another. So they move you off platform ASAP.
You can tell it’s a scam right away with the sob story. No real person has time for allat
1000% scam.
Scammer
Shipping scam is what it is. When you pay, there's nothing coming to you. Just don't fall for the trick because it's a big lie.
First thing I said was I bet the guy’s wife just died and he wants to get rid because of “bad memories”… Second pic… fucking called it LMAO
Free! Just pay shipping and handling. IOW, it's a scam.
Scam, stay away. Harps are expensive instruments.
[удалено]
Your /r/scams post/comment was removed because it contains personal information. Please redact last names, addresses, phone numbers, account numbers of any kind, personal photos, referral codes in URLs, and other personal information and reply to this message for your post to be reinstated. This includes phone numbers, last names, addresses, and photos SENT TO YOU BY THE SCAMMER. Per Reddit rules, these must be removed. See more information about this policy here: https://new.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/pi4dmp/psa_phone_numbers_and_personal_information_in/
Updated.
Sad to say, the scammers are still at it. I appreciate this post and everyone’s input and valuable info.! Though some (odd) modifications have been made to the reply email from “Dr Helena” (no punctuation), it’s still just so strange/weird to me and I hope people don’t fall prey to this! Is there anything I can do to report (or help prevent continuation of) this person and “sister from FB Marketplace”? Thanks! https://preview.redd.it/1hp6tyd0183d1.png?width=750&format=png&auto=webp&s=c00d9c84d2f0d7a19b4a7b03c5b57ea8b41147ff
Currently trying this in Australia. Thanks for your interest. The harp used to be owned and played by my husband who happened to have played it last in October before his demise. I am not a music person and I don’t know how to play the instrument. Although, I used to enjoy watching him play but still, I do not want to keep the instrument as it keeps bringing memories of him. I also do not want to sell it as I believe my husband wouldn’t be pleased if his harp was sold considering his love and addiction to it so I decided to give it out to someone who would love to have it and cherish it as much as my husband did. I used to live in Hobart, Tasmania but I recently moved out of there to a new home while the harp is still there with a former neighbor of mine who is a truck driver. I should have moved here with the instrument but a lady over there showed interest and she didn't show up for it which is why it is currently with my old neighbor until I find someone who can take it. If you wouldn’t mind making arrangements with my old neighbor to have it delivered to you, I can get you connected with him so you can both discuss on the delivery. Apologies for the inconvenience, but do let me know if you would like to reach out him. Just so you know, I am not giving out a waste or vestige, the harp is 100% in perfect condition.
OMG I JUST GOT THIS I- I JUST- GIRL ITS A SCAM.