Is this a scam

[Griffindor007]

Someone said they would buy item off me...Asked me to post to Chicago and on proof of postage they would pay me via PayPal.. got email from PayPal confirming same and first I had to send them copy of proof of postage which I did...still no money in my PayPal account

[kernowlass · Accepted solution]

@Griffindor007 

SCAM.

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.
Delete any emails and ignore the scammers.

[Griffindor007]

Strange part is address in Chicago seems genuine when I googled it and person that is scamming me replied that she doesnt understand what happened and to give her time as she looks into it..why would she be still responding to me

[sharpiemarker]

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@Griffindor007 wrote:
Strange part is address in Chicago seems genuine when I googled it and person that is scamming me replied that she doesnt understand what happened and to give her time as she looks into it..why would she be still responding to me

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Perhaps there was a delay in the posting of your payment by PayPal but the emails you received sounds suspicious as PayPal would never ask you for tracking number/proof of postage, etc prior to you seeing payment in your account first. 

Once there is a record of payment, there is a link for you to add tracking information right in the payment transaction itself which is optional and IF your payment is subject to the PayPal hold, you can enter the tracking number or not and just wait 21 days for PayPal to release it, your choice.

[sharpiemarker]

@Griffindor007 

Sorry but, you got scammed. Don't ever ship until you see a record of payment in your PayPal account.

If someone really paid, even if the payment is subject to PayPal 21-day funds availability hold in the pending balance, you'll see a record of payment in your account. Scammers can spoof PayPal emails and instruct you to do things PayPal would never ask you to do, like shipping without seeing payment in your PayPal account. Generally, real PayPal payment confirmation emails have very basic info (who paid, how much, what for and transaction ID number) and very little else. When you receive a record of payment in your PayPal account, in the transaction details, it literally tells you whether you should ship or not.