Urgent advice needed-it's killing me

littlemeow
Contributor
Contributor

Hi everyone,

 

I have a situation which I am not sure how to handle.

This is my first time using paypal.

 

I am a Singaporean lady just trying to rent a room by posting an ad on our local website. Then I got an enquiry from a Vietnamese girl who claims to be a cruise doctor and intends to relocate to Singapore. She said she would like to send me 3 month rent plus deposit so She could show her employer and the immigration of Singapore. She suggested me to use paypal to send her an invoice. I figured nothing wrong with that. I did what she told me. Then she suddenly ask me for an urgent favor regarding her mover . She needed to transfer her mover money but she does not have time to do so.( ?)  So she said she would like me to do it for her . All I have to do is go to my local post office to send the money through western union.  she sent me an echeck include the rental money plus her mover fee.

 

Then I realized that echeck take time to clear , I can only be sure it would be in my own account after 3-5 days.

See below:

 

Hello (my full name),

You have just been sent a payment by eCheck. You will receive the money in about 3-5 business days (estimated: 12/25/2015-12/29/2015). We'll email you when this eCheck payment has been deposited into your PayPal account. You are to reply back to this payment notification for any further information regarding your transaction.


eCheck details


Amount: $4,036.00 SGD
Transaction ID: 03B15247598221109



Payment details

Sender: Thao Vu

Subject: You've got money!

 

 

 

She begged me to do it yesterday. I told her I can not help her because it would mean I would be using my own money. I dare not risk that.

Now today I got this email, asking me do it ,so paypal would release the fund to my account.

 

 

Your Fund is Now Available:

Hello my full name,

Your Funds has now been processed and it is now available and ready to be released into your PayPal account, but we were informed by Thao Vu that the amount paid including the additional payment is for her rent and the Mover Agent fee. Therefore, Our Security Department and our User Protection Policy suggested that you are to wire the additional payment ($726.00 SGD and $100.00 SGD for western union charges) to the Mover Agent and send us the proof (Scanned Copy of the transfer receipt) for Verification so that we can be sure that both you and Thao Vu are very safe. The total sum of $4,036.00 SGD will be released into your Account immediately after we verify that the fee has truly been transferred.

 

 

 

I find it strange the email says "you've got money" and " Funds is now available "both went to my junk mail.I want to help her but I really do not want to fork out my own money first to help her - a stranger before I see the money is transfered to my own account for sure. But now she made it such a way ,if I do not help her to pay the mover using my own money, paypal won't release my fund.

 

Can anyone advice me whether these emails are real.Are they scam? . Is there any simpler solution to this situation. If she is not scam, I still want to rent the room to her.But I need to protect myself first.

 

 

Many many thanks in advance.

 

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34 REPLIES 34

babablack
Contributor
Contributor

thanks littlemeow, i encountered her yesterday , becoz of your post i was warned...i guess we got mass emails from her...waste our time and efforts

 

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kkoolett
Contributor
Contributor

I'm sooo glad I came across this conversation. Thank you so much all!

She (or he...) contacted me with the same message for a room in London, UK. I kept asking her for contact details of her UK employer and proof of visa status, but never answered the questions.

I already gave her the postcode, my email for my Paypal account (which is the same as the one that I was emailing her from) and sent her pictures of the room via email. Oh and they know my phone number from the ad (which I am going to remove right now). Am I in trouble? Can they access any of my personal information anywhere??? 

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angrybirdsg
Contributor
Contributor
I don't think you need to be concerned about your phone number. They are probably busy following up on their other marks rather than want to mess your phone. Most importantly you did not fork out the movers fee.
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kkoolett
Contributor
Contributor
Thanks!
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ALishaQQ
Member
Member
I receive like this exactly the same what you mention. But I kinda worried because I give my bank account number, I thought that if PayPal abit troublesome can bank in straightaway cus it's easy that way. Will it effect my bank account no. Or anything? I got the feeling the person want me to transfer the money transfer first then I will receive the amount... But the day the person emailing me is weekend and I told her close on Sunday, and I only can help you on Monday onwards provided the amount you transfer to my PayPal is credited and I can withdraw to my bank account and help you doing the money transfer. After that until today no emails for that person. This person even took photo of her passport and attached to the email.
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angrybirdsg
Contributor
Contributor

@ALishaQQ wrote:
I receive like this exactly the same what you mention. But I kinda worried because I give my bank account number, I thought that if PayPal abit troublesome can bank in straightaway cus it's easy that way. Will it effect my bank account no. Or anything? I got the feeling the person want me to transfer the money transfer first then I will receive the amount... But the day the person emailing me is weekend and I told her close on Sunday, and I only can help you on Monday onwards provided the amount you transfer to my PayPal is credited and I can withdraw to my bank account and help you doing the money transfer. After that until today no emails for that person. This person even took photo of her passport and attached to the email.

That you have given the bank account is not a problem. It is confidential and not secret property. Only you can access your account because it is protected by passwords and security token. I hope these are in place.

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1public
New Community Member

this person is still using the same method trying to scam people. I'm from Ottawa ON, Canada and this person already tried to scam me twice in 3 months haha

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princesskailyn
New Community Member

It is an SCAM!!

 

I received the exactly email content as your!

 

Dont fall for her TRAP....

 

 

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json_k
New Community Member

THANK YOU! for raising this topic as it have just saved me from responding to the scammer!

 

I am usually a careful person having seen too many, i mean really, too many scammers recent days. I receive a text from the same name as mentioned via text message sent to my SG mobile. I was asked to response through email only due to her/his working concerns. I felt stranged so i google to find if there's any clue and thankfully, i found this. And yes, i have recently listed room rental ads. So peeps beware of scammers. 

 

Cheers 🙂

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Parti
New Community Member

Thank you for your info as I received same email from this person today.

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