Payment pending- awaiting courier payment

[Bengal_catz]

Hi Someone contacted me to buy some items from shpock. They said they’d send payment by PayPal. I’ve now received an e-Mail purporting to be from PayPal Au stating that my payment is pending, awaiting courier payment. “PAYPAL POLICY The total sum of £250.00 GBP has been deducted from the buyer's account and has been "APPROVED" but it will not be credited into your account (for security purpose) until you send the requested sum of £100.00 GBP via<removed> “ I’m very sceptical - does anyone know if this is a scam. Thanks

[kernowlass · Accepted solution]

@Bengal_catz 

SCAM.

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

They don't quibble on cost and may also say they can't view the item as they are disabled or working abroad or sending as a gift to a family member but they will arrange a shipping agent or courier to collect it.

You will get/got a "fake" email that looks as though it is from paypal.....it isn't because they don't have a Paypal account and have no intention of paying you.
It will say the buyer has paid ...you won't have been paid.

The fake paypal email will tell you that the buyer has paid for the item + shipping costs but you must send those shipping costs to the courier/ shipping agent via another payment processor than Paypal or by providing some vouchers or tokens before the funds are released to you.
They are not interested in the item, they just want that couriers/shipping funds and you will never see money in your paypal balance.

Paypal NEVER tell you to send an item before the payment is showing in your paypal account.
Paypal NEVER expect you to use a rival money transfer service eg Moneygram, Western Union, Bank Transfer or any sort of gift token or voucher.
There is no seller protection on paypal for any type of item that is collected by the buyer.

Delete any emails and ignore the scammers.