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

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tpkyteroo
New Community Member

I received a scam letter claiming that I was accidentally charged 89.00 Euros. Problem is that the letter was not addressed properly, and it was in French. Now, I just happen to know just enough french with the cognates and all, to know that it was scam. I did sent it on. 

 

The details:

A link, if you were to click on it (I didn't, I used the browser trick to see what the status bar said the link sent me too)

And, you'll be directed to "New World Day School" and a Paypal folder. I googled the site itself, and did not go further. Of course, the email was asking me to click on that link. I didn't. By the way, the official website of that school, does not have a email address that they give out. Nor, do they have a paypal link on the site. 😉

 

That is all the details I have memorized. I forwarded the letter and told Google that it was spam. 

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Verycutewawa
Contributor
Contributor

Hi, guys, I've involved in the fraud and lost $1600. I'd like to show you guys this story. Hope you won't meet these bad guys. I reported to Paypal as follows.

 

 

Hi, Paypal,

 

I’m reporting a fraud. I sell iPad at eBay. 4 buyers placed orders and said they paid by Paypal. And I also got the payment received confirmation from so called paypal verification service. This so called paypal verification service said they hold the payment from buyers until I ship the items. These so called paypal verification service also sent a e-mail that they and FBI-New York would block my Paypal account to push me to send my buyers items. After I shipped items and emailed the scanned shipping receipts to the so called paypal verification service. They sent me the emails that they were ready to send the on-hold fund to my paypal account. But I never got it so emailed back to ask them. This so called paypal verification service said they deducted $400 more from 1 of my buyers due to the system error and asked me refund $400 back to my buyer via Western Union. I didn’t believe this so asked for the explanation. This so called paypal verification service sent me a letter from their Scott Thompson, President, PayPal, Inc. with his signature to prove this is true. So I transferred $400 to this buyer via Western Union. Once this so called paypal verification service received the fund transfer information, they told me they were ready to release the on-hold fund to my paypal account. But I never got any amount in my account. So I emailed the so called paypal verification service again. This time, they told me, they deducted $700 more from the same buyer and asked me to transfer $700 via Western Union, then they would release the fund including $400+$700 to my account. I thought this is weird. This is not like Paypal. So I checked the e-mail address of so called paypal verification service and found it’s totally not from Paypal. So far, I’ve shipped 2 i-Pads and sent $400. The total loss including the postage and sales tax are $1600. I don’t think I have the chance to get them back but these bad guys made formal e-mails that look like these mails are from you, Paypal including your words, logo, manager signature. I think they ruin you Paypal’s reputation. I hope you Paypal can do something to punish these bad guys.

 

The information of these buyers:

 

Name: Alexandra <removed>

E-mail (also Paypal account): <removed>

The responded Paypal verification service’s e-mail address:  

<removed>

Ordered item: iPad 16GB Wi-Fi only

Shipping status: shipped on June 1st, 1:32 PM at USPS (Corona/Elmhurst station, Flushing, New York)

                          With the Customs Form # CJ023000454US

Ship to:

Saheed <removed>

<removed>
Ibadan, Oyo State 23402

Nigeria

Phone: <removed> 

Payment shown in my paypal account: No

 

 

 

Name: Janet <removed>

E-mail (also Paypal account): <removed>

The responded Paypal verification service’s e-mail address: 

<removed>

Ordered item: iPad 16GB Wi-Fi only

Shipping status: shipped on June 2nd, 1:34 PM at USPS (Corona/Elmhurst station, Flushing, New York)

                          With the Customs Form # CJ023051796US

Payment shown in my paypal account: No

Ship to:

Solomon <removed>

<removed>

Abeokuta, Ogun 234039

Nigeria

Phone: <removed> 

 

 

 

Name: Paul <removed>

E-mail (also Paypal account): <removed>

The responded Paypal verification service’s e-mail address: 

<removed>

Ordered item: iPad 16GB Wi-Fi only

Shipping status: not ship yet

Payment shown in my paypal account: No

Ship to:

Akintayo <removed>

<removed>

Ibadan, Ibadan 23402

Nigeria

Phone<removed> 

 

Name: jame <removed>

E-mail (also Paypal account): <removed>

The responded Paypal verification service’s e-mail address: 

<removed>

Ordered item: iPad 16GB Wi-Fi only

Shipping status: not ship yet

Payment shown in my paypal account: No

Ship to:

Hammed <removed>

<removed>

Street,Aba-Alamu,Apata

Ibadan, Oyo 23402

Nigeria

Phone: <removed> 

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lizgrisham1990
Frequent Contributor
Frequent Contributor

Oh Wow...

