Is this a scam?

[hblack]

I received an e-mail, apparently from paypal (#5X472815E1267414M) stating I had been credited $9,000 for an $8,000 auto I am selling, and instructing me to send $900 to purchaser.  There is no record of that credit in my account.  Am I being scammed?

[PayPal_Olivia]

Hi hblack, welcome to the forums!

You did the right thing by checking your account for the transaction. Since there is no transaction in your account, you can pretty much bet that the email is a fake. I would also be leery any time someone asks to have a separate payment sent to them for an overpaid amount. If there were an actual overpayment, you could issue a partial refund from the transaction or even refund the entire transaction and request that the appropriate amount be sent.

Good luck with your auto sale! There are still honest people out there, and hopefully one of them is looking for your car. 🙂

Olivia