This is definitely a popular scam. It's all over the internet. You'll probably have to keep fighting PayPal like I have been doing since May. They have denied my case multiple times and will demand that you produce an "intranet form" from the shipper. In my case that was the USPS, and it is illegal for them to give out tracking information if it is not your address, which mine was not. The scammers know they just need to send something, probably something worthless, to any address in your zip code, or they just use bogus tracking numbers. Then they give the tracking number to PayPal. PayPal denies the claim based on the tracking info. Keep fighting them! Keep the dialogue going via chat on PayPal, even though you'll get the same canned responses over and over. You can't call, because no one is answering calls at PayPal. File a claim at IC3.gov naming PayPal as well as the scammer. Today PayPal said they were approving my case and refunding my money. I'll believe it when I see it, but it took SO MUCH time and frustration to get to this point. PayPal should be ashamed for enabling and siding with scammers like this.