Report to internet crime with that information right away.

 

WWW.IC3.GOV

and push it everyday until something is done.

 

These guys are getting smarter and smarter, eBay says on their website never wire money.

That money is gone, there is no recovery 😞

IC3.gov is involved with FBI, but a special divsion that is strictly internet based, be sure you saved the western union contact/address because the eBay information could be fake. If you sent the Wu, then someone with ID picked it up, they can investigate this so scan those receipts and send to IC3 as well.

 

If I can help you any more let me know, keep me updated also, i'd like to know the outcome and what is to be done to these low lifes. I really hate this, I will Pray for your recovery & hope all goes well.

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Verycutewawa
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks, I've reported to WWW.IC3.GOV.


 

Just found these 4 suspects' facebook, 1 lives in Los Angeles, CA now. Also reported these to WWW.IC3.GOV.


<removed>

 

 

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lizgrisham1990
Frequent Contributor
Frequent Contributor

 

Excellent, have you googled the names to see if they have ripped anyone else off?

Start a blog @ blogspot.com and tell your story, and ask for comments if anyone else has been ripped like that,

then ask a question on yahoo answers with their names in the title, and do the same.

Figure out who all they have got, how many time, this will help the report & court if they are prosecuted.

If it went to a court and they got caught, they'd have to prove a "Fraud scheme", a plan. if they cant prove that, its useless.

 

I think you will be ok if you get your information and proof to a SOLID undeniable state, create a name in there city on facebook, add them and watch their activity, know where they are.. know what they are doing.. look at photo's and see if they show off the money they stole from you, etc etc.. use your head, 😉  I know this because a friend of mine in NJ went through the same thing with different people, very intellegent guy.

 

***Also, give PayPal these names and see if they will help you with putting these crooks away, PayPal may have ban-notes/restriction notes for these names.  You have to be 100% that's there names, not a fake identity. Some scammers are smarter than we think, they will re-create themselves a fake ID and socialize online (facebook,myspace) etc to make it more legit.

 

If you need any more tips, let me know or ask. Good Luck

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RoadhawG
New Community Member

I have a friend selling a car on craigslist and the "buyer" (scammed) also wanted to use paypal and it showed the amount deposited to his account at paypal but the buyer wanted him  to pay for the auto shipper and the buyer would put extra money into the paypal acct for this and he was to sent the payment to them via western union. This was all happening in a matter of a few days and the buyer was getting very rude and even theatened to call the police and FBI on my friend for doing fraudulent business on classified sites, so definitely watch out for these scammers.

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Emani1996
New Community Member

Thank you SOOOO much! I was JUST about to send in my PSP for $200 to the fraud with the first name of Janet. You really saved me man!

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lizgrisham1990
Frequent Contributor
Frequent Contributor

Guys be careful 😛 They'll get ya if ya aint.

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hoover1
Member
Member

just for future reference, when you list items on ebay, you can list the countries you will or wont sell to. dont list for sale to, or send anything you cant risk losing, to any of the third world type counties. never wire money overseas, you are thowing it into the street for any scammer to pick up. best wishes.

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frank120152
Member
Member

My story is quite similar, however, this is about a 20,000 truck, the buyer is claiming he is on a ship, did not bring his credit card, but claims he has sent me $24,500 into my paypal account (no funds deposited yet), and that he sent me an extra$2500, that is for the shipping company to pick up the truck. And he needs me to Western Union the money to them for him. Here's where the break down occurs, he states, paypal has put a hold on the funds, and will not release until they receive information about the Western Union transaction. I told him, why would paypal need western union info, or care how you pay for, or pick up the truck, I don't see how the two are related, and how am I supposed to send the Western Union money, if the funds are on hold? The name is a regular name, out of Chicago, when I looked up the name, I got no where. If it was a reputable transport company, then I suspect I should be able to find me, via yellow pages?

Anyone else with similar stories?

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