Examples of Suspected Fraud/Fake Emails

PayPal_Adrian
PayPal Employee
PayPal Employee

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

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1,005 REPLIES 1,005

jodi123
Contributor
Contributor

i ALSO got the exact same email

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Steph64
Contributor
Contributor

I got the exact same e-mail from a guys in Regina who wanted to buy my car and I am in NB... he agreed to pay the full price and all paypal fee... said he was a miner in Regina and couldn't do a bank transfer and would have his shipping company to pick uop the car to my location once the payment is made.....

 

This is another scam I'm sure.....

 

Thanx for this board I will not continue with this deal... the only thing I dont understand his how tis scam is working since I thought Pay pal was a secure way to deal with money,,,,

 

 

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rumble
New Community Member

I am in NB and am selling our travel trailer..I am getting the same replies..willing to pay what we are asking and will pay the 3% Pay Pal fee and will have a shipper pick it up .....I too thought the money would be secure once it was sent to PayPal. 

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Arisco
Member
Member

I also Got the same mail im selling a car in montreal and he is lives in the uk

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JinghanBi
New Community Member

I just got a same email yesterday. And the funny thing is they asked me to send them $1500 CAD to them to make sure the transaction is safe. At first, I think its fraud. But I got an email from PayPal say the same thing. It said paypal want me to send $1500 CAD through Western Union to the buyer. Is that true?

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happy2bCAUTIOUS
Contributor
Contributor

Wow, thanks to this community board, I have been able to recognize "red flags", and my inner voice is telling me that I need to be cautious.  I have recently advertised bigger ticket items to sell, received an email from someone who asked "is there anything else to add?", then proceeded in his next email to state that he would pay my listed price, he is currently out of town, would arrange for pickup by his people, could I please send additional photos, and he would like to pay by PayPal asap".  This was "textbook" wording, based on the other reviews that I've read about, and I'm happy to say that I feel empowered because I replied to him as follows:

 

Dear Wayne, I'm sorry, but I've decided to do some research.  Your email messages to me are "textbook" wording, based on scams, where people offer to pay the listed price, but are "away on business or out of the country", but will "have my people arrange delivery", and then the purchaser claims they never received the delivery, and somehow PayPal reimburses them for payment because delivery was never received.

I apologize for being skeptical, but I need to be cautious, your emails are a "word for word" example of what I have read about, in terms of scams; too many red flags.

I really wish that you could follow the rules and regulations, as set by Kijiji, in terms of meeting in person and paying by cash.  It has been only 48 hours since I posted my ad, I am not in a rush to release these items, I am willing to wait to see what other interest my ads generate.  If you are, indeed, a legitimate buyer, then I apologize for my cynicism and skepticism, but forgive me for being cautious.

If you are truly interested, WHEN will you be available to meet in person and see the product for yourself, and pay by cash?"

 

He has yet to respond.  Thank you "Community" for sharing your stories, and educating the rest of us "newbies".

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ahaskill
New Community Member

Hi Happy2BeCautious....

 

I am having the same kind of emails from a supposive interested buyer who can only pay via paypal and is away at a base, willing to pay full price and arrange for pickup. Is it okay if I could use your exact reply to send to our "interested" buyer/scammer as your wording sounds so much better lol. 

 

 


happy2bCAUTIOUS wrote:

 

Wow, thanks to this community board, I have been able to recognize "red flags", and my inner voice is telling me that I need to be cautious.  I have recently advertised bigger ticket items to sell, received an email from someone who asked "is there anything else to add?", then proceeded in his next email to state that he would pay my listed price, he is currently out of town, would arrange for pickup by his people, could I please send additional photos, and he would like to pay by PayPal asap".  This was "textbook" wording, based on the other reviews that I've read about, and I'm happy to say that I feel empowered because I replied to him as follows:

 

Dear Wayne, I'm sorry, but I've decided to do some research.  Your email messages to me are "textbook" wording, based on scams, where people offer to pay the listed price, but are "away on business or out of the country", but will "have my people arrange delivery", and then the purchaser claims they never received the delivery, and somehow PayPal reimburses them for payment because delivery was never received.

I apologize for being skeptical, but I need to be cautious, your emails are a "word for word" example of what I have read about, in terms of scams; too many red flags.

I really wish that you could follow the rules and regulations, as set by Kijiji, in terms of meeting in person and paying by cash.  It has been only 48 hours since I posted my ad, I am not in a rush to release these items, I am willing to wait to see what other interest my ads generate.  If you are, indeed, a legitimate buyer, then I apologize for my cynicism and skepticism, but forgive me for being cautious.

If you are truly interested, WHEN will you be available to meet in person and see the product for yourself, and pay by cash?"

 

He has yet to respond.  Thank you "Community" for sharing your stories, and educating the rest of us "newbies".


 

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lrb1
New Community Member

I am having the same kind of experience selling a travel trailer.  "Buyer" states he is too busy to drive a few miles to look at the trailer and uses every excuse.  Also mentions using an agent to come get the trailer and will only pay with paypal.  Sounds like the scam to me.   I told him I would only accept a cashiers check or cash.  Haven't heard from him since.  Thanks for the heads. up.  

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crankypants
New Community Member

I received a similar email last night and even went so far as to send this SCAMMER an invoice. Something struck me as odd but thought lets see how far this person would go, if he happens to email me back I am going to really let him have it. Wish I would have checked this board before I sent the invoice !

I think Paypal should have a direct LINK on their home page to list possible SCAMS so we don't have to go thru lotsa clicks to see if we are being hoodwinked or not.

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laino
Contributor
Contributor

@crankypants wrote:

I received a similar email last night and even went so far as to send this SCAMMER an invoice. Something struck me as odd but thought lets see how far this person would go, if he happens to email me back I am going to really let him have it. Wish I would have checked this board before I sent the invoice !

I think Paypal should have a direct LINK on their home page to list possible SCAMS so we don't have to go thru lotsa clicks to see if we are being hoodwinked or not.


I agree.  There should be a direct link at the home page, that says Examples of Scams or Scam Information or something of the like.  Would save some people like me from posting questions and then finding out through many clicks later that they were right about it being a fraud. Or worse yet, not finding the info and getting scammed.

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