Is this a Scam? Or new PayPal policy?

[NativeFusion]

I haven't used PayPal in years, and am not sure if this is new, or just a scam.. The buyer I am in contact with is from Nigeria, so I'm being EXTRA careful.. This is the E-mail I received this morning, which is supposed to be from PayPal.

Important Note :  This PayPal® payment has been deducted from the buyer's account and has been "   APPROVED " but will not be credited to your account until the shipment reference/tracking number is sent to us for shipment verification so as to secure both (Buyer & Seller) from online fraudulent activities. Below are the necessary information requested before your account will be credited. 

You will have to email us the tracking number to the PayPal Customer Care at:

As soon as we receive the shipment tracking number    from you, you will receive a "       CONFIRMATION EMAIL" concerning the accreditation of the funds into your PayPal Account and we shall get the funds credited into your PayPal Account within 24 hours.

Due to the fact that PayPal processes thousands of orders daily, PayPal recommends you contacting the Customer Support Representative that has been assigned to this particular order directly. This ensures speedy verification of shipment as well as prompt transfer of the funds to your account. Send all your question regarding this transaction to 

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PAYMENT WILL NOT APPEAR IN THE "PENDING" TAB IN YOUR ACCOUNT UNTIL YOU SEND THE SHIPPING REFERENCE NUMBER TO US.     

 This is due to new policies at PayPal to protect both the buyer and the seller in the face of the growing number of fraudulent activities perpetrated via the internet. Your payment is intact. You are encouraged to complete this transaction.  

Get Verified – Your Key to More Security and Free Features    

Get Verified and help increase the security of your PayPal transactions for yourself and for everyone with whom you do business. You can also:

•  Fund purchases directly from your checking or savings account, in addition to using credit cards 
• Improve your reputation by letting others know you're a confirmed, Verified member of the PayPal  community      
• Send money to friends, family, and  PayPal Personal Account holders

Thank you for using PayPal!
The PayPal  Team !!! ------------------------------ ------------------------------ ------------------------------ -------------------------
 PayPal page.
PayPal Email ID: PP753.

I removed all of the personal information from the E-mail. Tell me what you guys think.

[NativeFusion]

Any information is welcome.. I haven't sold anything in AGES and have no diea if this is real or not.

[maria909]

Fake Email, Nigerian scam.

[surplusdealdude]

Yup - absolute scam.  I only had to read the top 2 lines to see that.

[NativeFusion]

Thanks guys, I thought so I just wanted to get a trustworthy opinon.

[NativeFusion]

Hey guys, I thought you might find this funny. After sending this guy a message back saying I was no long interested in the sale, I got another fake message from PayPal, which said...

Dear Colin -----,

                   PayPal want to assure you that the money has been deducted from the buyer's account,but has not been deposited into you account so as to make both side secure.We have changed our policy due to some seller that don't ship out item after money has been deposited into their account.

                  So you ought to get the item shipped out,so your money could be credited into your account without any delay.

  We are  sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.

     Thanks for Using PayPal.

 The PayPal Team!!!.

To which I responded,

Good day to you, PayPal impersonator. Your English needs some work, may I suggest taking an English class before continuing attempts to scam Americans. As payment for your effort, I'll give you this Internet cookie.

(: .)

I even put chocolate chips in it.  😃

--------------------------------------------

I'm hoping for a response back...

[surplusdealdude]

Cute.

I suggest that you do not engage these people, though.  This is organized crime and they're serious about ripping you off.

You'll get emails that threaten you next.  They'll threaten to have your paypal account cancelled, they'll threaten to call the FBI on you ( I always think that's funny) and one person here has received death threats.

They're all empty threats, so just ignore them.

[angelwolf8]

This is a scam! I listed an item on Craigs List.. I get an email requesting we use paypal for the transaction. I thought I was protected by paypal, I was wrong. I received a similar message while selling a very expensive ring, I had never sold anything online so I didn't know the difference in the emails. With paypal they don't ask for tracking information and all their emails are from service at paypal.com I lost a great deal of money on an item shipped after receiving an email like this one. I saw the money in pending status so I thought it was just to verify that I had really shipped the item. Paypal isn't helping me on this one.. I had to file a police report and got to IC3 online and file an internet scam report as well. I will probably never see the item or my money again. Be careful not to call the phone number in these type emails.. It didn't go to paypal the person on the other end of the phone made it seem like they were paypal.. but when I talked to paypal  a few days later they had no record of my calling in at all.

[TPPMB]

PayPal,  please release my 'pending' funds immediately.  My transaction is with the Buyer, not with you.

Are there any enterprising attorneys out there?  This is ripe for class action status.  Sign me up!  

[surplusdealdude]

Your CONTRACT is with Paypal and it says that you get your money when you have lived up to your CONTRACT and not before.