Can a buyer to fraud/scam the seller using paypal? Selling something on Craigslist

larany
New Community Member

Hello.

 

I have used paypal before with no problem.

 

I am selling an expensive item on Craigslist. A person emailed me and said they are out of the country but want to purchase the item and will pick it up when they return.

 

I was scammed on Craigslist once. The person sent a fake money order. Then took the item. By the time the bank realized that money order was fake it was too late.

 

Is there anyway someone could scam you on paypal?

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28 REPLIES 28

natalialstewart
New Community Member

I got this message a couple days ago and something didn't feel right about it so I decided to google the whole message and it seems the same scam is being played all over the place.  It's very vague and non-discript.  I went with my gut and I was right.

 

Here is the message:Hi there, Thank you for getting back to me.Can you assure me that the
vehicle is in good state and that i will not be disappointed with it
and I'm ready to pay your asking price.To be honest, i wanted to buy
this for my father as a surprise birthday gift,he has being there for
me and doesn,t deserve something less but the issue is I'm a marine
contractor and i just got a contract which i am doing presently and
The contract is strictly no call,
due to the lack of reception on the sea area,,But I'm able to access
email anytime as we will make use of laptop so my only quickest
payment option is PayPal as i can send money via PayPal anytime.Moreso
i choose paypal for this transaction cause i want to avoid the scams
going down on the internet this days,and want the both party to be on
a safe side cause paypal security measure is unbeatable.Since
I'm requesting this transaction to be done via PayPal, i will be
responsible for all the pay pal fee/charges on this transaction and if
you don't have an account with paypal, its pretty easy, safe and
secured to open one. Just log on to www.paypal.com. I hope we can make
the purchase as fast as possible? I have a mover that will come for it
once payment clears and they will be handling the title for me.So i
look forward to hear from you soon.

Many thanks.

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reaumes98
Contributor
Contributor
Hi there,

Thank you for getting back to me. Please assure me that it's in
good condition and that i will not be disappointed with it.I'm ready
to pay your asking price and to be honest, i wanted to buy this for my
Friend, but the issue is i am an oceanographer and i do have a
contract to go for which starts tomorrow and am leaving any moment
from now.The contract is strictly no call due to the lack of reception
on the sea area. But I'm able to access email anytime as we will make
use of laptop so my only quickest payment option is PayPal as i can
send money via PayPal anytime. Since I'm requesting this transaction
to be done via PayPal, i will be responsible for all the paypal
fee/charges on this transaction and if you don't have an account with
paypal, its pretty easy, safe and secured to open one. Just log on to
www.paypal.com. I hope we can make the purchase as fast as possible? I
have a mover from a shipping company that will come for it once
payment clears and they will be handling the title for me. So i look
forward to hear from you soon.

Many Thanks.
we got that almost exact email. just want to thank all those who posted before us. thank you for you posting, you saved us a ton a grief. even after calling paypal i was skeptical and  searched further and found  the post below. funny how they are all worded almost exactly the same. beware people. these scammers should be brought out to the desert with no water. this is despicable. we work hard for our money as does everyone else who is honest and these types of people are vultures on the weak. how do they sleep at night.  thank you all for your previous post.
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jcbhunsicker
Contributor
Contributor

I read somewhere that if the "buyer" is using a prepaid  Fed Ex account, once the package is paid for through Pay Pal, Fed Ex picks up the item being sold, it can then be redirected and the "buyer" can claim they did not receive the item.  Pay Pal then makes the seller refund the purchase price.  The "buyer" has the item and the money. 

There is a way to insure it doesn't happen you just have to do some investigating and be very careful.

 

The guy that wanted to buy my gaming system did not agree to my terms saying it was not convenient.   He wanted to send a "cashiers check or money order"  you take it to the bank assuming the funds are legit.  His person in the city was then going to come to my house and pick up the item.  All I suggested was that his person  just bring me cash and I would have my policeman neighbor drive me to a convenient meeting place (away from my residence)  and make the exchange IN PERSON.

 

My husband has sold several things on craigslist, but it's always in person  and with cash (even a vehicle)

 

 

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gitcjess
New Community Member

I I think there're few regulations are protecting the seller. 

 

Here's my case, I am really confused about what to do right now...I hope someone can help me with it...

 

So I was selling my phone on Amazon. And there's a person who named Marcie xxx messaged me and said that she wanted to buy the phone, but then she wanted me to ship it to Nigeria for her colleague who's on vacation. So I did. Then she keeps adding funds to my account everyday and saying that the item is held in Nigeria, first day because of the import policy, second day because of the NDLEA, and the third day because of the Postage Clearance Fees. And they are demanding me to send the $200, $200, and $300 over through Western Union. After the first time, I was wondering if it's a fraud, but PayPal keeps holding my money and saying that it won't credit my account until I finished the transaction. So I kept transfering the money, and not getting anything back! Now, I am not sending the $300 over again, since the $400 I just transferred is already over the value of my phone! I e-mailed the buyer, and told her that I am not able to continue sending the money over because I'm a student, I have already used up the money for my rent just to send the phone! I asked the buyer, why couldn't she list all the terms of fees at once, then she said she doesn't know about the import policy in Nigeria; I told her to ask her colleague to pay for the fees first, she said because that's a gift for her colleague, so she doesn't want her colleague to pay. Also, she said she's working offshore rig, so that she can't transfer the money to her colleague by herself, and she keeps demanding me to transfer the money over.

