FRAUD!!!!

[tg1803]

The PayPal Team

I was contacted by a buyer on a 300 punds worth camera. He emailed me offering 360 pounds for the camera plus posting service to send it to Nigeria. Afterwards the same address from paypal (only with the sign for registered mark after it, which I did not notice until after I sent the camera) sent me an email confirming the pament has been made to my account and the money will be released once I ship the order. My paypal account showed 360 pounds "pending" in my account. I sent the camera and now I haven't just lost 300 pounds but also payed for the shipment of my camera. What should I do? I am calling the police today and telling them also. As long as the sum was "pending" in my account paypal must have had something to do with it, right?!

 This is a copy of the email I received from the "false paypal address". I want t point out that it had their layout, heading and hyperlinks to the site.

Dear PayPal User,

    This is a reminder to inform you that we have not yet received the Shipment Reference  Number of the item, you are advised to proceed with the shipment of the item to the buyer and send the Shipment Reference Number to us for verification and to effect immediate release of your funds to your account.

           The buyer (Andy Prince) wants it sent immediately, it has also been confirmed by  PayPal and is as stated below:

Nigeria, Ogun State, Abeokuta

zipcode: 234039

address: N0 30 Oke Sokori

name: Bose Lawal

BUYER'S SHIPPING OPTION IS AS STATED BELOW :

  ROYAL MAIL INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY SIGNED FOR.
 

YOU SHOULD USE THE ABOVE  COURIER  FOR THE SHIPMENT 

  ============================ =======================

                                        ***ATTENTION*** 
     The order has been CONFIRMED AND APPROVED,So you can now proceed with the shipment of the item to the buyer's shipping address. You are expected to make the shipment within 3 hours AFTER receiving this shipment reminder and get back to our Customer/Technical Dept. with the Postage Evidence for Verification. 

     The Shipment Reference Number  should be mailed to our customer care department for Verification so that your account can be credited immediately. 

We embark on this measure in order to protect both parties involved in this transaction and to reduce the occurrence of Scams and Frauds within PayPal Community, Feel free to contact the PayPal Seller Verification department at @@@@@ for more inquiry.
 

------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------
 Thank you for using PayPal® We look forward serving your online auction payment better in future. 
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------

Thank you for using PayPal®

[kernowlass]

Nigeria is always a scam as people in Nigeria cannot even own a paypal account.

I would email x1 telling him that its amazing he paid by paypal as not only can he not own a paypal account in Nigeria but no payment is showing in your account thus he is trying to scam you.

Then just delete and ignore any future messages.

[ItsDatHobo]

Same dude did the same thing to me. He's a total scam artist. I have a phone number and PO box he gave me as well, this wasn't Nigeria though. He was going by the name Ignacio Hernandez...

646 801-3074

PO Box 2409 Anaheim CA 92814

This guy needs to be shut down. I should have been more diligent in looking him up before I went through with it....I was too hasty and just needed the cash fast. That won't be happening again. 

[Mazmar]

I fear Im about to the victim of fraud. I've been asked by a buyer to post a BLackberry to NIgeria even though I had noted I didn't post outside the uk. On reading the blog I now see why the buyer wanted me to email him photos of the phone - to get my mail address and I stupidly have done this.  He claims to be a 'busy person' a doctor but confirms that he has contacted paypal and arranged for the funds transfer.  I now know to look out for a fake email and to check my Paypal account. I've also raised a dispute on eBay re the postal address.  I still have the phone and won't be posting it. 

[suesatwit]

I have been caught out too, and no way to get my money back and paypal not helping. I bought an DVD trilogy from mybigdaddy.co.uk for £23 and I was sent the wrong DVD worth £7. Seller won't respond to my emails so I reported to paypal who say if I return item to seller (in Thailand) they will refund purchase price. (£20) but postage will cost another £12.50. My spend will be £35.50 and my refund £20. Why would I be so stupid as to throw good money after bad? Clearly a ploy from paypal to evade their advertised responsibilities to their customers. Also found no way of publicising fraudulent activity to other users, so telling it on here.

[kernowlass]

Paypal are not evading anything.

