Scammed
Summary of the Incident
I am writing this regarding a suspected scam involving the purchase of a Boulevard box containing 2 sets, which cost ₹6,150 including shipping, through Reddit.
I was looking for the Boulevard set when I came across a post made by the seller. He showed me pictures of the cars as well as screenshots of various previous deals he had allegedly completed. These screenshots have since been deleted. He also appeared willing to do a face-to-face (F2F) transaction with a token amount, which made me believe that he was a genuine seller.
Based on this, I decided to proceed with the deal and made the full payment of ₹6,150, including shipping, at approximately 8:40 PM on 17 August. The payment was for one box containing 2 sets of Boulevard cars.
Timeline
17 August
7:45 PM: I saw the seller's Reddit post for the Boulevard box.
7:46 PM: I messaged him on Reddit.
8:09 PM: He replied to me on Reddit and we continued discussing the deal and eventually moved to WhatsApp to discuss further.
I decided to purchase the box containing 2 Boulevard sets for ₹6,150 including shipping.
Approximately 8:40 PM: I made the full payment of ₹6,150.
After making the payment, I was continuously messaging the seller regarding the shipment and other details. Initially, everything appeared normal. My WhatsApp messages were being delivered (double ticked) and the seller was viewing and replying to my messages. There was no immediate indication that anything was wrong.
The seller later said that there was heavy rainfall at his location, which was causing a delay in shipping. I independently checked the weather at the location he claimed to be in, and there was indeed heavy rain, so I initially considered his explanation reasonable.
However, the following day the situation changed. Messages that had previously been delivered and seen were now showing only a single tick. Despite this, the seller's WhatsApp profile picture was still visible, which made the situation somewhat confusing.
Because my messages were no longer being delivered, I asked my friend to contact the seller and follow up regarding the shipment.
18 August
6:25 PM: I contacted the seller regarding the shipping.
The WhatsApp message was showing a single tick.
I then told my friend to contact the seller from their WhatsApp account.
The seller replied to that account and claimed that some kind of WhatsApp ban/glitch had occurred and that he was unable to message or access his older chats.
He was at first viewing/responding to my friend’s messages but subsequently stopped doing that as well.
I then contacted him again through Reddit.
11:33 PM on 18 August: I sent him another Reddit message asking about the shipment.
4:14 AM on 19 August: He replied to my Reddit message.
On 19 August, he claimed that his WhatsApp had been disabled for 24 hours and said that he would provide the shipping update directly on Reddit instead.
However, communication then stopped again.
Around 12:40 PM on 19 August: I tried calling the seller.
He did not answer the call.
His phone subsequently showed as switched off/unreachable.
My WhatsApp messages were still showing single ticks.
Current Situation
I have already paid ₹6,150 in full, including shipping, on 17 August at approximately 8:40 PM for a box containing 2 Boulevard sets, but I have not received any confirmed shipping information, tracking number, or proof that the item has actually been dispatched.
Initially, the seller was actively communicating with me after receiving the payment. My messages were being delivered and seen, and he was replying normally. The situation changed the following day, when my messages suddenly began showing only a single tick despite his profile picture still being visible.
The seller has subsequently provided multiple explanations for the lack of communication — initially the heavy rainfall, then a WhatsApp glitch/ban, and later that his WhatsApp had been disabled for 24 hours. While the initial weather explanation appeared believable because I independently verified that there was heavy rain at his stated location, the situation has now become increasingly suspicious.
The seller's WhatsApp messages are no longer being delivered, his phone is switched off, and there is still no proof of shipment or tracking information. Additionally, the screenshots he had shown me as evidence of his previous deals have since been deleted.
Because I have already paid the full ₹6,150 and the seller has now become unreachable without providing proof of shipment, I am concerned that I may have been scammed.
I have retained/recommend retaining all available evidence, including the original Reddit post, the seller's Reddit username/profile, Reddit messages, WhatsApp conversations, payment proof/transaction details, the seller's phone number, screenshots of the cars, and any other information related to the transaction.
Phone: +91 92947 25978 amit jha
Account: u/theblackminer