Is this a scam email? Have I been scammed?

[Haswold]

I sold an item 2 days ago, and received an email from <removed>  The email stated this... Please process this order as soon as possible Dear Harry <removed>, You received a payment from Trisha <removed>. The money is pending and deposited in PayPal escrow account.The payment will not reflect in your account balance until we receive the proof of shipment from you for confirmation and, once shipment is confirmed, the money will be in your available balance within few minutes. This will help us continue to be a safer way to buy and sell. How can I get my money sooner? You should be able to get your money within few hours upon confirmation of shipment. Send the item to the buyer's postal address as displayed on this page. Email us a proof of shipment such as shipment confirmation code/receipt reference number, this is required for shipment verification in other to transfer the money to your account immediately. For items or services that cannot be physically delivered (for instance, digital goods like eBooks or smartphone apps), mark the order as Processed on the Transaction details page and provide any additional details requested. Tip: The Tracking Number must be e-mailed directly to this email by using the reply button in your Mail Box and Quote the below Transaction ID for quick recognition of this transaction. Payment Details: Amount (pending): £302.00 GBP Transaction ID: U-6WB88446JK665121 Address status: Confirmed For this and all future transactions, we recommend that you: Send to the buyer's address on this page only. Use a delivery service that offers signature confirmation. Save all tracking information or other proof of delivery. Yours sincerely, PayPal It has been well over 24 hours now after confirming my shipment of the product and I have yet to still receive the money to my PayPal. I waited, as stated, up to a maximum of 24 hours for this transaction to go into my account. Here is the email I received about my funds being transferred... Dear Harry <removed>, We have received your message along with the shipment tracking number of an item you recently posted, we want to bring it to your attention that the tracking #BH608267200GB# has now been verified and its authentic. We are now in the processing of crediting the money into your PayPal account but due to the daily transactions in which PayPal handle daily, we will like you to give us a maximum of 24 hours to credit your PayPal account with the money paid in by "Trisha <removed>". NOTE : This is due to the high numbers of transactions held daily with PayPal and we are very sorry for any inconvenience this might caused you. Your money is intact and will be credited into your PayPal account in the next 24 hours. Thank you for using PayPal, The PayPal Team. I'm a little worried guys, so I want to know if I should take action and, if so, what action. I have hidden the buyers email address and address just for their protection of personal information.

[kernowlass · Accepted solution]

@Haswold

SCAM...paypal does not do escrow.

They encourage you to accept a 'direct' Paypal payment and may ask you to send the item internationally.
No funds or activity of the transaction shows in your Paypal account and any emails 'may' go into your junk or spam folders.

You will get/got a "fake" email that looks as though it is from paypal.....it isn't because they don't actually have a Paypal account and have no intention of paying you.
It will say the buyer has paid ...you won't have been paid.
They will tell you that the payment is released when you provide paypal with a tracking/shipping number......this won't happen.

Paypal NEVER tell you to send an item before the payment is showing in your paypal account.
Paypal do not tell you to send trackable, they advise it for selling protection but it is not compulsory.

[hugop1]

Haswold, i have just become a victim of exactly the same situation.

Have you reported this? Do you have an update?

[kernowlass]

@hugop1

Who would you report it to?

As none of the transaction was done using paypals site then it has nothing to do with paypal.

If the scammer was in the same country as you (unlikely) and you sent an item then you may be able for pursue private legal action.

[hugop1]

@kernowlass You raise a valid point. Ultimately I was the victim of a well orchestrated spoof that i am usually savvy to. The limited data I have includes the delivery address (almost certainly not the purchasers real address), address owner info, the mailbox provider for the spoof account, domain purchaser (proxy co) and domain registrar.

all fairly readily available info which hopefully can be put to use by the authorities.