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

[andysawatsky]

I just had the same email on the weekend.  The guy offered me $1000 more for an item on Kijiji to send to his parents that reside in Ontario and I live in Saskatchewan. Seems like along way to ship a boat.

Thank you for your posts I fell much better walking away from this deal now.

[bastable]

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***Notification of an Instant Payment from <removed>
2 messages

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s 

 

Dear    

You've received an instant payment of $2,.100.00USD from

                                                                              *** PAYMENT RECEIPT ***       ,

                          Transaction Date: 11:04:2013

             Transaction ID: 4UN65923VN089111H      
     
     

        

                          Payment Status                 PayPal  Charges                                                           
Agent's Fee

Western Union and PayPal Charges:

Item Price:
      $800.00USD

$100.00USD

$1,,200.00USD  Total:     $2,100,00USD  

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Note: As this transaction was done via our e-mail payments service, any inquiries and necessary information should be sent to us by directly replying to this message, because of the status of this transaction, it has not been passed on to our customer care phone service section,and all inquiries should be directed to this e-mail address as it is the one monitored for your transaction.

This payment was issued to your account through our online payment service and monitored by our fund verification team.Contact us through this emai if you have any inquiry regarding this transaction or any international transaction.

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[bastable]

Re: Verification Procedure
1 message

---

se 

                   A temporary hold has been placed on your funds, Follow the verification procedure below so we can release the funds to your account
 

The payment has been deducted from the buyer's account but will not show up in your account balance due to the temporary hold placed on it.The total fund is being held at our fund verification team desk for verification due to the large amount of money involved..Below is the verification procedure you are to follow before we can release the total sum of $2,100.00USD which is on hold to your account.

                                              
Fund Verification Procedure
1:You are to send the added shipping fee upfront to the shipping agent's name and address below via Western Union at any of their offices.

2:Forward the Western Union money transfer confirmation copy to us at paypal

,after sending the shipping fee or the scanned copy of the Western Union receipt if the shipping fee was sent at a Western Union office so we can proceed in our verification process and release the total fund to your account few minutes after we get the requirement from you.

                                            
Note:The Buyer will not be permitted to reverse the funds before or after you have sent the shipping fee of $800.00USD to the shipping agent's name and address below via Western Union.This means that you are also safe and 

Fund Verification Team are to verify all international transactions and make sure both buyer and seller are safe and secure.Contact us through our email:

if you have any inquiry as regards this transaction or any international transaction.

Note: As this transaction was done via our e-mail payments service, any inquiries and necessary information should be sent to us by directly replying to this message, because of the status of this transaction, it has not been passed on to our customer care phone service section and all inquiries should be directed to this e-mail address as it is the one monitored for your transaction.

This payment was issued to your account through our online payment service and monitored by our fund verification team.Contact us through this email if you have any inquiry regarding this transaction or any international transaction.

                                                                                                         

                   A temporary hold has been placed on your funds, Follow the verification procedure below so we can release the funds to your account
 

The payment has been deducted from the buyer's account but will not show up in your account balance due to the temporary hold placed on it.The total fund is being held at our fund verification team desk for verification due to the large amount of money involved..Below is the verification procedure you are to follow before we can release the total sum of $2,100.00USD which is on hold to your account.

                                              
Fund Verification Procedure
1:You are to send the added shipping fee upfront to the shipping agent's name and address below via Western Union at any of their offices.

2:Forward the Western Union money transfer confirmation copy to us at

,after sending the shipping fee or the scanned copy of the Western Union receipt if the shipping fee was sent at a Western Union office so we can proceed in our verification process and release the total fund to your account few minutes after we get the requirement from you.

                                            
Note:The Buyer will not be permitted to reverse the funds before or after you have sent the shipping fee of $800.00USD to the shipping agent's name and address below via Western Union.This means that you are also safe and secure by sending the shipping fee upfront to complete this transaction.                                  

           

Fund Verification Team are to verify all international transactions and make sure both buyer and seller are safe and secure.Contact us through our email: 

if you have any inquiry as regards this transaction or any international transaction.

Note: As this transaction was done via our e-mail payments service, any inquiries and necessary information should be sent to us by directly replying to this message, because of the status of this transaction, it has not been passed on to our customer care phone service section and all inquiries should be directed to this e-mail address as it is the one monitored for your transaction.

This payment was issued to your account through our online payment service and monitored by our fund verification team.Contact us through this email  if you have any inquiry regarding this transaction or any international transaction.

                                                                                                         

[DMC29]

Im in the exact same position as Pugwash however I'm only dealing with a sale of $1500 but they want me to fork over $700 to Western Union Transfer to a shipping agency in England.  This all seems suspicious to me.  Did you ever find out if yours was a ligitimate offer?

[Hoopsjvl]

Ran across this thread right before I got the fake emails from "PayPal" saying the $ was on hold.  Thanks for confirming my suspicions!

[Jacobkaplyuk]

This happened to me today and the lady claimed to be a marine offucer and when i said i will not send money from my pocket to some random agent cause I think it's a scam she got mad and started saying I was truing to scam HER. saying she'll get me locked away in prison and **bleep**. Got to be a scam

[kernowlass]

@Jacobkaplyuk

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 Nigeria.

Or they want you to ship something and they will send a courier but they can't view as they are ''in the military'' or ''working offshore'' or ''disabled'' etc.

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.

If the item requires shipping they will tell you that they will pay you extra and you must pay the agent via western union / moneygram BEFORE the funds are released to you.

They are not interested in the item, they just want the western union etc funds and you will never see money in your paypal balance.

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.

Paypal NEVER expect you to use a rival money transfer service eg moneygram or western union to pay some shipping agent if that is what they ask.

Delete any emails and ignore the scammers.

[Jacobkaplyuk]

She also said "Never mind. you dared me already . i believe you want to see what a **bleep** can do . i'm a highly respected woman and i command respect. I'm a **bleep** and i'll show you what a **bleep** can do"

[Jacobkaplyuk]

She also said "Never mind. you dared me already . i believe you want to see what a **bleep** can do . i'm a highly respected woman and i command respect. I'm a **bleep** and i'll show you what a **bleep** can do"

[casey2014]

The buyer is using a stolen credit card. Don't fall for it.