Could this have been stolen?

[cyberknight]

I'm in the UK for a while and decided to pick up a new phone while here. Always wanted to go back to a pixel so after a bit of research decided on a 7a. Price was £450 everywhere so thought I might save some money by going used so looked on Gumtree to see what was on offer.
We're all used to stolen bikes coming up on advertising platforms but what about other things?
Several came up but one in particular caught my eye stating it was brand new in the box, just a boring charcoal colour but I was willing to forgo colour choice for the very reasonable asking price of £250. Advertised by 'Dona'.
So a meeting was set up with me traveling to Burton to Dona's house to purchase. To cut a long story short I met Dona outside the station instead. Dona it turned out was young lady in her twenties driving a newish BMW and from her accent from Eastern Europe.
I asked her where it came from thinking it was an unwanted upgrade or similar. 'I'm selling it for a friend '. Putting an ad on Gumtree is so difficult is it? Hmm. Box was sealed and looked new.
My mind went into overdrive.I don't like buying stolen goods but it sounded very suspicious. I had no real reason though so I went ahead.
So CCers what do think, a genuine sale or hooky? Would you have been suspicious or was I being a victim of my prejudices? Would you have bailed?

If it's from Burton it's more than likely stolen , having lived just up the road most of my life I know the money grabbing baskets tricks

 

[Dave7]

I presume you've now left Vigin?

Too many other problems to get my head around that.
But who do you go to?? I like my sport.
They do my landlines (that's become less important now).
And they do my mobile.
Not simple for an old fart like me.

 

[Spiderweb]

I doubt it would be stolen if it was boxed.

 

[vickster]

Too many other problems to get my head around that.
But who do you go to?? I like my sport.
They do my landlines (that's become less important now).
And they do my mobile.
Not simple for an old fart like me.

Sky? NowTV?
mobile…any one of a number of other providers who piggy back on O2?

 

[vickster]

I doubt it would be stolen if it was boxed.

Unless acquired via a scam similar as posted by @Beebo recently…pretty much a clear cut theft
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/fraud-advice-needed.294355/

 

[Alex321]

I'm just wondering if the seller were a British Anglo Saxon woman in a beat up Mini with a plausible reason for selling would we all have had the same reaction?.

I doubt the description of the woman had much to do with reactions here. The reason for selling more so.

 

[classic33]

I'm just wondering if the seller were a British Anglo Saxon woman in a beat up Mini with a plausible reason for selling would we all have had the same reaction?.

My reaction would be the same, purely because of the "selling for a friend" part.

 

[MontyVeda]

Maybe it's a sign I'm getting old but the world seems a much dodgier place these days. Hooky gear, scams in all shapes and sizes.

Nah it's the same world. There's always been stolen goods for sale. There's always been scams. Only difference is they happen online and we're all online so hear about it more often.

 

[Drago]

If its stolen its quite likely the IMEI will be blocked. Read the nu ber off the box and whack it in one or the many online imei checkers.

 

[AndyRM]

I've sold stuff on behalf of friends. It's not uncommon.

If it's been listed that low in price, they're probably just after a quick sale. They could just have easily taken it to CEX (or similar) for store credit/cash. They don't check.

 

[Beebo]

Unless acquired via a scam similar as posted by @Beebo recently…pretty much a clear cut theft
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/fraud-advice-needed.294355/

Yes. My episode ended happily with the phone returned to Apple. But could easily have ended up being sold off cheaply in an unopened box.
I did have to face down a big man on my doorstep demanding I hand over the phone.

 

[Drago]

Oooh, I'd have loved him to turn up on my doorstep. You see, officer, he said he was going to shank me and his hand moved towards his pocket so I went all Jack Reacher on him.

 

[vickster]

Phone was unlocked out of the box so no chance of it being blocked unless by Google.

Did you ask to see proof of purchase of it was new?

 

[Kingfisher101]

I'm just wondering if the seller were a British Anglo Saxon woman in a beat up Mini with a plausible reason for selling would we all have had the same reaction?.

Yes. Plenty of scammers from all ethnicities and all walks of life.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

As far as scams being as old as time is concerned

My Dad mentioned to me when I was a teenager - i.e. back when dinosaurs roamed the land
that my Grandad - i.e. his Dad - had received a letter from a firm of solicitors from London saying that they had been commissioned to trace the surviving descendant of Catherine Parr - the last wife of Henry the VIIIth
As my Granmother's maiden name was Parr they had determined that she was possibly one fo the decendents and might be entitled to a portion of the remaining estate that had been sitting unused - but invested - ever since she died
clearly not dealt with at the time for multiple complicated reasons

seem familiar????


so we have two possibilities
a) inheritance scams are as old as the hills
or
b) I am closely related to Royalty


You can all start referring to me as Your Grace forthwith!!!


Of course - the advent of the Internet, email, and WWW has just made all this far easier and far faster
Email allows a scammer to contact thousands (or more) or people in one go with little if any cost - so allowing them to spread the net wider

There was an old version which a lot of it is based on that was called "The Baltimore Stockbroker Scam"