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

[italy0408]

I received this email and i have forwarded to PayPal

Sun 7/12/2014 12:42:51
Blocked transactions from an unfamiliar location using your account. IP address: 165.193.4.161

Unauthorized access has been detected in your account.

We believe someone has accessed your account without your permission. Furthermore, we have limited the access to your account.

We kindly urge you to fill the form below so that we could remove the restricted access in your account.
By completing the form, we could simply verify that you are the account holder.
Please download the form (it is attached in this email) and open it in your web browser.

We will review the information carefully and remove any limitations that has been set on your account once you have been verified.
We apologize for any inconvenience.

Thank you,
PayPal Security Department

I refused to download anything that is attached to emails unless i know who sends it...

[minty1]

Hi italy0408

Genuine ppal emails:

Always address u as Dear full name

Never ask u to click on links/downloads/attachements

Never as for personal/sensitive info

[Craigslistscam]

scammer: Let me know if your Posted Ad is still Available for sale.. Craftmatic Model 1 Queen Size Electric Adjustable Bed base w/ massage - $500 (Rocklin) 12:29 AM

Me: it is, call me 11:55 AM

Me: no paypal, shipping, or texting pls as I have recieved too many scammers via text 12:01 PM

scammer: What is the present condition? 1:Are you the first owner of it? 2:Why are you selling it? 3.Can you send me general close up pictures as i will be unable to come look at it in person and so that i can have a better look? 4: what is the bottom price? My name is Chris Temple . thanks 12:17 PM

Me: great condition. we had to dissassemble it to move it- great condition, my elderly mother needed to downsize her bed to move into sr apt. they sell for way in excess of $500, it is priced to sell at $500 2:26 PM

Me: I can take pics of boxspring- there is no mattress- but again you will need to call me or answer when I call you 2:27 PM

scammer: Ok.I'm pleased with the price and condition.so I would love to pay you via PayPal,the PayPal charges is on me,If my offer is accepted, Get back to me with your PayPal email and your name so i can pay you right away , i would arrange pick up after payment is received. Confirm the sales to me by removing it from post. 2:33 PM

[Seymour-]

He'd love to try and scam you by sending you a fake PayPal payment page he means. lol.

The biggest red flag (indicating this is a scam) is when you say "No PayPal" and he says he'd love to pay you by PayPal.  Not conclusive I know. I suppose it could be legitimate. You'd have to take the next step to be 100% certain it's a scam. If you give him the email he requests, you should receive the fake PayPal payment page in your Inbox just as soooon as he can create it.

Checking your PayPal account (via login at www.paypal.com) at that point should confirm the Payment he just 'sent' does not exist in your account.

Then, the threats start to come from him. "I sent the payment! where's this & that! I'mma gonna call the FBI."  Ignore them. The FBI doesn't investigate failed PayPal transactions, they've got better things to do.

And, I'd recommend you not be so free with reasons why next time. these people don't need to know you elderly mother's moving. Great condition is good enough.

[Barry237]

I got an email asking for my credit card information to "update my account"  There is a mispelling on the request  saying... Your information "are" out of date.  So watch out.  If they get your card number and card information you are out of luck!

Barry

[Collettz]

None of the links in the email work. The buyer wants me to send the package and provide the tracking number before the payment will be posted in my PayPal account. This is all via ebay. Mind you the buyers address on his ebay account is a New Mexico address. He then sent me a message saying he needed it shipped usps express international to a South Africa address for a surprise present for his sons birthday next week. This is my first time selling on ebay. I'm extremely suspicious. The buyer has 100% positive feedback as an ebay buyer. He 'paid' an extra $70 for international shipping. And, the 'buyer' emailed me telling me to check my spam folder for the invoice, sure enough, that's where it was. There aren't any pending transactions within my PayPal account either.

Please help!

Zach

[Seymour-]

Yes, it's a scam. All this person wants is the $70 from you.  Once you inform this person that you believe he is trying to scam you, then he'll start threatening you if you don't pay him right away.  The threats are all false too, do not worry about anything this person may say. all lies. "The money's in your account! blah, blah, blah... I'll call the FBI... blah, blah, blah". All empty threats.

The invoice is fake too, that's why it went to your spam folder.  Scammers know that's where these bogus invoices end up so, they tell you to go check there.

Logging into your account via www.paypal.com to check your balance will show you the current state of your account, with any pending payments or deposits listed.  Anything else, no matter who sent it, or what it's for, is fake & false!

[Collettz]

Thanks for the verification. I thought I was right just needed someone to back me.

I wrote him back a few hours ago telling him that if he didn't pay me in full by 11am EST that I would relist my product on ebay and report him. Needless to say, I haven't seen the money so my item has be relisted on ebay.

Thanks again.

[ann20]

Ok this forum just saved me nearly £800!!!!OMG if I could give everyone a penny here I had still save (I think)..So I posted an add on Gumtree selling my macbook air 13 " for £550 pounds and I got a text from a lady with the name"jean joy" offering me £600 if I could ship out on same day so I agreed!she asked for my paypal details and you know how it goes,got an email from fake paypal saying funds is been deducted from buyers account bla Bla bla and I should send tracking number for funds to be cleared..Boy did I fall for it!!!Before I could back up files and reset computer,post offices were closed so had to wait until monday.i went to the post offices and shipping rounded to £180 which makes my mac less than I wanted it to go for so I emailed her to cancel the transaction but she insisted on sending extra and it got me thinking really? You can just get a new mac with that price so I googled" paypal scam" and this came up...Been greatfull is an understatement!!!

[minnalevine]

Reference ID:8Z07T71ZE975KP172L

Got this email. The sender was paypal

Dear [my email address] ,

------------------------------ ----------------------------------------
We need your help
----------------------------------------------------------------------

We can\'t call you in your phone

Unfortunately the controls department has been unable to process the order and cancelled it due to fraud prevention. If you are able to provide some proof that this is your account then the order will be fully processed.

because :Your account is currently limited

Login To Your Account

I had not ordered anything. I had not used my account in over a year.