I Almost Got Scammed
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I wanted to share my experience because I'm grateful that I found a post on here helping me realize what was happening to me was actually a scam.
I listed an item on eBay for the very first time. I got a message and offer sending me a phone number saying they had questions about my item. I texted them and they wanted to know the condition of my item. I told them and even offered to send close-up photos. They then proceeded to ask if I could go buy a $400 Google Play gift card and include it with my item as a birthday gift for their cousin. They claimed to be a US Marine officer and said they couldn't do it themselves because of this reason. I was just happy to get a sale and immediately said yes. They asked for my PayPal email and provided it. They told me I'd be receiving a confirmation email and that they've made a payment to me. At first glance I assumed it was real except at the bottom there was a questionable statement saying PayPal required me to send them an email showing the $400 gift card and receipt for it in order for them to give me my money. No funds had been sent to my actual PayPal account. That's when I went on Google and looked it up. A similar thing happened to someone else, almost word for word.
What I've learned and wanted to share as valuable information is :
1) You can forward your suspicious email to " spoof@paypal.com "
2) If you're ever suspicious about a sale, don't be afraid to do some research or cancel it altogether.
3) If they're ever asking you to buy a high priced gift card for them it's most likely a common scam.
4) There'll always be some sort of activity on your account if money's being sent to you, whether it's pending or not.
5) PayPal would never send you an email referring to you as anything except your full name.
Also, thank you for helping me avoid making what would've been an unfortunate mistake. It would also be nice to be reassured that this was indeed a scam, I'd like to hear about your opinions on this.
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