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

[Brycley]

I just got the same kind of email/texts... One google search of the address and this forum was the top of the list.

A "Kim <removed>" from <removed> asked me to ship an iPhone 5s to her son who's a student in Nigeria.

Howard <removed>

<removed>

Surulere, Lagos

+23401 Nigeria

She told me to check my junk folder for payment notifications (Which don't go to my junk normally) and I did, and checked the sender who happened to ACTUALLY be customer__center at consultant.com

[P33]

Wow I am really glad I was on my way to work and decided to look up the zip code cuz 23401 is very sketch and the first thing I see is a link to all these comments about scams lol. I knew it was odd especially when they told me " ok I put the funds up now send it" yet they never told me where to send it. Probably some rookie trying to hustle me. So then I told them to F off and never texted back. Now do I have to worry about my information being take through PayPal? Because I am new to PayPal I literally made one just to deal with this person thinkin it's the safest way to do long distant transactions but I guess there never really is a safe way.

[kernowlass]

As long as they don't have your paypal password and your password is strong then your account should be safe.

Remember >>>

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 to pay shipping agents via western union or moneygram.

************************************************

I give up my time to help you so a thank you or kudos would be cool.

Marking one of my replies as a solution would be appreciated if I sorted your problem.

[benni-iza]

Hello Seller,
I have sent the funds via PayPal. Kindly Check your PayPal email (inbox,spam or Junk folder) for notification emails from PayPal. Cos i have received emails from them stating the money has been deducted from my account which will not appear in your account until you provide postage details. So i hope they have notified you via email. I want the item dispatched to my Nephew in West Africa as am presently out of the UK and would be traveling to Nigeria in the next few days to see my Nephew due to family reasons. I sincerely hope you could assist me in dispatching the item over there so it would be convenient for me to receive the item when I get there.

Address:
Thomas <removed>

<removed>
Abesan Ipaja,
Lagos,23401.
Nigeria.

I want you to dispatch the item Today to the address above via Royal Mail Airmail International 1st Class Delivery,I have added £70 to the initial price of the item for the postage cost to the address. Please grant my request.
Regards.

- tifre42....

LOL FUNNY GUY. WHO ADDS £70. DELIVERY IS £40, Excluding Original P&P

[DCaron]

Someone tried to hacked me via txt messaging, they told me a similar story as everyone else, here is the information they gave me about them :

Marie <removed>

<removed>

 Lagos state, Nigeria

23401

phone number : <removed>

[justinandtori]

If I had of seen this would have helped!
Except mine was a little different. Some area though!

My funds showed up in paypal and then removed!

I really hope seeing so many have had this happen that PayPal and Ebay get on top of it.

[Alba1712]

This is happening to me right now I was wary do googled the email address and it brought this up I have had people sending me fake PayPal emails in the past before and reported hem but this is an eBay user trying to get me to give them details etc outside eBay which always makes me suspicious as I'm not protected I'm surprised this email is still in use after all this time and their accounts haven't been shut down I did think £30 to post sunglasses- jackpot 😂👏

[Whitneysm]

I just got someone to text me with a Chicago Area code asking about a pair of Jordan's that I put on craigslist. He gave me and Nigerian adddress and told me it was for his cousin that is going to school in Nigera. I thought it was funny also that he was willing to pay the extra 120$ to get it to Nigera from where I lived in the US. So I looked up the area code and found it was a Chicago phone number and told this person that I would be more than happy to just ship them to Chicago and then they can ship them to Africa and he said he was out of the states for a business trip and that I had to do it. 

I am so thankful that I looked this up and found all this helpful information. I really hope this helps others too. We need to stop this fraud. 

[tomlee3]

shipping address -

Name: Lekan <removed>
City: Abesan Ipaja
State: Lagos
Zip code: 23401

Shipping details
USPS PRIORITY MAIL EXPRESS.

Address: <removed>        
Country : Nigeria 

Ebay ID beauty737

[Hida]

I actually think the same thing is happening to me but we haven't started the transaction yet . Although I'm a teenager I'm pretty quick to catch things . I was selling my shoes for 75 and he offered to also send a extra 50 for shipping . The next day he sent the address and stuff and it was Nigeria , thing is I Googled the area code of the number and the number say California . Its not looking right so I Google nigera and the zip code today and find this . Somebody please contact me to let me know what further should I do