is this a SCAM? email said "contact ur last buyer 2 send more money so ur account limit can expand"

[gwpurvis]

i have received the following email from paypay. it included a logo, graphics and contact info.

We encounter little problem while crediting your PayPal account. You have a pending payment of $950.00 USD but we have a problem crediting your account with that amount because the status of your PayPal account is not a business user which makes your account has limit and this amount seems to be above your limit, this will not make us credit your account until you expand your limit.

You have to take this urgent step to expand your limit.

Contact the last payer of your account XXXXXXX (named buyer and email address) to send in an additional payment of $550.00 USD so that your account limit can expand, as soon as this is done, we will credit fully into your PayPal account the total sum of $1,500.00 USD.

Note: An alert has been sent toXXXXXXX (named buyer and email address)  in regard to the $550.00 USD additional payment he/she has to send to you, we will secure this transaction with high priority that neither the payer nor the payee will not lose fund in this transaction.

this was response and i cc'd the buyer as well.

this is very unprofessional.

not to mention very shady.

why would the seller add another $550 to my account?

item item was worth $800 and S&H was an extra $150.

i sent the item off saturday morning and it's on it's way.

it's on it's way and outta my hands.

it will probably be delivered before this transaction is complete.

you said i'd be credited with the money after i sent in the tracking number

you said it was for security purposes... and i did.

NOW you want the seller to add more money to my account to expand my limit...

why would she do that on my behalf?

please credit my account for the full amount of $950 NOW.

i am not interested in involving the customer, because you have limits on the account.

it is not their responsibility to expand my limit.

you are making this experience very unpleasant.

FIX IT 

here was their response. this time no graphics, no paypay logo, no contact info.

yes there were typos in the email...

We Understand you and this is the normal proceedure for all account Holder who are to receive money at the rate of $950..so we urge you to text your buyer now or contact He/she so as to make additional $550 to your acccount as soon as you get that Donne..you will have to return his fund back to he/she via western union money transfer..

Thanks and Bless

my last response (also cc'd the buyer)

are you really paypal?  

in the future respond to both buyer and seller and use your official email not some lame email with no graphics, contact info or paypal logo, btw - you should spell check your emails before you send them.

you're telling me it's normal for you to inconvenience both the buyer and seller, the first time they use your service? 

why would i ever use you again? i can use apple pay and have far less hassle!

you're telling me that paypal's normal procedure, is that the buyer is forced to over extend themselves by shelling out additional funds (over and above the actual cost of the item), in order for paypal to extend MY financial limit? why? 

according to you, the funds are there. you've verified th tracking info. you've linked my bank and cc. everything is in order and now you want extra cash. what a scam.

what is your risk, if you do extend MY limit? NONE. 

are you suspending the funds to gain some sort of interest? that's just lame.

you're telling me that paypal's normal procedure, if in fact, the buyer actually agrees to transfer the additional funds - and i'd be hard pressed to do it myself - i have to use another service (at additional costs, wait time and hassle) - western union money transfer - to reimburse the buyer. 

WHAT IF I UPGRADE TO A BUSINESS ACCOUNT?

I NEED A SOLUTION THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE THE BUYER.

IF YOU UNDERSTAND ME, YOU'LL GET THAT I'M VERY ANGRY ABOUT THIS!

BLESS ME AND FIX THIS IMMEDIATELY

[kernowlass]

THIS IS A TYPICAL PAYPAL SCAM.

They encourage you to use paypal and often ask you to send the item as a gift to a relative somewhere often Nigeria.

You will get/got a "fake" email that looks as though it is from paypal.....it isn't.

It will say the buyer has paid ...you won't have been paid.

They will tell you that the payment is released when you provide paypal with a tracking/shipping number......this won't happen.

If the item requires shipping they will tell you that they will pay you extra and you must pay the agent via western union / moneygram BEFORE the funds are released to you.

Or they will pretend to overpay you and ask you to send the overpayment back via western union.

They are not interested in the item, they just want the western union etc funds and you will never see money in your paypal balance.

They also threaten legal action...have a laugh at that one and ignore it as its rubbish.

Paypal NEVER tell you to send trackable, they advise it for seller protection etc but it is not compulsory.

Paypal NEVER tell you to send an item before the payment is showing in your paypal account.

Paypal NEVER expect you to use a rival money transfer service.