The Dark Side…stolen Stamps, How To Cope

Honestly, you're better off not using any payment method that doesn't have consumer protection. Paypal does, most major credit cards do, I would never use anything else. especially anything like wire transfers, Zelle and especially friends and family through Paypal. Anyone who asks you to do that or to falsify any document, just run. It's not worth the risk.

At the risk of victim shaming this transaction had all of the hallmarks of a disaster waiting to happen. What can be learned from this?

1) Don't mail valuables to strangers on other Continents without being paid first especially if your only contact has been on social media.
2) See number 1

Seriously, there is nothing that can really be done now. This is a painful lesson for the OP and a valuable lesson for others that may be tempted to engage in similar behavior.

Wael Shami will not be replying in this community nor will he be staring new threads from this point forward. If he wishes to make this situation right or if he wishes to share his side of the story he can contact me privately and we will figure something out.

Until such time, his name and this situation will easily be found by anyone using a search engine and will stand as a warning and lesson learned.
Don

As a contractor in the asphalt business one of the first things I learned , was never take a job that can financially destroy your business . Same applies to any business even the stamp business ,never get invouled in a transaction that can bury you .

How much safer if you broke this transaction into 1/4 or 1/3 pieces ,always getting cleared funds before you went to the next part .

There is a strange irony to his posts labeling him as a "valued member" here.

I have fallen victim of a different scam. I sold some stamps on ebay (China Local Posts) and received payment by PayPal before sending the stamps by registered mail. Then the buyer contacted PayPal saying that they never received the stamps. So the PayPal policy was to refund the purchase fee. Unfortunately for me, the buyer was in the PRC. The China postal system does not register the delivery of registered mail, so despite having pictures of the envelope I sent, I could not recover the funds. The scammer was incredibly well informed!