Examples of Suspected Fraud or Fake Emails

PayPal_Andy
Moderator
Moderator

Hey Everybody!

 

In an effort to make things easier to find and research, I'm going to consolidate as many threads as possible where we have examples of people trying to defraud hard working sellers (Craigslist emails, 'PayPal' emails asking you to send money outside of PayPal, etc).  This will also be used as a master thread for future posts regarding this same situation.

 

When you post your examples here, please remember to not include last names or contact information of whoever is sending these emails.  There's no way to confirm if that person has been defrauded as well and the name is being used fraudulently.

 

Thanks for your cooperation and remember, keep the conversation productive, on task, and above all, keep it clean. I know these things can be difficult and frustrating, but bleep filled posts or posts that look like government redacted files will never benefit anyone. 😄

 

Andy

Login to Me Too
2,000 REPLIES 2,000

Not applicable

Be aware don'rt sell its fake. I just  was selling camera on ebay and the lady send me money via paypal. The money were hold by paypal she said  that money will be released once she will get tracking number. Yours will be same you will see. Avoid!!!!!!!!!!Ignore person you will send her item but never see money .

By the way my email loked similar, she was buying camera for a son and  she couldnt come cause she was away i should send him hahah bul**bleep**. Be aware!!!!!! I din't send her cause i called paypal they told me its fake!!!

 

 

Don,t even tell me adress was in Africa , Nigeria

Anna 

 

Login to Me Too

Not applicable

Be aware don'rt sell its fake. I just  was selling camera on ebay and the lady send me money via paypal. The money were hold by paypal she said  that money will be released once she will get tracking number. Yours will be same you will see. Avoid!!!!!!!!!!Ignore person you will send her item but never see money .

By the way my email loked similar, she was buying camera for a son and  she couldnt come cause she was away i should send him hahah bul**bleep**. Be aware!!!!!! I din't send her cause i called paypal they told me its fake!!!

Anna 

Login to Me Too

SJCarino
New Community Member

so someone wanted to buy a phone from me off craigslist and wanted to pay through paypal. i said im not sending it till i get the money. he said make a paypal account then he'll transer the money to my acoount. then he said before the money actually gets to my account i have to ship my phone to him and send a picture of the shipping reciept to a paypal related adress for them to verify that i shipped the item so he wouldnt get ripped off. well its been two weeks and theres still no money in my account

Login to Me Too

Treasury772
Contributor
Contributor

Don't hold your breath, its a scam. NEVER, EVER ship anything without the funds first.

 

 

Login to Me Too

kkain48
New Community Member

The person/persons you're referring to just tried to do the same thing to me. They tried it a few months ago too and I reported them to Craigslist,the police dept. and the Federal fraud division. Now I see they're still trying to pull the wool over someone again. Once they told me they were paying by paypal and then sent another email about prepaying a ??? shipping company I knew it was the same BS as before. It's unfortunate that we get excited when an item sells and we are about to get paid and then the ball


@SJCarino wrote:

so someone wanted to buy a phone from me off craigslist and wanted to pay through paypal. i said im not sending it till i get the money. he said make a paypal account then he'll transer the money to my acoount. then he said before the money actually gets to my account i have to ship my phone to him and send a picture of the shipping reciept to a paypal related adress for them to verify that i shipped the item so he wouldnt get ripped off. well its been two weeks and theres still no money in my account


oon pops and reality of fraudulent activity hits home. First we dealt with the Craigslist Killer and now the Craigslist Fibber/Liar/Crook. The legitimate buyers and sellers beware. These people are giving selling a bad rap and if any of you know these people personally, TURN THEM IN. They are not your friend. Save a sale/purchase. There are REAl transactions out there. Don't be fooled by these thieves!!!!!!

 

Login to Me Too

kcmaxie
New Community Member

I was selling my restaurant on CraigsList I was sent a email from a "Luke **removed**."  He said he wanted to buy the restaurant for his father, but could not deal with me directly since he was on a ship on the ocean somewhere. He said that he would send me the full amount I was asking plus $ 800.00.  He said he would pay me via PayPal.  He sent me a fake PayPal invoice stating that the money was taken out of his account and was being held to go into my account and would be released once I sent his agent $ 800.00 via Western Union.  The fake invoice also said not to contact PayPal directly since this was a special department of PayPal and that the regular people in the company would not be given any info about transactions of this "special" type.  But he did give me a email address that he controlled which, he said, that if I had any questions I could contact it and they would respond and could assist me. He's been bugging me for 4 days to send the

$ 800.00 to his agent.  He has now emailed me and said he is going to report me to the F.B.I. since he has a lot of money being held by PayPal and it can't be released until I send $ 800.00 to his agent,  I have contacted PayPal at their spoof email and I have emailed the invoice that was sent to me by Luke **removed**.  They told me it was a fake.  So, don't let anyone fool you.  They use LOGO's that make their coorespondences look real.  Anyone who gives you a story and asks you to send your own money to them or to their agent before they can release or pay you are scamming you....guaranteed!!!

