eBay android phones - I clearly lack adequate scamming skills

[Whales]

Anyone know what's up here?

I asked a seller for the full model number of a phone they were selling on eBay:

Hello xxx,

Could you please tell me the full model number (as reported in Settings -> About Phone -> Model or similar)? It will look something like "xxx". I need this to know if it will compatible with the special version of an Android ROM I want to try running on it.

Melbourne looks cold at the moment -- please don't freeze

Regards, Hales (xxx)

Their response:

Would not be providing this info, pls stop scamming.

I assume this comes down to them misunderstanding what I'm after (perhaps they think it's some secret like a password?).  Lots of sellers provide the full model string (and even the IMEI interestingly enough), so I doubt there is some ultra scam that I'm missing out on.

Alternatively perhaps the seller has a guilty conscience.  Doesn't feel right, so I'm not going to bid on this item.

[Bicurico]

Just move on.

I live in Portugal and usually buy second hand stuff from eBay Germany. Some sellers refuse to ship to Portugal. They are afraid of some obscure scams

The same with sellers that only accept wire transfer for payment, which takes a few days and cost money. Even worse, for me to do the transfer, I am obliged to enter the destination name and address, which some sellers refuse to provide. I had to search them on Google based on IBAN and the little eBay information - and still I usually find the address.

I have learned that it is easier to just move on and look for an easier seller.

I am not sure what you can do with the model number of a phone, but perhaps they are afraid you could indeed use it like the IMEI.

[wraper]

Write them to stop being an idiot and move on.

[wraper]

Even worse, for me to do the transfer, I am obliged to enter the destination name and address, which some sellers refuse to provide. I had to search them on Google based on IBAN and the little eBay information - and still I usually find the address.

If it's for SEPA transfer within EU, then Portuguese banks are stupid as none of that is actually required. Heck, you can put a totally wrong recipient name and it will still go through unless it's a large amount that may trigger manual review.

I am not sure what you can do with the model number of a phone, but perhaps they are afraid you could indeed use it like the IMEI.

Except there is no scam where IMEI can be useful. Worst they can do is write it into some garbage Chinese phone where it is possible, but for what? There is no benefit harvesting IMEI corresponding to existing phone for that, you can just generate it.

[Bicurico]

Yes, I can indeed put some made up name and address and the transfer works - I had to resort to this once, as I won the item but the seller refused to provide me his address. Which is stupid, as I got the address anyway when the package arrived... 

I have no idea WHY my bank requires this information, but I guess it is our goverment that imposes this in effort to reduce undeclared commercial transactions (strange that the biggest tax evations are practiced by a fiar amount of our governants).

Regarding the IMEI, I guess you could reprogram the IMEI of your phone with the IMEI of some poor person, use an unidentified SIM card (bought and charged with cash) and then the poor victim would be investigated for your crimes. A bit far-fetched but not totally impossible.

But I agree, it is a bit stupid, because I believe that the IMEI is printed on the outside of the box containing the phone (hence you would just note the IMEI's down in a store) or you could sell your phone and clone it's IMEI to a new phone for your future crimes. There would be many opportunities to get valid IMEI's from someone else. You could even setup a fake 3G antenna just to get a list of IMEI's nearby, if you would want to go down the organized crime path and really get many IMEI's.

Another way to get IMEI's is to setup a fake website claiming "Free iPhone Jailbreak": the use only has to insert the IMEI and the phone number and the site would supposedly send a speciam unlock SMS. Of course nothing is sent, you just collect the phone number and IMEI. I bet in a few weeks you would have collected a huge amount of IMEI's with matching phone number.

And this is me just getting started... (in my mind, of course, because I am not a criminal).

[wraper]

Again, you can generate it in a way that it looks like from particular manufacturer and model. Just google IMEI generator. The only thing I can think of it to be somewhat useful is some service center workers scamming manufacturer for free parts and fake labor if phone is under warranty.

[lezginka_kabardinka]

If you didn’t have an outlet & audience for your vent (here), you’d have done the sensible thing; skipped the seller and resumed your search, no rabbit holes to veer down and no drama.

Who cares. Keep searching. All the best.