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

[zkzhang7]

Wow I almost got scammed if it wasn't for me reading this thread!

I found it weird when I posted up my shoes in Australia and someone with an American address who claimed to be on a business trip to New Zealand bought them within 4 minutes of my listing being posted. Upon asking him to accept a higher shipping cost to the US he responded on email telling me to contact him ONLY VIA EMAIL. The final straw was today when he sent this email:

-------------------------------------------

Hi Mate,

I just received an email from eBay saying something is wrong with my eBay account, I understand the source of the problem. I had logged on my eBay account into another device that was why eBay thought my account was accessed by a third party and they relisted the item due to their norm act of protection in the ebay community. I believe they decided to protect us both.

This issue with my account have now been resolved and confirmed by eBay that was why I proceeded with the payment of the item since they had sent me a notification to continue with the transaction. I hope they contacted you as well? kindly get me informed if they had instructed you to continue with the transaction as well or you may check your spam/junk mail.

How are you doing ? I have effected a transfer to your PayPal Account as I precisely purchased this item for a friend who works in the America Refinery Industry as a gift.

Hence, I have sorted out the postage costs via the International Standard Post, I have added it accordingly to the costs of postage as stated on their official website.

Here Is the postage address

Olabisi <removed>
<removed>
mafoluku,
Oshodi,
Lagos.
23401
Nigeria.
2347036761786

Just wondering if you have received a confirmation of payment, if not kindly check your Spam or Junk Mail.

Regards

-------------------------------------------

This was accompanied by spam emails of eBay and Paypal having authorised payments, including $150 shipping (way too good to be true). With all these red flags I did a quick google search and stumbled across this discussion thread 🙂 I also checked that there was no Paypal payment received and that the user has been removed from eBay.

TL;DR block buyers if you are not willing to send internationally, and do NOT trust this account:

Name - Ina <removed>

eBay ID - drishti13

Email - <removed>

Fake(?) US address used to try and bait me -

<removed>

Biscayne Park, FL 33161, United States

[KyleFlanagan]

I sent my iPhone 7 to the address not knowing it as a scam till someone told me it was a complete scam is there anything I can do he ask me to request the money and I got an email saying it's been accepted but no money in my balance I've just lost a £700 iPhone makes me so angry

[Bluewild93]

Same **bleep** here.. :))

"Hi mate have receive your email please kindly get the item sent to this address because is a birthday gift for my Cousin please kindy go back to the post office so that the address can be change
Here is the delivering address of my Cousin confirmed with paypal
Ademola <removed>
<removed>
Agege
Lagos State
23401
Nigeria
 
I'm very sorry for any
inconvenience I might cause you. Hope to hear from you soon.
 
Best Regards"

And this mail from paypal:
" Send Us Proof of Shipping.

    From PayPal confirmation department, we inform you again that the payment sent from Martha <removed> has not yet reflected in your PayPal account due to our terms and policy to confirm shipping from you before your account can be credited with the sum of £1210.00 GBP. This condition is only in use for eBay purchase, If you  receive this email on direct payment option please do contact our management.

-----------------------------------------
Details of  Transaction
------------------------------ ----------

Transaction ID: C826-L003-Q999-T5365

Case #: PP-091-962-521

 ----------------------------- ------
What to Do Next
------------------------------ -----

You are to send the shipping tracking number to us for verification, so as to secure Buyers purchase as well as you.The funds has been deducted from Martha <removed> account and shall be credited into your PayPal account immediately after the shipment is confirmed by our management as eBay/PayPal terms to verify International shipping before account crediting due to fraudulent sellers who do not post out item after their accounts have been credited.

Below are requested shipping details:

Name /Shipping Address:
     

              
Item Number:

Name Of Courier Service: 

Tracking Number:

------------------------------ -----

Shipping Method : United Kingdom Postal Service - ROYAL MAIL INTERNATIONAL SIGNED-FOR OR PARCEL FORCE INTERNATIONAL.

***PLEASE NOTE***
THE BUYER OF THE ITEM HAS REQUESTED THE ITEM TO BE SHIPPED TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:

Ademola <removed>

<removed>

Agege.

Lagos State.

