Is this email from PayPal fake?

[HarryChapman96]

So I've been messaging a man on Ebay and we agreed to sell my phone to him in South Africa and he'd transfer me the funds then I'd send the device...

I just got the 'funding confirmation' email from 'PayPal' from an email address that this feed won't let me post..

The email read as follows...

You've Got Cash!

Hello  Harry Chapman,

This email confirms that you have received an Instant payment of £265.00 GBP  from Mike Dean

Receipt ID:

The number above is the buyer's receipt ID for this transaction. Please retain it for your records so that you will be able to reference this transaction for customer service.

PayPal Shopping Cart Contents

Item Name:

BlackBerry Z30 - 16GB - Black (Unlocked) Smartphone

Item Number:

251957674711 

Quantity:

1

Total:

£265.00 GBP

Cart Subtotal:

£265.00 GBP

Sales Tax:

Cart Total:

£265.00 GBP

Payment Details

Total amount:

£265.00 GBP

Currency:

U.K. Pounds

Transaction ID:

7WL4537981258261H

Insurance:

0.00 

Buyer:

Mike Dean

Buyer's User ID:

deamik_6qvzbwj

Shipping Information  

Address

Mustapha A.O.O
9, Moller Street,The
Orchards
Pretoria, 0118
South Africa

Address status

Confirmed 

Important Note: This PayPal® payment has been deducted from the buyer's account and has been "APPROVED"but will not be credited to your account until the shipment bar code is sent to us for verification so as to secure both the buyer and the seller.

  
                                * *PLEASE NOTE**
Once item has been shipped out and you send the tracking/postage number to us, 
You will receive a "CONFIRMATION EMAIL"  from PayPal® Team that your Fund has been credited. 

Sincerely,
PayPal

Copyright © 1999-2015 PayPal. All rights reserved. PayPal (INT) Ltd. is authorized and regulated by the Financial Services Authority Worldwide as an electronic money institution.

PayPal Email ID PP345

[kernowlass]

THIS IS A TYPICAL PAYPAL SCAM.

They encourage you to use paypal and often ask you to send the item as a gift to a relative somewhere often eg Nigeria or Africa somewhere.

You will get/got a "fake" email that looks as though it is from paypal.....it isn't.

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.

They also threaten legal action...have a laugh at that one and ignore it as its rubbish.

Paypal NEVER tell you to send trackable, they advise it for seller protection etc but it is not compulsory.

Paypal NEVER tell you to send an item before the payment is showing in your paypal account.

Delete any emails and ignore the scammers.

[hamdonk]

IF YOU LOOK AT THE TWO LINKS BELOW ARE GOOGLE MAPS PICS THAT I TOOK OF THE TWO DIFFERENT SCAM ADDRESS LOOK CLOSLEY AND YOU WILL SEE THEY LIVE VERY NEAR ONE ANOTHER

Post edited to comply with forum guidelines. 

[Kunwa]

Omg! Ive been sent the same email ! Thr buyer wanted to purchase Gucci shoes that i had on as a Bid. Because of a family event I havnt sent the shoes as i was busy. But luckily today before sending them off i googled the address and this was the first thread that came up. He also agreed for the price of £240. Wow what a scam!

[Leicai01]

Well. Stupidly shipped iphone 6 to south africa after receiving confirmation e-mail was in my account. However I then checked my actual paypal overview and no activity since my pending invoice! So contacted paypal who told me e-mail was fake! They never ask for shipping number either. Should have realised when they by passed the ebay buy now n straight e-mailed me mind!! Anyway contacted parcelforce to hold my item as was still in local town and not to ship which they agreed. (Seemingly tho they shudn't of as don't hold now) but when went to pick ip from local depot - mistakeby parcelforce - they shipped my phone to the scammers😭🙈 then would not help to stop it!! Future advice for anyone else who goes thru this! I found out EMS south african post office have a website and contact number and e-mail address. I e-mailed them to stop my parcel as fraud and return to sender. I provided police reference number too. ( just phoned local police station to get incident number) EMS contacted me next day saying yes they would return my parcel. Simple as that! Parcleforce done nothing and refused to help. They could have done that for me since it ws theyr error. But read a lot people lost phones, so contact African post office n stop parcel yourself don't let scammers get a free iphone. My parcel is now on way home after its wee trip to south africa! Lesson learnt. Do not ship until money in account.there is a spoof paypal address to e-mail also to check if e-mails r fake!!

[PayPal_Jessica]

Hi Leicai01,

Thanks for posting in the forum and for warning the community about this.  The following link provides additional information that will help you to recognize emails from PayPal: http://ow.ly/Tlrbm

Here are more tips that will help you to avoid risky transactions: 

• Review the buyer's eBay feedback or reputation.
• Does the buyer want express regardless of the cost?
• Does the buyer's PayPal email address match the address of the buyer's external communications to you?
• Ask the buyer for a contact phone number. Call the buyer back to verify the order.
• Does the buyer ask you to ship to a country that is not approved by PayPal? Such transactions should generally be avoided as there is a greater risk of the transaction being reversed.

Thanks,

Jessica,

[Sara4]

Hello it just happened to me as well and my Burberry coat is on the way to South Africa!!do you still have the contact of the South Africa post office please? The address was exactly the same...I called parcelforce and they said there in nothing they can do Many thanks

[Leicai01]

Hi there. I emailed South Africa and they stopped it for me. I don't have the number or address anymore but I found it by googling parcelforce south African Partner and it came up somewhere. If u google it will help. Try South African couriers linked to Parcelforce. Hope this helps. They were helpful at their end x

[Lialo]

Hiya, unfortunately i have been a victim of this same fraud. I posted my item yesterday and Royal Mail are saying they cannot intercept the post. I just wanted to ask a quick question, I have already followed your advice and contacted EMS and the Post office over in South Africa but wanted to find out, did you post through Royal Mail too. Might sound like a stupid question but i just want to be sure i have contacted the right people. Ive been scammed for £270!

Thanks Lia

[jasonsletterbox]

Hi Lia

I feel for the same scam - so annoyed with myself.

Did you have any luck with your parcel. I sent mine via Royal Mail International Tracked so not sure if EMS are the right company. I've pretty much tried everyone I can think of:

Met Police

Herts Police

Action Fraud

PayPal
eBay

Gmail

South African Police (state and local)

SA post office 

EMS

I am hoping I have some joy in SA as everyone in the UK has said they can't do a thing about it. So annoying.