I believe I'm trying to be scammed please help!!

[Whitehorse000]

I posted a sale on Ebay and someone told me they would buy it. They wanted me to include $500 worth of ebay gift cards. Which I didn't feel comfortable doing. I have 2 emails saying the transaction is not complete unless I show the back of the giftcards after its scratched. I told him this doesn't feel right and he said all I had to do is refund him the 1300 even though its not showing in my PayPal account. I know this because I didn't get the ebay gift cards. He is harassing me saying I need to pay. Please help!!!

[kernowlass · Accepted solution]

@Whitehorse000 

SCAM.
They may buy on Ebay but they use an anonymous or hijacked Ebay account and DO NOT have a Paypal account so they can't use Ebay checkout.

They encourage you to accept a 'direct' Paypal payment and may ask you to send the item internationally.
No funds or activity of the transaction shows in your Paypal account and any emails 'may' go into your junk/spam folders.

You will get/got a "fake" email that looks as though it is from paypal.....it isn't because they don't actually have a Paypal account and have no intention of paying you.
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.
OR

they tell you that you have to include gift cards or tokens which is absolute rubbish, they just want to scam you of the money and you will never get paid.

Paypal NEVER tell you to send an item before the payment is showing in your paypal account.
Paypal do not tell you to send trackable, they advise it for selling protection but it is not compulsory.
Paypal NEVER expect you to send money / gift cards or tokens to a buyer to recieve your money.
Delete any emails and ignore the scammers.

[Whitehorse000]

Thank you so much!! I really appreciate it.

[tricolourrussel]

I have a similar scam ongoing at the moment.  I posted an item for sale on Gumtree here in the UK, and received a response by text message asking me to contact a potential buyer via email. I did so, the "buyer" responded that they were happy to buy the item, would arrange a courier to collect it, and would pay by PayPal. I mailed back accepting this, and "her" reply was to ask how much the item was, and what the name of my PayPal account was. I replied that the amount was £60, and gave the name of my account.

I then received another email from the "buyer" to say that the payment had been made - but that there was a problem with the courier in that they could only collect after they had been paid, but "due to the Corona virus pandemic i am presently having issues with my bank so i'm unable to send it to them at the moment".  The mail goes on to say that the £325 charged for the pickup (!!) has been added to the £60 for the item, and so I will receive a total of £385 - but only after I have sent £325 to a certain bank account by bank transfer.  Details of this account to follow

I have also received TWO emails purporting to be from PayPal, saying that the £385 has been sent to my PayPal account, BUT that it will not be available to me until I have sent £325 to the courier via bank transfer. I then have to "get back to" them with the cash transfer receipt, or a screenshot of the transfer page so that my account will be credited.

If the courier charge had been just a few pounds, I might have fallen for it, but no way in the world is anyone going to be willing to pay £325 for the collection of a £60 piece of fitness equipment - a pre-owned treadmill !!

I would imagine that the details of the account to which I was to send the money would be temporary, to be used just for this scam and then the account be emptied and closed, but here they are anyway:-

EDEN <removed>

Account Number: <removed>

Sort Code: 04-00-04

Payment reference code DLVRS 202059

I have forwarded both these emails to spoof@paypal.com for their attention