Examples of Suspected Fraud/Fake Emails

[PayPal_Adrian]

Hello everyone!

One of the greatest strengths consumers possess against fraud and phishing is education and collaboration.  To help support your safety online, I'm going to open this special thread up for you.  Here, you can post examples of what you believe to be attempts by individuals to defraud you or others of their hard earned valuables and money. 

Before we begin, a few housekeeping points:

• We will be using this as a "master thread," so if we find an example in other areas of the boards, we may merge the post into this one.

• For everyone's safety, please remove any last names or contact information (including email addresses) from your examples.  In many instances, the names provided by fraudsters are fake or may actually be the name of someone they already defrauded. 

• On that same note, please don't ever attempt to confront a fraudster or attempt to track them down.  Instead, turn the information you do have over to your local authorities. 

• Please also remove any links from your posts, as these could potentially go to spoofed or phishing websites.

Other than that, we only ask that you keep it productive and stay within the Forum Decorum and posting guidelines.  I'll be stopping in on a regular basis to clean house and comment on posts, so don't be surprised if you see my mug - or another moderator - stopping in to say hello! 

With that said, I'm going to start moving posts in, so you might see some older examples mixed in with the new posts.  I hope this thread becomes a great resource for everyone!

Stay safe,

Adrian

[Heartweaver]

Looks like he was the one who sent me the money. I still don't know how he put the money in my Paypal account without a history if it. I have noticed suspicious activity in my email account from the United States (apparently it is "authorised", but someone logged in at a time I was not online) and changed the passwords. I realise that maybe he got it from Craigslist or Gumtree.

Talking to the automated machine for Paypal's customer service ito trace the origin of the money is very frustrating and I gave up. Anyway, this is what happened:

I got an email from the Paypal's service email addresss without the Paypal logo in it, at a time when I did not log into my bank account at all, let alone sent money to my Paypal account. I think it's fake.

This is my exchange with the guy who wanted to buy my Chromebook:

John <removed> a77c9eeb52133c46acf3bd9f510c2931 (Craigslists user number)

Let me know if your Samsung Series 3 Chromebook 11.6" for sale - £50
Is still available for sale?

Me:

Hi John, yes, it's still available. Would you be interested to take a look at it?

John <removed>  

Okay I'm Purchasing your item for my son in West
Africa as a christmas gift. I'm busy with work but I
can pay you via Paypal if that's Okay with you?

Me:

Hi, sure. Thanks for your quick reply! I have to say the wifi is slightly weak, it has a strong connection to my home's wifi but in some areas it just doesn't connect. If it has any problems, just my contact on to your son. Would you like me to send it to you first or straight to your son's?

Me: 

Anyway, do you need any other paypal information besides my email? I'm new to Craigslist, you see.

John <removed>:

No just your email, here's my Son's Details:
Full Name: Albert <removed>
Address: <removed>, Lawanson, Lagos, Nigeria
Postal Code: 100256
I will make the payment once I get your email

Me: 

This is my email address for Paypal: [my email]

Do you mind paying £100 extra for courier? It seems quite expensive according to Royal Mail. If not, I'll shop around to see if there are any other cheaper options and let you know. Thank you!

Me:
Hi John,
I have found a cheaper option from Parcelforce, however it isn't tracked and may be slower compared to the pricier options, which may not make it in time for Christmas if you're buying it as a Christmas gift. Which option do you prefer?

John <removed> :

I'll try and add another $100 but please do I have your assurance,
it'll get to him before christmas?

Me: 

None of these say that they can reach before Christmas, Unfortunately, we have already passed the latest sending date for Christmas. I would advice you to order it from a store local to Nigeria and send it to him. It seems that you have paid me £27 but it is not reflecting in the Paypal history regarding who it was from. Do you want me to send the money back to you?

John <removed>;

I think we should send it like that, I'll just inform him its on the way!

Me:

No, it won't make it, and someone else has already offered to buy it. Were you the person who sent me the £27?

Me: 

If that payment is from you, can you send me your email address for your paypal account so that I can return it to you?

In retrospect, it was my own fault for not listening to my gut feelings when I saw the red flags, and not listening to the advice never to give out my Paypal info and to only sell something when I meet up in person on Craigslist. I'll put this here as a warning to anyone who happen to come upon this person again

[jonh1]

omg, the same happened to me, i'm so happy i found this before sending the package,, my brand new iphone 6!!!!!

i was supposed to send it to 

Name: Jos <removed>
Address: <removed>
City: Surulere
State: Lagos
Country: Nigeria
Zip code: 23401

[Toughcookie]

I also thought my iPhone had sold. George James from Burbank ca and offers me 700$ usd to ship to Nigeria. Yeah and the PayPal email was so fake. He says "I sent you 100$ for shipping" I said "no you sent an email saying ship then you get paid. As if.

