I got scammed, what do I do?

[jpelletier89]

I purchased a online game account (Google Play App Store), sending the seller $700 through Paypal last month. Since I've purchased the account, I have spent roughly $1500 on in app purchases. Somehow, the seller was able to reclaim the account today that I bought and now I lost access to the account, $700 initial payment + $1500 I've spent on in game purchases over the last month while I had it.

What course of action can I take? I have his phone number, email address, and plan to file a police report in city shortly. But is there any way I can at least get refunded the $700 I spent originally via Paypal? I know the in-app purchase amount is long gone and unrecoverable but there has to be something I can do to get some sort of refund through Paypal correct? He simply scammed me. He sold me his game account and then took it back a month later.

Please help me somebody

[sharpiemarker]

@jpelletier89 

Locate payment transaction in your PayPal account activity, click it, then click "Report a problem" to file a Item Not Received (INR) or Significantly Not As Described (SNAD) dispute. Don't file Unauthorized Payment. Its kind of a rock and a hard place on which case type to file due to the circumstances. You received the item but at the same time, you can't return a digital good with a tracking number so hopefully they'll take that into account. 

There was another similar post but from the seller side. The seller lost the case for Item Not Received and the buyer claimed the item was not delivered and had no access too because the seller changed the password. Different circumstance in your case possibly because you bought via google play where the seller can more effectively give proof of delivery so its tricky whereas in the other case the seller had to directly deliver the game account.

All you can do is try to get your money back. Also file report with ic3.gov if you're in the USA.

IF you paid by credit card, your other recourse would be to file dispute with them should the PayPal dispute ultimately fail. PayPal case can be appeal though should they rule against you though the case or by contacting customer service.

[jpelletier89]

@sharpiemarker 

Wow, I genuinely **bleep** up. I am new to Paypal disputes so I did exactly what you said not to which was "Unauthorized Payment" and got an email from Paypal within 12 hours saying they investigated it, case closed, no refund.

I'm going to try the ic3.gov website you mentioned and also call Paypal Tech Support to explain to them the situation

When you say IF you paid by credit card, your other recourse would be to file dispute with them should the PayPal dispute ultimately fail.File a dispute with who exactly? Thank you for your great response

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[jpelletier89]

@sharpiemarker This other guy is the one who scammed me. My game name Is Peep and his forum name is <removed>. In the game they called me Peepee Everyone be cautious - His Paypal name is Yanjuan <removed>.

[kernowlass]

@jpelletier89 

If you ONLY had the option to file unauthorised and not item not received then did you pay using the friends / family option?

Only unauthorised is telling paypal that your account was hacked and used without your consent to make the transaction.

Paypal would check IP addresses and devices and see you did make the transaction so you would lose that dispute.

However if you paid using the family / friends option then you sent a 'gift' of money to someone and negated any buyer protection you had at the same time.

You should have used the goods / services option to be covered.

So your only option is to do as @sharpiemarker  said above and contact your credit card issuer (if you funded your paypal payment that way) and request that they do a chargeback for you.

You can ring the number on the back of your card or dispute it on your online card banking site.

[temp20190923a]

Nothing bro that's the beauty of paypal they don't give a f **bleep** **bleep** paypal