Login to Me Too

P-S
Member
Member

I too have been contacted by "Luke **removed**" about a boat I have listed on Craigslist.  He wants to buy it for his father, haha.  I am a skeptical person and know when something sounds too good.  For someone that is too trusting could fall for this scam.  Look closely at the wording.  Finally I told him I knew he was a scammer.  Here are his emails to me:

 

Thank for your mail. I'm satisfied with the condition of it as
advertised in the listing,i will like to add $100 to your final price
for you to keep off from all offer,and consider it sold to me alone as
i am serious with this.I would like you to know that i am really
interested in buying this for my father,payment will be through PayPal
and the pick up will be arranged by me as i will have my agent come
down to pick it up...i will be waiting to hear from you,and i will
like you to send me the name and email address on the PayPal account
to send the payment and send me more pics of this item if available
since i would not be seen it in person so i can pay it right away I am
a busy at work and do not have much time around me.Make sure you get
back to me so that we can arrange for pick up as i will like the item
to be picked at your residence,so no shipping

Thanks and reply asap.

Regards
Number 2 email:

Thanks for the message ....the reason why PayPal is the only payment
option is because it is safe and secure and as soon as i make the
payment for it,you will be sent a notification for the payment receipt
in this your email ....that is if you use this your email address to
set up the paypal account and i have a mover that will come over for
the pick up and the pick up representatives only comes up when we have
finish the deal so don't worry i will be the one to take care of the
pick up expenses ok. i will be glad if you can log on to
www.paypal.com and set up your account and send me email use to set up
and i will suggest you make use of this your email address so when i
make the payment you will be notify of the receipt from
PayPal instantly.
i look to read from you soon.


Number 3 email:Don't worry about the pick up,my shipping agent will be coming to pick
it up as soon the money had been credited into your account . I'll
like you to send me your address so that my shipping agent can figure
it out and come for the pick up and other necessary things....more
so,send me your PayPal details(PayPal email) so i can pay in.My name
is Luke **removed** and i am from Philadelphia in PA i am buying this for my
Dad who is John **removed** i believe it will be better if you see me but i
am a Chief Engineer on the sea and i am so busy as we are on
assignment here and i need to get this for my Dad asap.My agent will
come down to you for the pick,and here is my father's address that it
will be taken to below

**removed**


Get back asap.

Await your response.

BEWARE OF LUKE **removed**!!!!!

 

 

Login to Me Too

ennj
New Community Member

Thank goodness, I'm not the only one.  I first got an email from craigslist from Hunji **removed** (however is it the same email as Luke **removed**) asking if the item was still for sale.  I replied yes and then Luke emailed me:

Thank for your mail. I'm satisfied with the condition of it as
advertised in the listing,i will like to add $100 to your final price
for you to keep off from all offer,and consider it sold to me alone as
i am serious with this.I would like you to know that i am really
interested in buying this for my father,payment will be through PayPal
and the pick up will be arranged by me as i will have my agent come
down to pick it up...i will be waiting to hear from you,and i will
like you to send me the name and email address on the PayPal account
to send the payment and send me more pics of this item if available
since i would not be seen it in person so i can pay it right away I am
a busy at work and do not have much time around me.Make sure you get
back to me so that we can arrange for pick up as i will like the item
to be picked at your residence,so no shipping
Thanks and reply asap.
Regards

 

Which I responded to we are only excepting cash for this transaction.  He then emailed me:

Thanks for the message ....the reason why PayPal is the only payment
option is because it is safe and secure and as soon as i make the
payment for it,you will be sent a notification for the payment receipt
in this your email ....that is if you use this your email address to
set up the paypal account and i have a mover that will come over for
the pick up and the pick up representatives only comes up when we have
finish the deal so don't worry i will be the one to take care of the
pick up expenses ok. i will be glad if you can log on to
www.paypal.com and set up your account and send me email use to set up
and i will suggest you make use of this your email address so when i
make the payment you will be notify of the receipt from
PayPal instantly.
i look to read from you soon.

 

Glad to know that I'm not the only one, but glad to know that other people aren't falling for it either!!  Hope this helps anyone that has the slightest creepiness about this.  Don't help this guy out with anything!

Login to Me Too

jathon0815
New Community Member

This is excellent. I'm currently exchanging emails with Brain **removed** and he's trying the same shenanigans. 

Login to Me Too

bestspectre
Contributor
Contributor

I have forwarded phishing emails to paypal on many occassions and they received it and responded back thanking me for the email. There is now one in my inbox that I have forwarded 2 times to paypal and I keep getting the response "unfortunately when we received your email the content was removed". 

 

I didn't touch it. just looked at the header and clicked forward like I always have. Anyone else have this problem and what is paypal doing to help us get something like this to them so they can combat it. And like always there seems to be no freaking way to contact them or a faq that is even close.

Login to Me Too

Haven't Found your Answer?

It happens. Hit the "Login to Ask the community" button to create a question for the PayPal community.