Buyer wants copy of passport?


I have bought and sold expensive equipment for may years both here on audiogon and on Europe’s audio markt.de and I have good feedback on both.
for years buyers was satisfied with photo of the equipment and as a buyer I was to.
Now  buyers wants videos of the equipment playing and also copy of passport and pictures of yourself together with the equipment. Would you accept such demands?
sending pictures of passports to a stranger seems not so comfortable !.?





128x128ulf
equipment playing is one thing....but like you mentioned, picture of yourself and the passport it asking a bit much.
I guess I can understand where the buyer might be coming from -- absolute proof that you have the goods. With photo editing software it's pretty easy to mask identifying info in the passport beyond your photo. So if this is the difference between sale or not I might do it.
I would tell those potential buyers no in a very obscene language of their choice. NEVER do it. Video is another thing, I wouldn't do it either, though. 
NO,NEVER.These are exactly the type of pictures low lifes use in online scams...
ABSOLUTELY NOT!  How do you know that he is looking for equipment and not the passports?
There have been at least several occasions during the past year or two in which spam posts have appeared here offering fake passports, as well as other fake documents such as drivers’ licenses. In fact I think there was such a post just this morning. The moderators promptly delete those posts, of course. But it wouldn’t surprise me if the request for a copy of your passport was made for purposes of producing these fakes, and the request for the video was made just to make it all seem legitimate. If so, the fake passport would likely end up being sold to someone who would use it for illegal purposes under your name.
Would you accept such demands?
Given the foregoing possibility, as well as the responses by the others, the answer seems clear :-)

Regards,
-- Al

To any doofus buyer actually asking for your passport details =?Identity theft 101....

Your short and sweet response: the common profanity slang derivative (emphasis added ....) of GENESIS 9:7

if buyer actually wants further positive feedback for seller assurance, transact it all through PayPal.
Thanks for your answers and I will not provide my passport 
I have been asked this passport thing twice recently  so it’s a new thing,
why cant the buyers just accept  my good feedback ....
" why cant the buyers just accept  my good feedback ...."
Because they are trying to scam you and are not legitimate buyers.
Tell this jerk to keep on trucking i would never sell him anything if you do you will be sorry for sure!!!
I would take a picture of today's newspaper with the equipment as proof of ownership (if needed).
Be sure and hold up a copy of today’s newspaper so he can see the date so he’ll know it’s not a $cam. 🤠
It has been disappointing to see the many complaints that sellers have on this site, this is one reason I have not sold anything for a while. For me to sell something on Audiogon,  I would have to have gold as payment!  Very frustrating.


Matt M
I assume that he wants to verify that you have advertised equipment.  Ask him to provide you with name of his bank, account number and the password, since you have to verify that he has sufficient funds.
No way in he$$. The new scam is a buyer purchasing your equipment and then sending their broken piece back to you because nobody keeps record of the serial # that they are selling. When I sell something, I’m going to include in the agreement a picture of the unit with its serial #
No way some will use it saying they r you plus for otherthings, you regret it for sure.
Demand same from him first at his consulate
with letter from same delivered to your consulate

I think I like kijanki's approach the best - that one may have made someone laugh out loud...
Not only is it not a good idea, it’s illegal. You are allowed to copy your passport and retain that copy for your own use (documenting you have a passport in the event of loss), but you are not allowed to give a copy of your passport to anyone else other than a government official.
I’d tell him/her to send me all the money first!
 Then I’d send him the item. 
But, no Passport!!!

More than likely you dealing with a criminal that is tied into a ID Black Market network. These networks are around the country and in Mexico, South America and Europe. These networks are run and controlled by illegal immigrants. They have scouts that hunt down ID cards such as State driver licenses, which they sell to the networks for $350.00 which is the average going rate. The big prize for the scouts is getting their hands on a U.S. Passport which sells for $1000.00 a pop. They send these type of ID's to their relatives out of the country who slightly alter the ID's by switching out the photos, using high tech digital photo gear that is state of art to modify the ID documents, so you can't tell them from the real thing. For example, an illegal immigrant with a New York U.S. passport can come into New York City, disguised as an American, wearing a Yankees cap and jacket pretending he was out of the country for a brief time and he walks right in and disappears into the jungle. This has been an ongoing problem for Homeland Security during the past 10+ years.
Same experience here. Someone saw my ads on markt de and requested me to send the picture of serial number, the next day, the picture of the product in close up, the next day again, the video of the equipment when playing and finally, my picture with the product at the background. The next day, he disappeared without a trace.
well ,I remember I requested pictures of man standing by speakers spendor sp100r2 :) The resason were very simple ones:I had ad "want it now".Seller provided bank accaunt of female while he was a man,pictures were taken in audio store.
Another case was with krell fbi "want it now" ad.I googled sellers name and it appeared he was 18years old guy,contacted krell for more info,it appeared amp was sold some years ago in different country:) 

I had a buyer who wanted a pic of my ID with the piece.  Given where I live, it probably isn't much use to a scammer, so I sent it.  Buyer was a nice guy who just wanted some assurance.  He later purchased another CDP from me.  I agree with the above in terms of using caution but it's not a scam every time. 
Hey ulf, ask for a picture of himself, passport, his American dollars and after you don't get it tell him up his keyster with a rotating pineapple. then get a photo of that.   
Tell the buyer you'll ship the item COD in a couple of weeks. You are the seller. Stay in control. Buyers have too many rights already. Send him a picture of Shemp.
To schubert 

I see no reason for that kind of language or attitude on a forum that is designed to foster a community of enthusiast. 
I urge you to limit your comment to the subject on hand, and refrain from comment on me,  your fellow Audiophile enthusiast
I understand your irritation ulf.
I don’t say things for no reason , I read all the posts and no one was getting through to him . In the 70 years I’ve been old enough to give and receive advice, I’ve found that the person that "jerked my chain" was, in the long run, the one who helped the most, and said chain goes both ways  . Near total naivete is a good reason to
shake someone up and unlikely to traumatize them from someone they do not know .
 My concern is for individuals and I am not greatly concerned by the state of a hobby community that will not be affected by any thing I say  anyway .
.

I'm not sure this is a scam.

It may just be a potential buyer that is afraid of sending large sums to someone sight unseen before the item is delivered in the stated condition.

don't get me wrong.  I wouldn't send a copy of my passport anyway.

If I am correct, there are escrow services that can be used that are legitimate and will keep the funds the buyer submits in escrow until the package is delivered.

I would contact the potential buyer and suggest either paypal or an escrow service.  If the potential buyer isn't happy with those suggestions, I would walk quickly from the deal.

I don't like paypal because it protects the buyer and not the seller at all, but options are limited.

I prefer that buyers agree to a purchase in writing and them come pick up the unit personally.  That way, not only can I connect the unit to let them hear it (after they have agreed to the purchase. I'm not a stereo store one can demo equipment), they also would know for certain it works and looks as described.

Another suggestion is that they empower an agent or friend to come and pay for the equipment and take delivery.

enjoy