The Scam: I had listed a car for sale on Craigslist for $2,000. "*name removed*" wanted to buy it via PayPal and said she had deposited $2,800 USD into my PayPal account from her PayPal account. However, I had to send her "agent" a Western Union money order for $750 before she would transfer her PayPal funds to me...
The Phishing: I recieved four direct phishing emails from PayPal about the transaction: "***Your Money Is Safe With PayPal***," "Payment Notification from Pay Pal Fund Verification Team," "Follow the verification procedures below for a secure trading" and "***You Are Safe And Protected By PayPal Insurance Policy Regarding Shipment***." All four had her name in them and the web site *email removed*.
After reviewing our ten cases, and two from Craigslist, I have developed the following profile about this person: o She/he is a Marine Biologist, a Marine Engineer, a Petroleum Engineer or a Geologist. o Consistant use of the small letter "i" instead of the capital letter "I" in all emails. o Always wanting to buy your items to give to her father or son as a surprise gift. o She is always at "sea" or on the "Pacific Ocean." Hence, therefore, she cannot pick up the item herself but has a "driver," "hauler" or "agent" located in Greenville, SC to handle things for her. o She does not use correct English sentence structure. I don't think think she is an American Citizen. In fact, she may not even be located in the U.S. o You have to send the Western Union "moneytransfer" to her agent first. o Then you have to email her the MTCN number with your name and address on it to the *email removed* before she will PayPal to transfer the money to you. o You have to mail your Western Union money order to *name and address removed*, Greenville, SC, 29615, United States. No telephone number shown. (There is an *name removed* located at *address removed* with an unlisted phone number, but I don't know if they are one and the same. I have to send this guy a letter you know...)
I hope this information is useful to all of you. Who knows how many other PayPal members she has tried to scam. I plan on filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and the FBI regarding this matter. I'm a 69 yr-old disabled vet, an ex-cop and have a Masters Degree in Public Administration. I would greatly appreciate your help investigating this scam. You can contact me at *email removed*.
edit by mod: Had to remove email addresses and personal contact information. Please review Forum Decorum for more information. Thanks for the op for posting this experience to help others avoid this scam. Always remember to check your PayPal account for funds as email can never be fully trusted to have accurate information.
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