23401

Nigeria
"

[Mr-meat]

[bmi2115]

So I fell for it as well. This is my first time getting scammed. So through this experience, I learned that you shouldn't ship the item out once you receive the payment. The person I talked to (Buyer/scammer), sounded like he was "urgent" He wanted the item to be shipped to Lagos, Nigeria zip code 23401. And like what everyone said, he would pay me 100 more just to cover up the shipping charges. An email was sent to me that I would have to send a tracking number in order for me to get credited in my account. Which I did send the tracking number and guess what? Nothing happened. So, to all people out there who meets a guy or women that sounds urgent to ship that item out asap, also he or she sounded 'so nice' ....too nice.... and I complained to the person that I did not receive any other information about my payment being credited. He or she kept replying that you will get the payment in 12 hours. In titled 'Processing of Funds' stating that I will receive the payment in 12 hours. I think this is some kind of diversion used so that I wouldn't cancel the shipment and wait for 12 hours until I receive my payment, which I didn't, and the scammer using the time to get his item on time.

We have received the tracking number/ shipment receipt and we're verifying the number and your account will be credited within the next 12hrs of verification,so we urge you to be patient you will receive a mail from us saying your account has been credited soon.

Thank you for using PayPal!
PayPal Team

This is what the scammer sent to me about "Processing of Funds"

Anyways, to all the people out there who meets a person and the person tells you to ship the item asap to another part of the country, sounds 'urgent,' and sends a email that goes right to the scam inbox and the email looks a little suspicious, always look and see if you received your payment or transaction in your paypal account. I called paypal customer service and there is not such thing as a 'hold'ing transaction or a fund that is 'pending' due to security or privacy reason between the seller and buyer. Always be sure that the buyer pays it and the seller received the payment. That's how it should work anyways. That is the proper system of point of sale. Buyer buys fiirst and recevies the item, not the other way around. Hope this helps.  

[star_dust19]

Oh I am so happy I googled it before proceeding to accept payment. I get a personal email, not through ebay which is weird, from a Kate <removed> wanting me to ship it to Nigeria :

Name:    Fran <removed>
Address: <removed>
         Lawanson itire,
         Surulere 101014
         Lagos Nigeria.

I told her international shipping is 6.50 pounds and she is offering 17! I was like ok alright, that is weird. Shall I block her from my email or change passwords? I only responded to her email and clicked on her ebay name..?

[kernowlass]

@star_dust19

They use fake or hijacked ebay i.d's and thats why they want to pay you directly via paypal..........except you just get a spoof email and not a real payment.

Just delete and ignore, if they know you are not going to play they will move on to the next victim.

If it was Ebay,  then report as an unpaid item to get your fees back and also report the ebay i.d. to ebay to stop her using that account.

[Sammy41]

I also had kate smith attempt to scam me too out of a ring i had put on ebay for £1000. Same address in nigeria but different name. Please be wary

[hoavanmz]

Hi guys, many thanks for this topic. I've received an email from ebay account asked to buy my camera but just want to pay money through paypal and didn't make confirm to buy on ebay. The buyer want me to send item to Nigeria, asked me send payment request and paid already $1400 to my paypal account. Lucky me I've googled for the express to Nigeria and one threat appeared: 

SCAMS!!! Don't Ship to Nigeria!!!

so I"ve loking for more info about this and saw that i'm very lucky and should tell something here. The address they want me to send item to is 

Name:Jimi <removed>
Address: <removed>
City: Surulere,
State: Lagos
Zipcode: 23401
Country: Nigeria.
Phone Number: <removed>

Al this details are similar with few replies of this topic I've just seen and define that OMG i'm lucky.

All most the replies here have exactly same City: Surulere,
                                                                      State: Lagos
                                                                      Zipcode: 23401
                                                                      Country: Nigeria.

[sodaburst]

I got several messages asking about my Timberland boots, offering to pay me $60 more than I asked for. I was sympathetic at first since their eBay profile looked legitimate, but after Googling the address they gave me and then receiving a fake email from PayPal, I'm glad I researched before sending anything.

Here's what he sent me:

I will love to buy this item for my good partner who is schooling in a missionary school in Over Sea as a gift ,so i want to offer you $170.00 for the item and including shipping Over Sea,So get back with your PayPal email address for the payment.

Name : Victor <removed>

Address: <removed>

City : Ijeshatedo

Zip Code : 23401

Sate : Lagos 

Country : Nigeria