Examples of Suspected Fraud or Fake Emails

[PayPal_Andy]

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

[PayPal_Adrian]

lejqt -

I'd be willing to bet the email you received is a fake email; as you noted, it came out to multiple email addresses.  When you make a payment with PayPal, we only send the notification to one email address.

You could log into your PayPal account (open a new browser window, and don't follow a link in an email) and see if there are any payments sent.  Alternatively, you could forward it to spoof@paypal.com.

Thanks!

Adrian

[Aesterisk]

So a friend of mine bought an outfit for about $150 a few months ago (2011).  The seller wanted $150 for the ensemble and another $100 for the shipping of a rather small costume.  When my friend heard the price for the shipping she initially backed out of the deal until the seller informed her that she lived in the city my friend planned to visit in a week and could pick it up there.  She immediately pays for it, goes to the location to pick it up, and comes back empty handed.  By the time my friend asked her about this the seller told her that she had already spent the money for her college funds and would pay her back later with no promises about the outfit.  Since then she has deleted her account on the website she sold it on and has made no effort to contact her.

Is it just me or is this a total scam?  Also is there anything she can do at this point to take legal action against the seller, I know paypal has a time limit but is there anything else that can be done? 

[blottobag]

Hello,

Am trying to sell my Harley Davidson via Craigslist (amongst other avenues).  I have a person that claims they want to buy it ($12,000.00) but:

They havent ask for a phone number

Hasn't came to see the bike

Claims they will handle shipping

Told me not to worry about a Title Transfer

and

Wants to pay with PayPal.

How can i fault by going through with it?  

Today i called PayPal and spoke with a very nice lady that told me that PayPal does not provide buyer protection for Automobiles or Motorcycles.  Therefor cannot dispute the transaction?  Not sure i understood her totally right, but thats what i got out of the conversation.

What should i be demanding from this interested party?  I mean, Demand he be verified?  While i have been a member of PayPal since it started some 13 years ago...  I haven't really ever had the need to take a payment of this size.  And i sure dont want to be at any risk of losing my bike, having it demolished and returned, and losing the money, or any combination of the above.

Anyone been through something similar and can shed some light on how to get this all accomplished safely?  

It all seems so fishy to me, but then i thought hey... maybe they have more money than common sense.  Shouldn't they be the "worried" party in a deal of this magnitude?  

Its such a gray area... any help is greatly appreciated.

B

[Metatron1]

Hey Dude,

I just recieved this email today, as I am selling my Harley on Craigslist Las Vegas,

Sounds like a similar oceanographer scam & Naval reactor operator scam and Seagoer scam,

From: *removed* @ gmail.com,  *removed* @ gmail.com

Thanks for the prompt response. I am ready to buy it now as a Birthday gift for my son and i am at sea at the moment as i am a marine engineer and due to the nature of my work, phone calls making and visiting of website are restricted but i squeezed out time to check this advert and send you an email regarding it. I really want it to be a surprise for My son so i wont let him know anything about it until it gets delivered to him, i am sure he will be more than happy with it. I insisted on PayPal because i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking, but i can pay from my paypal account, as i have my bank a/c attached to it, i will need you to give me your paypal email address and the price so i can make the payments asap for it and pls if you don't have paypal account yet, it is very easy to set up, go to www.paypal.com and get it set up, after you have set it up i will only need the e-mail address you use for registration with paypal so as to put the money through. I have a pick up agent that will come and pick it up after i have made the payments...Thanks!!!

Anyone who wants your bike that havent ask for a phone number, Hasn't came to see the bike, Claims they will handle shipping, Told you not to worry about a Title Transfer and Wants to pay with PayPal is a scammer. 

Why wouldnt they just buy a brand new bike if this was the case from a dealer if they have this much trust and money ha ha. 

ITS A SCAM, DONT DO IT. FLAG IT.

[kramyugtaht]

Just got this 'account limited' email yesterday. Although the link was to <link removed for security purposes>  the reply email was actually to service -at- intl.paypal.com, I've forwarded it to the spoof address:

Notification of Limited Account Access

We need your help resolving an issue with your account. To give us time to work together on this, we've temporarily limited what you can do with your account until the issue is resolved.

We understand it may be frustrating not to have full access to your PayPal account. We want to work with you to get your account back to normal as quickly as possible.

What's the problem?

We recently noticed one or more attempts to log into your PayPal account from foreign IP address and we have reasons to believe that your account was hijacked by a third party without your authorization.

Case Number: PP-001-306-518-9714

To get back into your PayPal account, you'll need to follow the instructions.

1. Click Restore your account now below to open a secure browser window. 
2. Confirm that you're the owner of the account, and then follow the instructions.

 Restore your account now

This process is mandatory, and if not completed within the nearest time your account or credit card may be subject for temporary suspension.

We encourage you to log in and perform the steps necessary to restore your account access as soon as possible. Allowing your account access to remain limited for an extended period of time may result in further limitations on the use of your account and possible account closure.

