This scam involves eBay or Craigslist (here Qatarliving) and the appeal of high priced goods, usually electronics, for a bargain price. A seller will advertise an item (usually a digital camera, laptop computer, plasma TV, video game console, or cell phone) at a very low cost (usually about 1/3 of the normal retail price). The body of the ad instructs buyers to contact the seller directly outside of Qatarliving using a Yahoo or Hotmail web-based free e-mail account. When contact is made, the seller gives a long story about his problems receiving payment by Paypal. The seller insists that the buyer send money by Western Union. The allure is that the product is a huge bargain (e.g. a $2000 item for only $700). If money is sent, it is gone forever and no product is ever delivered. The phony seller usually has a list of prepared e-mails to respond quickly to questions from buyers. He'll go on and on about how his integrity is important, how he wouldn't risk his family's name, his legitimacy, check his feedback, etc. The phony seller sometimes boosts credibility by using a real eBay ID to list the item. The real ID has been stolen from a legitimate seller with good feedback, usually by means of e-mail phishing.
Excerpt from wikipedia
Ebay seller scam
This scam involves eBay or Craigslist (here Qatarliving) and the appeal of high priced goods, usually electronics, for a bargain price. A seller will advertise an item (usually a digital camera, laptop computer, plasma TV, video game console, or cell phone) at a very low cost (usually about 1/3 of the normal retail price). The body of the ad instructs buyers to contact the seller directly outside of Qatarliving using a Yahoo or Hotmail web-based free e-mail account. When contact is made, the seller gives a long story about his problems receiving payment by Paypal. The seller insists that the buyer send money by Western Union. The allure is that the product is a huge bargain (e.g. a $2000 item for only $700). If money is sent, it is gone forever and no product is ever delivered. The phony seller usually has a list of prepared e-mails to respond quickly to questions from buyers. He'll go on and on about how his integrity is important, how he wouldn't risk his family's name, his legitimacy, check his feedback, etc. The phony seller sometimes boosts credibility by using a real eBay ID to list the item. The real ID has been stolen from a legitimate seller with good feedback, usually by means of e-mail phishing.