possible fraud?

[Nick7507]

I was contacted by a possible buyer for an artwork with a USD25 price on it. He then proceeded to pay me USD96 (without me asking for that amount) through Paypal. Then he claims that he was asked to pay an extra USD50 because my account is limited. I received 2 emails in the name of Paypal. The emails were from a gmail account, which strikes me as suspicious. The buyer then proceeded to pay me the extra USD50. In the email, alledgedly from Paypal, I was asked to refund the money to the buyer. Then my account limit would be expanded and I would receive the money on Paypal. So far I haven't done any of this, and I haven't received any notification on Paypal or money in my wallet, either pending or definitive. I am inclined to think they are trying to scam me? Please advise and if you need more info, just ask. Thank you very much.

[PayPal_JonK · Accepted solution]

Hello @Nick7507, 

Welcome to the PayPal Community Forum! I'm glad you reached out regarding these recent notifications. Based on what you've described, this does not sound like a legitimate situation. If you had any limitation on your account, you would normally see steps in your Resolution Center. Also, you're right, if you were to have received a payment, you would see it in your PayPal Activity, even if it were on hold. 

Here's a Help Center article you may find useful: How do I spot a fake, fraudulent, or phishing PayPal email or website?

I hope that's helped. Good luck on your future sales!

 - Jon K

[Nick7507]

Thank you for confirming my suspicions, Jon. And for the welcome 🙂