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

[mikey32235]

i got a text saying ive won $500,000 in the BCLC (british columbia lottery) and i had to send them a cheque payment of 150.... called BCLC and it is ofcourse a 100%scam... the address is the same as all of yours, in nigeria...

SCAM SCAM SCAM MOTHER F*CKER!

his name: temitope <removed>

23401, NG

[Dawn_Of_Galaxy]

Thank God, we have Google and this Forum. Just get the text from a guy (number:<removed>) that wanna buy my ps3 for 300 and another $300 for shipping cost. FOUND OUT this is fraud when I saw the email.......in my junk folder......and blocked by norton......which is *<removed>*. WTF is zoho,lololololoolollolollol and here is the address 

Name:-Olajide <removed>
Zip code 23401
Country Nigeria

hope everone is safe

[mitzy1016]

this afternoon I received a txt message from someone wanting to buy my ipod touch and agreed to give me 100 dollars to ship it to nigeria. the address is <removed> and the name of the person is Benjamin <removed>. the person kept on telling me to ship the item today via usps and to use a tracking number that started with CW or CP. He asked me if i had a paypal account and he "sent" the money but it remained pendind. with such hurry I suspected but thanks to this page I could make sure this was some kind of fraud and of course I'm not shipping anything and cancelled the "payment"

[Poumbouch]

Same thing for me , this guy wanted to buy my camera. Hoppefully, just check emails adress and names on google to find this discussion. Thanks. 

[kkitty44]

Thank you so much for posting this!

it's my first time selling something online. 

i was going to ship the item tomorrow morning but then i read this thread.  he's been texting me and i told him i'm aware of his scam, I'm aware of the email not actually being from PayPal and that I won't be shipping anything.  He says he's legit and i told him i don't buy it.  I told him he's dealing with a genius who's a tech pro, and a lawyer, who both live with cops (all true to some extent... true except the tech pro part).  He's getting frustrated now.   So i just told him "rule #1 of any deal... if it feels wrong, it is wrong, so get out.  so i'm getting out"

I love you guys for sharing your stories.  you saved me

[annoyous]

aye how could I meet a scam...Johnmaxwell..

[nattynameless]

A similar situation happened to me. i'm selling a slighty used iphone 4s that i put on amazon and this guy emails me saying hes going to use paypal to pay me, he wants to buy the phone for his fiance 

"i hope additional $100 will be enough for the postage fee cause i 

am sending it to my fiance in Lagos.kindly get back to me with an invoice
from you paypal account as i will be paying you through paypal.

Thank you"

things just seemed fishy since he offered 800 for an iphone 4s and 100 extra bucks just to ship it. then he asks me if i have any other apple products to sell .....getting weirder now, he starts emailing everyday the same questions. then i got an email from paypal but the names didnt add up so when i asked why the names were different he said 

"it was an error from paypal and it has been  resolved. you have no worry about that okay. So kindly get the item posted out fast okay"

Helll no!

His address is 

Name: Kenny <removed>
Country: Nigeria
Zip Code: 23401

BE AWARE! His claims his name is 

George <removed>

[NewSeller27]

It has just happened to me too.

They sent a very believable fake email from PayPal saying they had pay for the item I was selling on EBay (plus some extra money for the shipping to Nigeria), and that the funds wouldn't be available until I provided a shipping track number. I phoned PayPal and they confirmed that wasn't the case and no payment had been made.

The shipping address was:

ALEX <removed>

23401
NIGERIA

Good luck everyone.

[factsnotfiction]

Oh come on guys!! Does nobody see the trend here? Yes Nigerians (or people who claim to be Nigerian) have/are scamming you but that's what you get for being greedy, sneaky and opportunistic! Someone offers to pay you twice the amount, what does that make you who's agreed to it? I'm sorry but that's not right either! Some sellers put up ridiculous and i quote RIDICULOUS prices just hoping some unfortunate sucker wouldnt know any better...is that any better??

Quit being so greedy, you'll be fine (ish)

[Deiterrc]

I'm lucky.

Suffering from Anxiety and Paranoia i questioned why someone would want to pay more for the item than i had asked. I recieved this message

Spoiler

Dear deiterrc,

Is your item still available for sale and how much are you willing to let it go for?

So  replied saying yes and telling him the value. He replied

Spoiler

Dear deiterrc,

Thanks for your speed response, I am buying the item for my adopted Son who is on industrial studies in overseas (Lagos Nigeria) and am willing to offer you £115.00 including postage fee... Kindly get back to me with below info:

PayPal Name :
Paypal Email :
Item Number :

Send to my email (<removed>for me to effect the payment immediately after you've get back to me.

Now i got suspicious at this point. The buyers profile had 1 feedback and seemed very strange. The thing that stuck out the most was that none of the Profile names (Or usernames) matched up. So i decided to play along with it. I sent my info and the Item number and waited.

At 23:03 PM GMT i recieved an email from "Paypal" Confirming £115 had been deposited in my account. I checked my actual Paypal, 

Balance: £0.00

Now im Sat winding him up. Im not sending him anything.  Turning out to be a lot of fun, and if they keep it up i may just send a box full of Dog dirt! 

The address he wanted me to send to was

Dawson <removed>
Surulere 101014
Lagos Nigeria.

And the Hijjacked Ebay account was :<removed>

BEWARE!!!