Scammed friends and fam

[NellieHill]

I was scammed and tricked into sending a seller money via friends and family - I now have no item and the person has blocked me as it’s friends and family PayPal won’t cover me so I need to report this account how Dino do this

[annacordoba]

helllo there Nelliehill,

I guess, i got the same problem as you. I told Paypal, there might be a scammer, but they seem not to bother about this thing. how did you solve it ? or did you lose the money and no one could help you ?

i like to report, but since, the case is already closed ( after, i guess 45 tot 60 min. ) , i cannot report anything. I have proves, so, but i couldn't upload it, becaue i didnt know.

Anyways, hope to hear from you soon

Anna

[kernowlass]

@NellieHill 

@annacordoba 

A friends / family (or gift payment) is intended as a transfer of funds from family or friends to one another. For this reason, there is no processing fee when payment is made with bank or PayPal balance.
However as it is a gift payment, there is also no buyer protection as no goods or services should have been exchanged.

If he was not a close mate or family member you should never use that option as it enables the seller to evade paying his Paypal fees and negates your buyer protection at the same time.

You would also not be able to open a dispute (apart from one citing an unauthorised transaction), which would be automatically closed as you did authorise the initial payment.

Be careful as using that option for purchasing goods is against Paypal rules and can lead to account limitation.

If you funded your Paypal payment via a credit card then contact your card issuer and see if they will help you but unfortunately they may decline as well as it was a gift payment.

[annacordoba]

Dear sir, madam

i know it is stupid, to fall in such a trap, maybe it was friday evening and my concentration was very low. but i have the whole conversation ( that was spoken word, by word ), through instagram. so if you want, i can send that whole conversation in a word application or document. there you will see, it was not willingly, i put such things. i am very sure, the scammer, knows about this " gift option" otherwise, he or she will never do it. I suggest, you investigate that name for me, because, you can always point to other parties, but that doesn't solve the real problem. the username i gave to you, is in my opinion a scammer. So, i think the least you can do, is to look into that " Paypal user " because, he might try it again and again. He promised that he or she will pay back, but i don't have any guarentee, it will happen.

i found that you take this case so lightly, of course, it looks like a " normal " transfer, but if people misuse " PAYPAL " , to ask a commission or a fee, i guess that is not a good review for paypal too.

I paid with my creditcard, and i try to contact my back, but, if i was you, i would not take it so lightly, as you are writing in the last e-mails. I can understand, that your power or your actions are limited, but, i think it is positive for everyone, that we can block or delete or tell goodbye to the scammers who use PayPal, or do i see it wrongly ?

Please check this account - i will go to my bank and creditcard company. but, i will go to the bottom of this issue, if i need a police report or more than that, i will go for that too. for me this is not a joke. maybe i can save a lot of misery for a lot of people, to stand up for myself and others !

kind regards

Anna

[kernowlass]

@annacordoba 

Nothing to do with me.

If you want to report it to customer services go ahead, but as you sent a 'gift' of money to someone then they didn't scam you did they?

You can only prove a scam if they are advertising goods on a website and telling buyers on that site to pay using the friends/family option.

The clue is in the name, were they a close mate? were they a member of your family? If no then why would you use that option?

[annacordoba]

Do not take me wrong, but I was thinking should I reply to this or not. But I could not hold myself any longer, so please do not take it too personal or too seriously, but maybe, next time, try to think also about someone else his / her feelings. Maybe a bit empathy is on his place her.

To be honest, your reaction is absolutely, unthoughtful, and not knowing the person to whom you are talking. It seems you put your " ego " remarkably high - you do not even know me, or you never walked into my shoes. So how can you judge someone like that. Maybe think about that too. ( just an example )

Till a certain level, I understand you ( and what you say, it a bit unthoughtful of me too ) – and to be honest, maybe I did something very stupid, but on a Friday evening, some people with a heavy job, loose concentration or if someone offers 1.000 US dollar, a lot of people want to take it. But ok, that is another thing. But once again, I agree a bit with you.

I thought this forum or community, is to help each other and not to judge a person ? Maybe you are not involved in this situation, that I agree. and maybe you solved or advised a lot of people, exceptionally good, but your reaction toward me, was exceptionally low. One advice “Never judge a book by its cover.” It may sound stupid, but it is mostly true. if I really wanted to send “willingly that money to someone else “, I will never talk about it or want to file a complaint against this person. Maybe try to listen carefully to people too.

