receiving money - suspicious email confirmation

[renfield]

Hello everyone! I have never received money from someone using PayPal before - I've always just used it to pay. Tonight my daughter sold her iphone to someone who wanted to pay through PayPal. The buyer has been after my daughter to confirm that we received the money and will ship immediately.

I got an email purporting to be from PayPal, confirming payment. However, the email addresses in the header look strange to me - I don't think there should be so many "on behalf of"'s or alternate emails. Also, the grammar in the actual message is terrible - long run-on sentences and overly explanatory paragraphs saying the same thing. Basically it's telling me that funds will not be released until we give them the tracking number for the package. I am afraid someone is trying to scam my daughter into shipping her phone, and then she won't get any money for it.

Here is a copy of the email I received:

***PayPal Payment Confirmation ***

**Email removed**; on behalf of; service[atpaypal.com [paypalsecuredservice[at]ymail.com]

Dear  [address redacted] This is a confirmation email of a payment of $160.00USD received from Catherine *Removed*. What is required from you in order to get your account credited is the item's shipping tracking/reference number, this number will be given to you at the courier office after you might have sent the item to the bearer, this is part of our new policy and a security measure in other to protect both the buyer and the seller, also to verify if the item was really bought from you we have sent you a confirmation email earlier on to inform you that the payment is legal and has been confirmed, also to guide you against fraudulent acts.     We have included the buyer's full name and amount paid for you to know this message was really sent from PayPal. We advise that you make sure the item is sent out as soon as possible and request for a tracking number at the post office after you might have send out the item, then you can email us the number by replying directly to this message after it might have been given to you at the courier office so as to credit your account without delay.     After we receive the number from you for security verification, your account will be credited at once, Our system has witness new upgrades, Please don't be surprised if you see us forwarding you to new customer attendants, its due to the amount of fraud going on involving our name which we are trying all our best to limit and put a stop to. As soon as we receive the requested information from you, your account will be credited.  
    Sincerely,
PayPal Account Review Department
PayPal Email ID PP305

 Has anyone dealt with this kind of payment before? Is this a legitimate payment confirmation?

[kernowlass · Accepted solution]

THIS IS A TYPICAL PAYPAL SCAM.

They encourage you to use paypal and often ask you to send the item as a gift to a relative somewhere often Nigeria.

You will get/got a "fake" email that looks as though it is from paypal.....it isn't.

It will say the buyer has paid ...you won't have been paid.

They will tell you that the payment is released when you provide paypal with a tracking/shipping number......this won't happen.

If the item requires shipping they will tell you that they will pay you extra and you must pay the agent via western union / moneygram BEFORE the funds are released to you.

They are not interested in the item, they just want the western union etc funds and you will never see money in your paypal balance.

They also threaten legal action...have a laugh at that one and ignore it as its rubbish.

Paypal NEVER tell you to send trackable, they advise it for seller protection etc but it is not compulsory.

Paypal NEVER tell you to send an item before the payment is showing in your paypal account.

Paypal NEVER expect you to use a rival money transfer service.


Delete any emails and ignore the scammers.

**********************************

I give up my time to help you so a thank you or kudos would be cool.

Marking one of my replies as a solution would be appreciated if I sorted your problem.

[renfield]

Thank you so much for your reply. Glad to see my scammer radar is working well, and glad to know my daughter won't get burned.

[kernowlass]

So am I.  It's one of the reasons I give up my time to help on here. 

Love beating the scammers.