[LeStra]

It happened to me too. I just sent a 3000$ golden pocket watch to PARKER <removed> in lagos nigeria. I think ive lost my watch forever now. I dont know what to do. Can someone help me get my watch back ? Is it possible ?

[33Peacocks]

Hi guys,

just fell for this as didnt consult these pages,discovered just too late as we posted parcel,we tried to get our parcel stopped as it was still in country but Post Office could not/would not stop parcel told to contact police but parcel still on course to this slime bag, even though we had the details of the parcel,

[Charles80]

They just tried to get me but I called them out as a scammer. She said her boy friend lives in Nigeria he's in the military.they haven't emailed me back yet

[Denferaton]

Hi I would like to knowmy stories about today

I sellan item, a watch on ebay when a lady wrote to me private messege that she would like to buy that for her cousin who's living in abroad, and will pay for the shipping 25 pound.

she wroted to me, that she got the conformation letter but in her spam folder.

Cheked my spams, and I saw something is not right with the formatum...and i never got message from paypal to spam folder before.

she asked to post the item today before the post office is closing, but i not saw any pending transaction.

some interesting thing from the letter:

1: *******Your funds are now available*******

2:"To get in touch with us, send us email by repliing to this message"

3:Payment status-PENDING- 95% complette-avaiting proof of postage from seller

4:SubtotalŁ200.00 GBP but the Payment:Ł45.00 GBP

The "Lady" wrote that she is contacted with pay pal and "they said payment can only clear into your paypal if they!!!!!!!! get the tarcking number from you"

Please be careful with everybod who offer to buy your item privately.

i printed some prevoius email from paypal and from this case and i saw a big difference. 

If you are not sure call the paypal, they are very helpfully!!!

and they started the actions strait away.

[Sophk]

I received one of these today!! A man messaged me on eBay asking to buy my laptop. He offered £100 and £30 to cover the cost of postage. Which was a lot more than I was asking for! He told me it was present for his daughter studying abroad. He asked me to end the listing and he would pay directly to my PayPal. I sent him a money request on PayPal for £130, they then claimed they had sent the money though I did not receive it. He then claimed it was because I had to send the item first and then send tracking details to PayPal though I had never had to do this before. Automatically I became suspicious. When I started to ask questions they asked if I was questioning there integrity. I continuously asked the individual for a postage address but he put this off and only told me after he had explained about the PayPal situation. He insisted I send the item straight away tomorrow morning and that all I had to do is send my tracking number to PayPal to be funded. I automatically knew this was a scam and refused to send the item before receiving a payment. I began by typing in the address to google to see if the area was student friendly until I came across this link for spam in Nigeria and compared the addresses and they were almost identical! People don't be stupid! If it seems to good to be true it probably is!! The address was Obina <removed> <removed> Itire surulere Lagos 23401 Nigeria

[Skilatch]

Same thing. Very similar emails to PayPal. Do not send your items. Just wanted to highlight the one I got incase anyone else comes across it. Ayo <removed> <removed> Lawanson Itire Surulere 101014 Lagos Nigeria. Same emails from 'PayPal' PayPal logo May 18, 2016 11:23:19pm BST Transaction ID: 1R498997AR159660D Dear x You have an instant payment of £300.00 GBP from Gwen <removed> (precisionparts200. Thanks for using PayPal. You can now ship the items. Users' Protection - ELIGIBLE Payment status - PENDING 95% Complete - Awaiting proof of postage from seller. Note: User Protection Policy (UPP) is applied, this payment will not clear or appear on your Paypal payment history until we confirm proof of postage. When sending the tracking number reference to this payment notification by replying through it. . Seller Note to seller Shipping address - confirmed Ayo <removed> <removed> Lawanson Itire Surulere 101014 L And another email to say 'funds available'. The PayPal email is very similar to the real one they use too <removed>. This guys personal email is Gwen <removed> <removed> probably fake too but worth putting on here incase anyone else is tried

[Dave19cy]

I have just had the same message trying to buy my iPhone. Was a bit dubious and searched the email address and found this thread. Thanks for confirming my doubts on this buyer!