Sincerely,
PayPal Account Review Department.

This email was sent by an automated system, so if you reply, nobody will see it. 
Your notification preferences are set to receive the PayPal Periodical newsletter and Product Updates when you create a PayPal account. PayPal will not sell or rent any of your personally identifiable information to third parties.

Copyright © 1999-2012 PayPal. All rights reserved.

[USMC503]

I got this today

"Mrs Debra <redacted> Paid Through PayPal

Dear [redacted],

Mrs Debra <redacted> (email here) sent you an Instant Payment through Paypal

Sent from	Debra (email)
Sent to	[redacted]
[redacted
Transaction ID	(random numbers here)
Date payment	march 26 2012
Amount	$975.00 USD

Delivery Address
Nigeria
Qty	Item ID	Description	Unit Price	Amount
1	110849586604	13.3" Sony VAIO VPCSB11FX/W Laptop - White (High Def, i5-2410M, AMD Radeon GPU)	$875.00	$875.00
	Subtotal:	$875.00
	Shipping:	$100.00
Currency is in DOLLAR'S (USD)	Total:	$975.00	USD

What to Do Next

_____________

PayPal makes it easy to receive money. For security purposes, Payment has been deducted from buyer's account and has been APPROVED. However, payment will remain pending in our escrow account until shipment References Number is sent to our customer service department for verification before money is remitted into your account. Shipment tracking number should be email to our customer service: (fake paypal email)

Note:  The funds will be Credited into the seller's account once the shipment has been verified. This action is taken in order to protect both seller and buyer's interests and to reduce the occurrence of fraudulent activities.If you have any question regarding this payment,do not hesitate to contact us (fake paypal email).

Pal – The safer, easier way to pay

• Use your credit card or bank account without exposing your financial information to merchants.

• Speed through checkout without stopping to enter your financial information or address once shipment tracking number is email to our customer service. 
• (fake paypal email)

Protect your Password

• You should Never give your PayPal password to anyone including PayPal employees.

• Make sure you're using the latest internet browser.

• Make sure you ship with in 48 Hours to the address stated in this payment notification email.
  
  
  <moderator note - this message was edited extensively to extract the necessary text information, remove potentially dangerous links, conform to page width, and remove any personally identifiable information>

[USMC503]

fyi the name used is clearly fake as it does not match the name on the buyer's accoutn (which is also likely fake)

[Lrthomas]

Received the following email about my car today, trying to decide if it is real or not, Thanks for the prompt response.. I am ready to buy it now as a gift for my Son,I am at sea at the moment as i am a marine engineer and due to the nature of my Job.....phone calls making and visiting of website are restricted but i squeezed out time to check this advert and send you an email regarding it. I really want it to be a surprise for my son i wont let him know anything about it until it gets delivered to him, i am sure he will be more than happy with it. I insisted on paypal because i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking, but i can pay from my paypal account, as i have my bank a/c attached to it,Get back to me with your paypal email and the price so i can proceed with the payment quickly or you sign-up for a paypal personal account www.paypal.com it is very fast and easy to set up. I have a pick up agent that will come and pick it up after i have made the payments. Please help me!

[SayerSong]

I had someone on Craigs List want to buy some paintings of mine. The person wanted to send me a check for more than he owed me and then have me cash it and then give his "mover" the left over money. Apparently this is a new scam going around and they are even using certified bank checks at times. When I emailed him back to say I could only accept a check for the exact amount of the paintings, and that he would have to pay his mover separately, he suddenly dropped contact. Haven't heard from him since. So watch out for those as well!

[Metatron1]

Hey Dude,

I just recieved this email today, as I am selling my Harley on Craigslist Las Vegas,

Sounds like a similar oceanographer scam & Naval reactor operator scam and Seagoer scam,

From: gmail.com, gmail.com

Thanks for the prompt response. I am ready to buy it now as a Birthday gift for my son and i am at sea at the moment as i am a marine engineer and due to the nature of my work, phone calls making and visiting of website are restricted but i squeezed out time to check this advert and send you an email regarding it. I really want it to be a surprise for My son so i wont let him know anything about it until it gets delivered to him, i am sure he will be more than happy with it. I insisted on PayPal because i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking, but i can pay from my paypal account, as i have my bank a/c attached to it, i will need you to give me your paypal email address and the price so i can make the payments asap for it and pls if you don't have paypal account yet, it is very easy to set up, go to www.paypal.com and get it set up, after you have set it up i will only need the e-mail address you use for registration with paypal so as to put the money through. I have a pick up agent that will come and pick it up after i have made the payments...Thanks!!!

Anyone who wants your bike that havent ask for a phone number, Hasn't came to see the bike, Claims they will handle shipping, Told you not to worry about a Title Transfer and Wants to pay with PayPal is a scammer. 

Why wouldnt they just buy a brand new bike if this was the case from a dealer if they have this much trust and money ha ha. 

ITS A SCAM, DONT DO IT. FLAG IT.