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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2,000 REPLIES 2,000

lunchlady
New Community Member

I just been scammed. I sent a Iphone 5s to Nigeria. The paypal and ebay emails seemed legit. After reading countless stories of the same incident. I guess they were not legit. He said they had a problems through customs and that I he was sending me another 500 to send to his nephew via western union. I have been checking my account for days now and nothing.This was my very first ebay transaction and probably my last. You know you go through paypal so you won't get scammed and they find a way to scam you anyway. It is very sad. Oh well you live and you learn.

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Seymour-
Frequent Contributor
Frequent Contributor

Welcome to our not-so-exclusive club. (I got scammed for $120 CAN over 20 years ago). Thanks very much for sharing your story. You may have prevented someone else from getting scammed.

'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.'
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Seymour-
Frequent Contributor
Frequent Contributor

Here's a scam I just got (had it many, many, many times before):

 

---START SCAM---

 

Federal Bureau of Investigation
Anti-Terrorist and Monitory Crime
Division.
J.Edgar.Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue,
Nw Washington, D.C.
20535-0001, USA

Service Hours / Monday to Saturday:


Attention


We bring to your notice that your
Email address has been in our database
Of scammed victims for a long time.
Due to complains by individuals and
Governmental agencies
An emergency meeting was held at the
United Nation Building in New York
With the general secretary of the
United Nation Banki Moon and Heads of
The Federal Bureau of
Investigation (F.B.I) and Anti-
Terrorist and Monitory Crime Division.

You were randomly selected to be
Compensated that is why we are in
Contact with you so take your time to
Read this information carefully.


Series of meetings have been held over
The past 7 months with the secretary
General of the United Nations, which
Ended 3days ago. It is obvious that
You have not
Received your funds valued at $1.5
Million US Dollars due to past corrupt
Governmental Officials who almost held
The funds to themselves, for their
Selfish reasons.

The National Central Bureau of
Interpol enhanced by the United
Nations and Federal Bureau of
Investigation have successfully passed
a mandate to the president of the
United States of America to boost the
Exercise of clearing all foreign debts
Owed to individuals and organizations
Who have been found not to have
Receive their Funds,


To effect the release of your fund
Valued at $1.5Million US Dollars you
Are advised to contact F.B.I funds
Transfer agent Mr. Daniel Borel with
The information below,

Name: Mr. Daniel B****


Email: DanielB*******@yahoo.ca

You are advised to contact him
With the information's as Stated
Below:

1. Full Name:
2. Delivery Address:
3. Phone:
4. Fax Number:
6. Age:
7. Marital Status:
8. Country:
9. Occupation:
10. Preferred Payment Method
(ATM / Cashier Check)


Do disregard any email you get from
Any impostors or offices claiming to
Be in possession of your ATM CARD, you
Are hereby advices only to be in
Contact with your
Assigned F.B.I funds transfer agent
Mr. Daniel Borel. Forward any emails
You get from impostors to this office
So we could act upon and commence
Investigation.
CC. TO:
Supreme Court of the United
States
U. S. Courts of Appeals
U. S. District Courts
U. S. Circuit Courts
Courts of Special Jurisdiction:
Bankruptcy Courts
Court of Claims, 1855 - 1982
U. S. Court of Federal Claims,
1982 -
Customs Court, 1890 - 1980
U. S. Court of Customs and
Patent Appeals, 1910 - 1982
U. S. Court of International
Trade, 1980 -
Commerce Court, 1910 - 1913

Territorial Courts
Courts of the District of
Columbia
Temporary Emergency Court of
Appeals
Judicial Panel on Multi-District
Litigation
Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Court
Federal Courts outside the
Judiciary.



Note: This email is fully under
Supervision of the FBI and will be
Until your funds has been remitted to
You, so kindly follow the instruction
And have your funds delivered to your
Address without any more delay.