 

I really don't know what I should do now, someone please help...

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moonsea
Contributor
Contributor

Please check out this thread also https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/Fraud-phishing-and-spoof/Craiglist-Scam/td-p/160852/page/2, but it took me less than 2 minutes to determine that this email in response to a craigslist item was a scam.

 

Thank for the prompt response to my inquiry. I'm satisfied with the condition of it as advertised in the listing,i want to be the best offer by adding $100 to your money then keep other offers off .I would like you to know that i am really interested in buying this for my father,payment will be through PayPal and the pick up will be arranged by me as i will have my agent come down to pick it up...i will be waiting to hear from you,and i will like you to send me the name and email address on the PayPal account to send the payment and send me more pics of this item if available since i would not be seen it in person so i can pay it right away I am a busy at work and do not have much time around me.if you don't have pay pal account yet, it is very easy to set up, go to www.paypal.com and get it set up , after you have set it up i will only need the e-mail address you use for registration with pay pal so as to put the money through, Make sure you get back to me so that we can arrange for pick up as i will like the item to be picked at your residence,so no shipping.

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McArthur
New Community Member

I am selling a vehicle through Craiglist and i received 2 emails from a buyer:

 

1) Email          From: alac <removed>

 --Greetings.....tell me more about the vehicle....and also send me more pictures.
2) Email       From: alac <removed>
Hi there, Thank you for getting back to me. I'm ready to pay your

asking price.To be honest, i wanted to buy
this for my father as a surprise birthday gift,he has being there for
me and doesn,t deserve something less but the issue is I'm a marine
contractor and i just got a contract which i am doing presently and
The contract is strictly no call,
due to the lack of reception on the sea area,,But I'm able to access
email anytime as we will make use of laptop so my only quickest
payment option is PayPal as i can send money via PayPal anytime.Moreso
i choose paypal for this transaction cause i want to avoid the scams
going down on the internet this days,and want the both party to be on
a safe side cause paypal security measure is unbeatable.Since
I'm requesting this transaction to be done via PayPal, i will be
responsible for all the pay pal fee/charges on this transaction and if
you don't have an account with paypal, its pretty easy, safe and
secured to open one. Just log on to www.paypal.com. I hope we can make
the purchase as fast as possible? I have a mover that will come for it
once payment clears and they will be handling the title for me.So i
look forward to hear from you soon.

 

Many thanks.

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triktoys2004
Contributor
Contributor

One thing you can always do, if you suspect fraud is to check the email address headeres of the person who is making strange claims.

 

After this happened to me once, in my infancy days of selling online, I learned how to not get burned again.  Check the headers and look at the originating IP address.  Then you can go to any website that looks up ip addresses or does ip tracing and simply paste it in there.  I bet it comes back from Nigeria (most of them come from there that I have found).  If the IP location does not match their claimed address, don't do anything.  of course, stick to your guns and just accept cash on the spot.  Any real buyer will be confortable with this specific term in your transaction.

 

Just my .02

 

Eric

http://www.triktoys.com/

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mikebchiro
New Community Member

I found almost identical messages in this forum, so I thought I would post this message that I received in response to my advertisement on craigslist.  Please take care and beware of scammers!!!!

 

Thank you for getting back to me.Can you assure me that it's in
good state and that i will not be disappointed with it.I'm ready to
pay your asking price and to be honest, i wanted to buy this for my
Dad, but the issue is i am an oceanographer and i do have a contract
to go for which starts tomorrow and am leaving any moment from now.The
contract is strictly no call due to the lack of reception on the sea
area. But I'm able to access email anytime as we will make use of
laptop so my only quickest payment option is PayPal as i can send
money via PayPal anytime.Since I'm requesting this transaction to be
done via PayPal, i will be responsible for all the paypal fee/charges
on this transaction and if you don't have an account with paypal, its
pretty easy, safe and secured to open one. Just log on to
www.paypal.com. I hope we can make the purchase as fast as possible?
I have a mover that will come for it once payment clears and they will
be handling the title for me. So i look forward to hear from you soon.

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reaumes98
Contributor
Contributor

they will send you a email saying to are over seas , no phone,etc and they can send money via paypal. just click link,They have all your info.. paypal will not help seller out.. also they will send money, you ship, they come back and say they didnt get it and pay pal takes your money and gives it back to them.

be aware .

clint, sam , doug etc. but always an excuse why they can  call etc.

post something pricey and craiglsit and just wait and see. happens all the time.

thesse people  search  classified for vistims.

paypal should go after them.

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