Paypal actively allows fraud

[GedlingJohn]

I was the innocent victim of an internet fraud and even though Paypal was aware of that fact it took £401 from my bank account and gave it to the fraudster. The way this scam worked was that the scammer hacks a Facebook account and then messages that person’s friends asking to them to receive an EBay payment on their behalf. The message is totally genuine using the bonafide Messenger account. The scammer pretending to be my friend gave me their bank details and I passed the payment on. Later I became aware that it was a fraud and I immediately contacted Paypal, my bank, The fraudster’s bank and the police cyber crime reporting centre. Paypal had all this information together with the bank account details and address of the fraudsters bank. Paypal later seized £401 from my bank account when the fraudster complained that I had committed unauthorised activity on his account. Without waiting to contact his bank or apparently taking any notice of the fact that it’s services were being used to commit a significant theft, Paypal found in favour of the fraudster and gave him my money.

[kernowlass]

@GedlingJohn

Scams happen, you should double check before allowing yourself to be used as a money launderer for scammers.

Why would anyone need you to accept an Ebay payment for them and then post it to their bank account.

Any request like that even from a friend would raise red flags if it was me.

Paypal does what their policies say they will do, an unauthorised dispute was opened, paypal agreed it was unauthorised and paid them back, the fact you allowed it to happen is sadly not paypals fault.

[GedlingJohn]

Whether or not I was naive that does not justify fraud. Crime does not ‘just happen’ and should not be encouraged. Paypal knew the circumstances of this fraud and made their decision to pay the scammer in the knowledge that in U.K. law they were abetting a crime. If their systems require them to abett a crime then their systems require change. It’s not a solution to blame the victim. I have a crime number for this occurrence which means it is registered as a crime in the U.K. I’m sure I’m not alone in experiencing Paypal’s encouragement of online fraud. I don’t intend to sit back and watch fraud condoned in this manner whether or not Ebay and Paypal’s rules prevent them from acting ethically.

[kernowlass]

ok

[Wnarcisse]

Our, Paypal’s Customers, Naïveness is thinking when a fraudulent company accepts PayPay that they are legitimate after numerous fraudulent reports to the better business bureau and an obvious misinformation from certain businesses PayPal still allows them to operate and accept payments though PayPal.

[adelej1]

Hi

Exactly the same has happened to me I transferred £385 to my friend. who ended up being a hacker on facebook, they've received the money and in the mean time the original payer has gotten her money back too leaving me to foot the payment. iv called my bank and paypal and both passing the blame onto each other and onto me, Iv also reported this to the police, but I'm still out of pocket. have you gotten any further with your situation that might be able to help me out?

thank you 

[Zack1414]

good luck getting this sorted, I have had this exact and I mean exact problem, it has been ongoing for 3 months now, it was never my friend asking it was a fraudster that hacked my friends account, they told me theirs was limited and could I receive payment and transfer it to them I did and they have been reversed as unauthorised but one went through and now PayPal are holding me responsible for it when I was scammed. My bank and the receiving bank have done what yours have and are saying it's not their faults. I have report it all to the financial ombudsman and action fraud, I'm just waiting on their response. 

[Mandyb1]

hi, have you managed to get this sorted, im going through the exact same thing and would appreciate tips on how to solve it

[Scammed17win]

I filed a fraud claim on a website that doesn’t even exist that I didn’t even make the purchase they wouldn’t even allow me to follow dispute because they say my activity was authorized however the email and contact doesn’t even exist and if it was me then why I’m not receiving the item in the item doesn’t have tracking they obviously stole my money and now I can’t even do anything about it I freaking hate PayPal! I am going to arbitration and I will get my money back in Jesus name amen