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

[A_Tom]

I just received this email: There was an attachment which I have not included.

From: accounts.Payil.com

Dеаг Vаluеd Сuѕtоmег,

А νегу unuѕuаl асtіνіtу hаѕ Ьееn dеtесtеd thаt wаѕ lіnкеd tо уоuг РауРаl ассоunt.
It арреагѕ thаt ѕоmеоnе gаіnеd ассеѕѕ tо уоuг ассоunt wіthоut уоuг соnѕеnt. Τhіѕ іntгuѕіоn
hаνе lеd uѕ tо геѕtгісt уоuг ассоunt ассеѕѕ.

In огdег fог уоu tо hаνе full ассеѕѕ tо уоuг ассоunt аgаіn, рlеаѕе fоllоw thеѕе twо ѕіmрlе ѕtерѕ.

(1) Dоwnlоаd thе аttасhmеnt ргоνіdеd Ьу оuг Ѕесuгіtу Τеаm.
(2) Ореn thе аttасhеd fіlе (іn уоuг WеЬ Βгоwѕег) аnd fіll іn thе геquігеd fіеldѕ.

Аftег уоu hаνе νегіfіеd уоuг ассоunt Ьу fоllоwіng thеѕе ѕtерѕ, оuг аutоmаtеd ѕесuгіtу ѕуѕtеm wіll
аdd lауегѕ оf ргоtесtіоn tо уоuг ассоunt. Wе wоuld lіке tо thаnк уоu fог уоuг ѕегіоuѕ аttеntіоn.

Τhаnк уоu,
РауРаl Ассоunt Rеνіеw Τеаm

[Seymour-]

It's an attempt to scam you by obtaining your personal info.

Forward the email (including the attachment) to spoof@paypal.com.

They didn't address you by your registered PayPal username because they don't know it. PayPal will always address you by your full registered name in any correspondence.

The attachment was probably a form asking you for all your personal info but, may also be infected with a Macro virus. Best not to open it yourself (just to be safe). Forward it.

Easy to verify just by logging into www.paypal.com, where you would see you have no restrictions or problems.

[LPanther]

Received this fraudulent e-mail.

PayPal |Security Team :Your Account PayPal Has Been Limited.‏

PayPal

Dear Customer,

We have received your PayPal account is used for fraud. Your account will be suspended until you confirm that you are the original user account.

- To confirm that you are the original user of this account:

Click here <removed>

- We want you to accept this new service of protection against fraud and identity theft.

PayPal security team.

All rights reserved. Copyright © 2015 PayPal S.Ã .r.l. 31-33, rue Sainte Zithe, L-2763 Luxembourg.

[Seymour-]

Not to worry. The fake PayPal Login page the link points to has already been taken down.

PayPal will always address you by your full registered name. The scammers will almost always use Dear anything-that's-not-your-name.

[LPanther]

Thanks for the response.

[frontier2002]

I've just received a phishing paypal scam email telling that my account is limited because of significant changes in activity and the link to access paypal is go this address <removed> and obvious blatant scam link and also the sender is from weird email see this <removed>

[Truckrat]

A fried of mine was selling winter tires and got a text from someone who wanted to buy then and send them to Texas. He found it strange and showed me the conversation. I told him probably a scam. Why would anyone need winter tires in Texas? We decided to play the scam out just for fun.

The guy sent payment via PayPal. A very good copy of a real paypal money transfer notice except for two things. First, the email address was spelt with a capital S ... Service AT and the rest of the proper address   That address is fake. A real PayPal email addres uses a small 's'   service AT and the rest of the address. I would like to post the address this form will not allow it.

Just remember if you ever see a Capital S in a PayPal email address, it is fake.... don't be fooled.

Second problem with the email was the traditional mesage contained within that says. "Money has been transfered into your account. It will be released once confermation of the items being shipped. Please send the tracking number to the following place" And it will give you a link to click on.

The message will be someting similar to that.

Anyway, my friend then sent the person another text asking him to send the funds via PayPal and not PayScam. He of course did not reply.

[Vietnamvet]

I was emailed by a Sgt. Frederick Hudson wanting to buy my tractor. He said he was deployed and wanted me to do him a favor and add $1200 to the amount of the tractor and then send the $1200 via western union.. Upon further investigation found this to be a scam

[spikour]

Hello to all of you

Today a lady Susan <removed>  tried to cheat on me... She is asking 30,00 Euros supposed to have been sent via Western Union for the shipment of the goods and 5,00 Euros for the WU fees.

The story : I was selling a headset through a Greek site xe.gr That Susan sent me an email that she is interested to buy that headset. I replied and i said ok send a courier service to collect the headset and ask from courier to pay upon pickup. She didn’t want that way and she offered a payment through PayPal.  I said ok. Let’s do it. The headset costs 50,00€ and she sent through PayPal 85,00. 50,00 for me, 30,00 to pay the courier service and 5,00 for the WU fees.

But.... In order for me to get the 50,00€ I have to go to a WU office and send the 30,00 to the shipping agent :

<removed>

..... Of course I didn’t. I have called the Greek Police and I have been prepared to send all the communication emails etc to PayPal and to the Greek Cyber Crime Police Dpt.

I played a bit with her saying ok... now i'm going to pay etc.... and finally she sent me the following...

Read below....

> On Jun 15, 2015, at 12:01, susan <removed>  wrote: (is a gmail account)
>
> Hello! you will have to understand ths very well, and you will have to read the payment confirmation sent to you from PayPal carefully and know the next step to take, and i got the similar email sent to you, that you are to go to your nearest western union and get the 30euro send out of your pocket to the picker agent address and get back to the PayPal with the western union details for verification to post the total amount of 85euro into your account so that the picker will be coming for pick up date and time...understand?.....Susan

[Seymour-]

Most every transaction that involves 'advance fees' is a scam. 'She' has no intention of ever paying you.  'Her' next step (when you refuse to pay will be to start threatening you.  The threats are pitiful (but, designed to scare someone less knowledgeable). Ignore them.

The amounts & names change but, the scam remains the same. 🙂

N.B. As soon as I see the word 'Nigeria' ANYWHERE, my scam radar kicks into high gear. sux for the honest people in Nigeria (if there are any! lol) but, they can blame their countrymen for their bad reputation.