paypal and craigslist

[cindler2000]

this is a email i recieved tell me if this is a scam??  

Regards

Thanks for the prompt response i will be paying you with my PayPal account because it's attached to my bank account and its safe and very secure way to make payment. If my mode of payment is accepted just send me your paypal email address,(Paypal ID) so i can pay in right away. Make sure you get back to me so that i can make the payment. I have a private courier agent that will come for the pick up after payments has been made, so no shipping included. And if you dont have a paypal account, you can easily go towww.paypal.com and sign up. its very easy.Am presently on a contract trip and i am on the sea can't  call or receive calls the only means of communication is by email..I await your reply asap

[jenelle1]

I got a similar message today and was wondering the same thing?  Did you sell your item?  What was the email address your message came from?

Message I got:

Hello,

I really appreciate your response to my mail,i am satisfied with the price and would like to buy this truck from you and i want you to withdraw the advert from the site. I'm using this opportunity also to inform you that i won't be able to come and inspect it or pay by cash because i am an offshore oil worker with Exxon and i am at work on sea at the moment PayPal is the only option open to me as i don't have online banking attached to my bank account. I would appreciate it if i could pay via PayPal. Meanwhile pick up will be organized by me after payment has been made. However if you don't have a PayPal account you can just log on to PayPal.com and set up an account it is easy and secure to pay and receive money through paypal. Please get back to me asap

Kim.

[ymmontana]

Yes,  I am now fully persuaded that these inquiries to pay on Craigslist with paypal are fraudulant!    I have received the same email,     "an engineer on a ship with no other form of communication trying to buy a rooftop heating unit as a gift for her son?"

I am so glad I took the time to research this a little with this forum....  thank you all for posting your experiences!  And I think it could be possible for them to fraudulantly "charge back"   the paypal account!   BEWARE!

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@jenelle1 wrote:

I got a similar message today and was wondering the same thing?  Did you sell your item?  What was the email address your message came from?

Message I got:

Hello,

I really appreciate your response to my mail,i am satisfied with the price and would like to buy this truck from you and i want you to withdraw the advert from the site. I'm using this opportunity also to inform you that i won't be able to come and inspect it or pay by cash because i am an offshore oil worker with Exxon and i am at work on sea at the moment PayPal is the only option open to me as i don't have online banking attached to my bank account. I would appreciate it if i could pay via PayPal. Meanwhile pick up will be organized by me after payment has been made. However if you don't have a PayPal account you can just log on to PayPal.com and set up an account it is easy and secure to pay and receive money through paypal. Please get back to me asap

Kim.

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[nchelland]

I got a similar email from someone on Craigslist not even bothering to orry about a price on an engagement ring I was selling. They requested to use PayPal specifically and have "authorized" a payment to my PayPal account. The only way I can access it is to enter the tracking number when I ship the package with the ring in it.

The mailing address is to Nigeria.

I'm assuming this is likely a scam. The most recent email I got from this person read: "I have reposed my confidence in you and hope that you will not disappoint me. I have sent your money via PayPal. PayPal will contact you immediately they have to verify your account. Endeavor to email me once you see the confirmation and kindly package the item and mail it out and insure the item for me. Also remember to ship the item via Express Mail of Us Post Office. so that it will arrive at my friend address as soon as possible. USPS of Registered mail and send it don't right diamond ring on the itempls right document?"

I'm assuming that this is a scam since the person didn't haggle on the price, and was very insistent that I ship it right away.

My other assumption was that if I enter the tracking number in Paypal, this person still has time to cancel that payment...leaving me ring-less and out the agreed upon price.

[jay15]

that email is  for sure a scam i got the same one twice by to different e-mail addys which is always a sign of a scam fyi..

[insanemama87]

I got a similar email too, so I figured to play along and see if its a scam..but then I got  an Email from Paypal saying to email paypal with tracking number so my funds can be realesed....only problem no where on my paypal page does it say its holding any funds til then just in that email...Im a little worried.

[Jasonxyp]

Hi, I'm wondering how the thing goes now in your situation? I'm having a very similar situation on craiglist also. I'm wondering if the buyer can send me the money through Paypal in the first place and just chargeback once I ship the item. is it possible? What is the most common scam case happed between a seller and a buyer on craiglist? Anyone had any experience? Thank you very much!

[mlseabees]

glad you all posted this i had the same here, will not be doing it now. thanks

Thank you for getting back to me.Can you assure me that it's in
good state and that i will not be disappointed with it.I'm ready to
pay your asking price and to be honest, i wanted to buy this for my
son, but the issue is i am an oceanographer and i do have a contract
to go for which starts tomorrow and am leaving any moment from now.The
contract is strictly no call due to the lack of reception on the sea
area. But I'm able to access email anytime as we will make use of
laptop so my only quickest payment option is PayPal as i can send
money via PayPal anytime.Since I'm requesting this transaction to be
done via PayPal, i will be responsible for all the paypal fee/charges
on this transaction and if you don't have an account with paypal, its
pretty easy, safe and secured to open one. Just log on to
www.paypal.com. I hope we can make the purchase as fast as possible? 
I have a mover that will come for it once payment clears and they will 

be handling the title for me. So i look forward to hear from you soon. 

[ChambersPC]

This is definitely a SCAM.

Why would anyone out at sea be buying items from your local CraigsList?

Don't let them fool you.  If they have internet and can email you, then they also have phone service.

On CraigsList, never include an email as part of the ad.  Only include your phone number.  Serious buyers will call you.