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

[Chloe55]

This is what I suspected.....thank you all so much.... My scammers name is Olubo and they kept refusing to give me anymore info, so I did a reverse lookup on their phone number....found it was a google number out of Utah......area code 435, had a shipperr that could pick up and deliver anywhere in the world, but had to send me and additional $1000 through Paypal to pay the shippers agent upon pick up....but funds were being sent asap. that was days ago. Guess what, when I started asking questions, and wasnt agreeable about the shipper payment and was curious as to why they didnt have any questions, even tried to call back the number, no answer, and they have not contacted me back.....although before they were burning up my phone......so thank for the imput, it really helped, and I hope the name and location/area code origin helps any one else.

[tang1971]

You would believe the number of emails I have gotten in the last week for something I'm selling on Craigslist that look just like this email! They always ask for my PayPal ID and name and tell me they'll send a pick up agent. Blah Blah Blah. I replied telling them they were trying to scam me and I wasn't falling and I never heard back. Now one contacted me last night, same name but different email address. Even had the same freaking paragraph like he just copied and pasted it! These people need to get a life!

[DocOtis]

Same thing is currently being attempted with me involving a Viper hood I am selling. Thanks for confirming this is a scam.

Of the 4 replies to my ad, so far 3 of them are crooks attempting this scam. BEWARE

[Seymour-]

The reason the messages look similar (copied & pasted) is because they are. The reason the same email came from 2 different addresses is some of these scammers either don't know or, more likely, don't care if you've been targeted before and already received their version.

There's a few 'repeats' that I receive almost every day.

1. Mystery Shopper. Become a Mystery Shopper today. A different sender everytime. SCAM.

2. win millions of $, pounds, euros in lotteries I never entered. A different sender everytime. SCAM.

3. the Heads, Presidents, Managers of various Banks, Financial Institutions, Organizations & Businesses with all forms of business offers, guarantees of free or lo-cost money, loans, grants. A different sender everytime. SCAMS ALL.

4. someone I don't know has died and left me money. SCAM.

5. problems with my PayPal account needing to be verified

TEXT FOLLOWS:

Update Personal Information

Dear PayPal Member,

It has come to our attention that your PayPal account information needs to be updated as
part of our continuing commitment to protect your account and to reduce the instance of fraud
on our website. If you could please take a few minutes out of your online experience and update
your personal records, you will not run into any problems in the future with the online service.

However, failure to update your records could result in account suspension. We advise you to update
your records as soon as possible.

To update your account information, please download and open the attachment file that we sent
via this email, and simply open it with your web browser.

Once you have updated your account records, any activities going through your account will no
longer be interrupted.

We apologize for any inconvenience. Please understand that this is to keep you and
your account in a protected state.

END TEXT

and attached was a Paypal Login form (looking very legitimate). SCAM.

[keant]

How about that, I have a petroleum engineer wanting to buy my El Camino and he wants to pay through paypal. Sounded fishy when I first got it now i know it is a scam. 

[DebbienShawn]

May 6 at 9:36 PM

I hope the RV is in good condition? and there wont be any cause of disappointment if i purchase the RV from you? I want to buy the RV for my daddy as a birthday gift and I am ready to pay the asking price. I'm an Marine Engineer and am currently on sea right now which is strictly no calls. My Mode of payment is PayPal because i don't have access to my bank account online, but i have it attached to my PayPal account. Since I'm requesting this transaction to be done via PayPal, I will be responsible for all the Paypal fees/charges on this transaction, if you don't have an account with paypal, it's pretty easy, safe and secure to open one. Just log on to www.paypal.com. I hope we can make this transaction as fast as possible. Less I forgot, I have a Mover that will come for RV once payment is cleared in your paypal account and they will be handling the title for me, as I look forward to hearing from you with your paypal information as requested below.

Your PayPal e-Mail Address :

Full name:

Firm Price:

Many Thanks

[cbeyzaguirre]

Thats funny, i got a similar email. lol...

"Thank you for the mail, i am okay with the condition Likewise your asking price is quite reasonable and affordable considering others I've seen lately, I'll have it for the listed price. I'm interested and consider it sold as am buying it for my son as a birthday surprise gift and he doesn't know about it, so can you assure me i will not be disappointed? I work with the military air-force and presently in camp serving the nation which is strictly no calls. My Mode of payment is PayPal because i don't have access to my bank account online, but i have it attached to my PayPal account. Since I'm requesting this transaction to be done via PayPal, I will be responsible for all the PayPal fees/charges on this transaction, if you don't have an account with PayPal, it's pretty easy, safe an secure to open one. Just log on to www.paypal.com. I hope we can make this transaction as fast as possible. Less I forgot, I have a Mover that will come for pickup once payment is cleared in your PayPal account and they will be handling the title for me, as I look forward to hearing from you with your PayPal information as requested below."

Your PayPal e-Mail Address :

Full name:

Firm Price:

Address for Pick Up:

Phone Number:

Awaiting your response asap.. Regards.

[fellinglikepoop]

you are not going to believe this but i think the same guy try to scam me.....went with a gut feeling and did not allow it to go through.  His name is Thomas........

[mandachan]

I received an email from a CAMPBELL on an ad I had posted claiming he was offshore with an oil company in new zealand. He insisted on using PayPal for the same reasons and said, literally VERBATIM, "all i will need is your PayPal email address to make the payments..and if you don't have a PayPal account yet, you can set one up at www.paypal.com it cant take you less than 3mins to do that..." Then I got a message from a non - PayPal email saying I had funds on hold until I verified a western union transfer to the "shipping agent" (wtf?) It doesn't take $500 to pay an agent to pick up something that could be mailed for $20. These guys are all using almost identical ploys. Glad I googled!

[Scubareev]

THIS IS THE SAME EXACT MOTIVE THE GUY THAT JUST TRIED TO SCAM ME USED. WORD FOR WORD ALMOST .. Sorry for the caps I'm just amazed