Am I safe from fraud once I have received payment via paypal?

Question

I am selling a mobile phone on craig's list and someone has approached me about paying me via paypal. Naturally I will make sure that payment has been received before handing him the phone over. I'm just a bit concerned about some sort of sneaky tactic. That's why I'm wondering if the money I receive from this person via paypal will be safe once it's on my paypal account. I don't want to sell a $500 phone and later lose my money because of some sort of fraud. Any meaningful input is appreciated.

Answer 1

Did you read all the tips on craigslist about how to avoid fraud?  Have you read all the terms & conditions on Paypal about accepting payments?  

My feeling is this: craigslist is meant to help people locally since it is broken down by region.  Is your phone really the only one like it for the price you're asking?  Are there many like it for sale on eBay?  If so, I wouldn't trust this person.  Do they want you to ship it out of the country?  If you're actually giving it to a person, tell them it's cash or nothing.

Good luck.