Yours sincerely,
James C***
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
J. Edgar. Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW Washington, D.C.
20535-0001, USA

Copyright © 2014 Federal Bureau of Investigation. All Rights Reserved.


---END SCAM---

The objective of this one is to collect your information for identity theft or for use in future scams attempts of all different kinds.

And, that is the actual address of the FBI. The scammers include that to add a little validity to their scam.

Notice the atrocious English usage. (That's a 'red flag')

They're just gonna give me $1.5 million? lol. u kiddin'! that's chump change. (I 'win' about $30 million each and every day). Hahahah.
'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.'
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Angybebii
Member
Member

I almost got scammed.....John <removed> is a fake as well as Jane <removed> posing as a PayPal representative. Used phone number <removed> as well as <removed>.......they asked me to send $900 via Western union to a pick up agent in Las Vegas by name of Rachel <removed> and then they would release funds to my account, but thereally was nothing in my PayPal account as received or pending.....totally a scam that I almost fell for.

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Mimi3
New Community Member
Me too! To: ************l475@yahoo Amount: $2,000.00 USD Status: Pending Date Requested: Oct 11, 2014 Subject: PayPal money request from Mia Lucey Note: For eBay item ring: 161446363851
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bandyclown
Member
Member
I was almost scammed as well. I was trying to sell my travel trailer on craigslist. This guy (paul *******) got in contact with me telling me that he had transfered funds but there was a hold on it until I paid the$1350 to the delivery agency through MoneyGram. I was skeptical but tried to get the money gram set up online and they told me to contact them. They then tell me that the address was flagged and it was a scam. They canceled the money gram (so awesome of them and I'm so thankful! ) I told the guy that I contacted money gram and pay pal. He continued to harass me via text trying to scare me by saying he was going to take legal action accusing me of being a scam???
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BossSparkie
New Community Member
This is the fake email I received. They even sent an attachment For me to fill out all my PayPal information. Came from staff@stc.com Dear Valued Customer, We have detected unusual charges to a credit card linked to your account. Your PayPal account have been limited due to the following reason: A number of suspicious activities have triggered our security system that shows that an un-authorized user tried to access your PayPal account with malicious intent. To minimize their efforts, we have limited access to your account. We have sent you an attachment containing the necessary steps in order to restore your account to its normal state. Simply download and open it in your web browser. Please do understand that this is a security measure intended to protect you and your account. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please do not reply to this email. This mailbox is not monitored by our staff. For assistance, you may log in to your PayPal account and click Help in the top right corner of the home page. Copyright © 1999-2014 PayPal. All rights reserved.
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Mayestic
New Community Member

Great thread! Thanks for all the tips included here! 

My story: I'm selling a jetski for 7k on CL and another websites. I received the following scam email this morning from this very pushy guy asking me to send my PP email and these were his messages, after I arranged a "price" (which he accepted immediately) with him:

 

Thanks,am satisfied with the price and I have arranged for a pickup agent( Shipper ) who will be coming to pick it up as soon as the payment is made and i'll like to pay u through paypal, and do u have a paypal acct so i can make the payment of the fund?

 

Seriously? Who in his right mind will buy a 7K jestski without seeing more pictures or actually seeing in real life and go for a try run? Common sense people.  After I told him to call me instead since I wasnt going to send him any info, I got this from him:

 

Thanks for the mail..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. Don't worry about the pick up,my shipping  agent will be coming to pick it up. 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.
 
Await your response.
 
Scam!! The "pushy" tactic used here. I replied to stop emailing me and that I wasnt going to send him anything. Whew! 
 
 
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almostscamed
Contributor
Contributor

any time you see or hear the word AGENT.OR BUYER run.. i like to string them along a little,for my own amusment and to get more info on the mailing address,and then post all the info so i can help others...good job!!

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SNatalie92
New Community Member

I would like to thank you!!! I almost fell for it with a 72'' TV and i was suspicious so i looked it up on google and came across your post 🙂 You saved me!!

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