I am not seeking attention, I just want to warn or bring issues like this, to the world so we can talk about it, in a nice and adult way. And help each other. It is or are exceedingly tough times for millions of people nowadays. And please, let us stop being selfish, that does not make sense or make things better. Try to listen to people too. Anyways, this is my answer on your reaction.

Now coming back to the real matter : I tried to file a complaint against the scammer through PayPal, in for this specific case. but they already closed this case after 1 hour. because there was nothing abnormal. Ok – it is a reaction. But not the one I wanted.

So, if you ( kernowlass  - esteemed Advisor ), really want to help me and say something useful, tell me how I can start a fresh complaint ? - so PayPal can at least listen to my side of the story. other companies, who are not really involved but, attached to this matter ( like the people from my credit card company ) - at least they do the effort to investigate the matter. I have a lot of proves, of that scammer, ( written texts ), so I guess, this is not just a story or seeking some attention from you or others. sad, that I took your comment negative, sorry. I had another image of you, when I saw, how many people you helped before. Of course, this is not your problem, because this is also not your money. Did you think about that too ?? – I do not think so. anyways

Can I ask you something, if you were in my place, would you just shut up and let 200 US dollar go ? - or will you fight for it ? - I am just wondering this.

I might be " just and only " a woman from Latin America, but I can still stand up for myself and speak out the things that are needed. so, up to you, to give me a hint / tip to file a complaint ( that they take this time serious ), of shut up your mouth. because I took your words negative. And that I felt into a trap, yes, I admit that, and yes it was stupid to trust a person. But I thought PayPal was famous for protecting people, so, scamming and fraud will not happen to those users. If PayPal is so good, why are they not even trying to contact me, to listen to my story ?

everything nowadays must happen through contact pages or website with 101 links. what happened, to the person, who can be present to listen to people who are victims of such crimes ?

I can speak more words and for hours, but I know more than 50 %, you will not read or forget in a few seconds.

do not take me wrong, but try to understand people, who are real victims of such a fraud. I do not even know that person. he seduced me and let me type exactly what he wanted so, he can get rid with this " family and friends’ gift " - anyways, do not take it personal, I am just frustrated that PayPal, the big company, is trying to make it easy for them, and difficult for the users. maybe try to think in that way or in the way " how to help people nowadays " with problems. everyone needs another person, to get rid of their emotions, ( young, old, American, African, Asian, male, or female, etc. )

hope to get a positive message of you, otherwise, I will figure it out myself ( as usual )

take care, 

Anna

[kernowlass]

@annacordoba 

I gave you the facts, if those facts pointed out you were wrong so you learn and don't get scammed again then my advice was good.

I have given up my time to save thousands on here from being scammed, whether you like or do not like my tone matters to me not one jot to be honest.

You sent a 'gift' of money to someone in error, learn from it and move on.

[Justice-League2]

Regarding your reply. I am really not looking for financial compensation and understand that the Scammer has been clever in using the Friends and Family sub routine. The issue I have is that this person is a repeat offender and is using your services for their illeagel gain. To repeat my previous letter's point: I do not know your policy in terms of prosecution but with little investigation I have now found at least 10 other people who have been defrauded by the same person and am happy to supply their details of these other victims. I fear if the correct action isn’t take then this person will carry on defrauding causing distress to your customers and financial and repetitional loss to your company. So let's call a spade a spade. Scammers are like "Whack a mole" they surface, only to then disappear, however Paypal holds the bank records of these criminals and by not taking action your company is complicate in allowing these crimes to continue, by not investigating and for it to remain unpunished and un resolved. If I found 10 other victims within half an hour of looking who’s to say the number of the defrauded by the same scammer isn’t 100 or even 1,000 or even more? I have posted a warning of this scammer on a single website and have had many replies about exactly the same person with the same swindle. To summerise, it is Paypal's reputation that is on the line.  If I organised a letter writing campagn would Paypal then investigate? 

[kernowlass]

@Justice-League2 

Err, I don't have a policy or a company???

If you want to report someone who advertises sales using friends/family then by all means do so.

Whether Paypal will investigate or not I have no idea. No harm trying.

However you would be seen as equally breaking Paypal rules by using that option for purchasing items so tread warily.

[annacordoba]

hello there  Justice-League2 / New Community Member,

do you have the name of this fraud person ? - because, i am not sure if i already forward the name of that fraud man / woman ? - but it is interesting to hear more people fell in the trap of that " family and friends tric " - i hope we can continue speaking apart, because, the other person is not helpfull in my opinion.

Let me know, what is that name of the fraud man, than maybe in group we are stronger

kinds regards,

Anna