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

[Capntony]

Guess I should have read this directly off of Craigslist site first... Oh well be aware.

You can sidestep would-be scammers by following these common-sense rules whenever using craigslist:

• DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON - follow this one rule and avoid 99% of scam attempts.
• NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAMor any other wire service - anyone who asks you to do so is likely a scammer.
• FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON, and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLEwhen the fake is discovered weeks later.
• CRAIGSLIST IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION, and does not handle payments, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer "buyer protection" or "seller certification"
• *********NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
• AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL "GUARANTEE" YOUR TRANSACTION.
• DO NOT RENT HOUSING WITHOUT SEEING THE INTERIOR, OR PURCHASE EXPENSIVE ITEMS SIGHT-UNSEEN - in all likelihood that housing unit is not actually for rent and that cheap item does not exist.
• DO NOT SUBMIT TO CREDIT CHECKS OR BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR A JOB OR FOR HOUSING UNTIL YOU HAVE MET THE INTERVIEWER OR LANDLORD/AGENT IN PERSON.

[GeoffD]

I am selling 2 vehicles on Cars.com, and have replies from 2 sources promising to pay via Paypal and simply asking for my email address linked to my Paypal account in order to send funds. Their names are Dave ******* and Gary ******** - both suspiciously saying they are oil rig / marine engineers.

1. Just wondering if anyone has come across these names before, and

2. As I am new to Paypal, wondering how secure and valid such a transaction would be.

Geoff

[kernowlass]

1. Names would be phoney.

2. Did you read my post a few posts up on how the scam works??

3. Even if it was legit which it is not then you have no seller protection for motor vehicles with paypal.

[marshajaz]

I got the same guy Dave, in a hurry, sounded to good to be true,  I'm sure it's a scam.

[Chogg]

I am currently trying to sell an item on Craigslist. I have been sent an email from someone wanting to purchase the item. the want my PP email to send me the money for the item. I have read many post in regards to scams, and this seems like one. The person works on a boat, he will have someone pick it up, etc. If you were to actually send the email address to the person, what exactly are they capable of doing from there?

[kernowlass]

Nothing, but i wouldn't want a scammer to have my email address anyway.

They are asking for your email addy to lull you into a false sense of security that they will be using it to pay you via paypal for your item.

They either will send a false fake email supposedly from paypal saying you have been paid but its on hold until you send a payment for their eg shipping agent (via western union), or send paypal a tracking number when you have sent the item then the payment will be released....dependent on what scam they are running.

[Chogg]

Thanks!

[kernowlass]

I wouldn't try and play them at their own game either by playing them along and pretending you are going to send the item or sending abusive emails etc.

I heard of someone that did that once and the scammers spent ages signing him up to porn sites and deluging his email box with sick emails and photos.

[PayPal_Olivia]

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@kernowlass wrote:

I wouldn't try and play them at their own game either by playing them along and pretending you are going to send the item or sending abusive emails etc.

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This is very, very good advice.

Olivia

[rzhang]

I put my car up for sale on craigslist and received 2 scam emails.

The first one was from a guy who said he was deaf and so his phone calls would be turned into emails...

The second was from a guy who said he had sent 6000 USD to my paypal. The extra 100 was for shipping and handling and said I would have to wire the money through Western Union to his shipping company so Paypal would release my money. My first time being on craigslist and all, I ALMOST fell for this. Thank god my bank didn't let my card go through with it because the activity looked suspicious. I'm selling my car because I NEED money. How does this guy think im going to get 800 dollars to ship a car?? I said I didn't have the money and he's all "maybe you can borrow it from a close friend". This is when the red flags are like flying at my face. Who says that. So I search up craiglist buyer scams and this fits exactly what they call the BS. buyer scam. I tell him I don't have the funds again and that he should do it himself and this is his response. 

RE:

"I would have done something if i can but this is really out of my hands.... the money is just on a temporary hold to protect both buyer and seller from getting scammed online which i think i knew... paypal are just waiting for you to get back to them with the western union transfer details for them to verify it and release the funds into your paypal account so i urge you to find a way to get the money sent and get back to me and paypal with the western union transfer detail so they can credit up your account without any further delay. Do get back to me ASAP."

The thing is I have used paypal before and if funds were in my account, I'd either see it as pending or something. Also, when I get OFFICIAL emails from paypal, there is a little green shield next to the email stating that it has been verified and is real. The paypal messages about the 6000$ being in my account but on hold don't have that green shield. Then I compare the two emails and logo and everything and the way they state their information is completely different. 

so basically anything through western union is a scam and anything telling they are using their own shipping service and can't come in to see products and are super "ASAP" about everything.