It clearly states in their buyer protection rules that they can only get your a refund of your money on return of the item to the seller.

 PayPal may require the buyer to post an item that the buyer claims is Significantly Not as Described back to the Payment Recipient at an address supplied to the buyer by PayPal during the Claim process (at the buyer’s expense), and PayPal may require a Payment Recipient to accept the item back and refund the buyer the full purchase price plus original postage costs.

Your grievance is with the website and your only option now is if you funded your paypal payment with a card then contact your card issuer and see if they will do a chargeback for you? 

[suesatwit]

@ Kernowlass. Do you work for paypal? Why won't they respond to my emails, but will respond on this forum? What a strange way to run a business. Well clearly PayPal is only interested in sellers rights, not in protecting buyers from unscrupulous sellers. Never mind that the seller is fraudulently selling naff goods, through a company fraudulently purporting to be in the uk and thus bound by uk laws. I believe this is a scandalous misrepresentation since paypal touts for business on the basis of customer safety. Simply not true, and therefore definitely evading responsibility to users. Paypal should be shutting such sellers down, not assisting them to take more money off me as it's highly unlikely that the sender would even acknowledge receipt of my return. Poor show paypal.

[kernowlass]

No of course i don't, read the word "volunteer" in front of my title.

I am an ebay seller that helps out here, once you have helped a lot paypal move you up the rankings.

Paypals response to emails is pretty poor, always best to ring them. Also they don't respond a lot on the forum as its a community forum for paypal users to help each other.

Do you know how many posts are on here each citing that either "paypal always favour the seller" or "paypal always favour the buyer" dependent on which they are.

Paypal give "some" buyer and "some" seller protection but nothing is 100% guaranteed.

If the seller gets a lot of disputes filed against them then they probably will have action taken against them but maybe the seller you are citing has not had a lot of disputes. This thread is only a small one with a few people having problems and presumably they sell loads of stuff.

But as I said under buyer protection you will get a refund of your original payment if you send the purchase back again but if you can't do that do as I said in my last sentence above.

I am hear to help users of paypal not paypal, but if folks accuse paypal unfairly then I will point out the truth.

[Mistychuck1]

I ordered clothing from ***** and was sure to order XL as they advised clothing is small. I paid September 1st- did not receive until 15th. No free gift as offered. No clothes fitted! Very poor quality. Asked for refund and return label. Clear misrepresentation. As you say- PayPal insists on returning goods to seller- but tracking to China??? Purchase £65 tracking £75?! Yes I rang PayPal - 40 minutes call!! No support or solution. Totally useless. Could not open items to read in Message Centre- PayPal have failed to respond to three separate complaints I've lodged. Now they say claim dismissed!! Thank goodness Paypal are regulated by Financial Services Authority and Ombudsman because they are my next stop! Jollychic website full of complaints but PayPal don't care! "Buyer Guarantee"? Rubbish!!

*Post edited to comply with forum guidelines*

[vlad-ruler]

Here's another one!!! I must say this is not a great first experience selling on eBay. I'm actually still talking to this "Anita" just for the humour of it lol 

Hello Mate,

    Sorry for the late responds,It is my pleasure to inform you that I have carried out the payment via PayPal and have add you the sum of £100 for the postage cost and i also have the payment receipt as a prove,I want the item to be  sent to my Cousin for his Birthday Gift,I would have asked you to post it to my eBay address in United State,but i don't know it will be urgent for me to be on a business trip, I've gone for a business trip, here is the delivery address below,I'm very sorry for the inconvenience i might have cause you I want you to ship the item today via ROYAL MAIL INTERNATIONAL SIGNED-FOR so that the item will get there as soon as possible, Please wrap the item carefully, write GIFT on the paper. Please use only ROYAL MAIL INTERNATIONAL SIGNED-FOR.

DIMEJI DAVID

20,ODUDUWA STREET

GRA,IKEJA.

LAGOS STATE

23401

NIGERIA

    Am really sorry for the inconvenience i might have caused you.....

Best Regards.

[Faitharu]

Omg I got excatly same email and everything right now . I just got suspicious and tried to search the address online and your story pop up.