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

[Lady12345]

Another to add to this horrible fraud list:

Name: Joseph <removed>

Address: <removed>

State: Lagos

Country: Nigeria

Zip code: +23401

I put an add for an engagement ring on Kijiji, he sent me a text offering me $200 more than I was asking, said he'd transfer directly into my Pay Pal account (before I sent it) if I would ship it to him that day. Even covered all of the sympathy basis such as: abroad for cancer treatment, his 'partner' works abroad as well, so excited to have found the perfect ring to propose with, etc..

Horrible people!!

[jolene78]

Just wanted to add that the PayPal name reflected in the money request I was told to send was 'James <removed>', and I have just reported my incident to Action Fraud (UK Police), where you can do so through the phone number: <removed>, or through the website: http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/. 

[kirenleituala]

READ THIS! I posted an add on letgo for my iPod touch 6th gen. for $170 & someone claiming he was in the military  was willing to buy it for $200 as a gift for his fiance. I gave him my paypal email address & he sent me a message saying check the confirmation mail & told me to check my spam folder for it & I was wondering like why would a paypal email be in the spam folder. So i ignored it & was on my way to ship it & i decided to search up his address that it was supposed to be sent to & i came across all this! This really saved me. 

[kernowlass]

@kirenleituala

Phew that was lucky.

But just 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 a courier etc via moneygram or western union.

[tori1]

i was just selling an xbox 360, # <removed> had texted me about buying & paying 100 fee to ship it over seas. it was unreal. i then kept asking for his address & he wouldn't give it to me til a few mins after. he said "Name: David <removed> <removed> City: Surulere State: Lagos Country: Nigeria Zip code: +23401" so i went to look up this whole address thing & found this fraud page about it. he ended up sending me an email to confirm the payment. & now he's still texting me, is there anything i should reply?

[glowfish51]

Hi tori1, absolutely not! I just replied saying I've reported you to police for fraud and if you contact me again I'll take legal action! (I hadn't really but I never heard from them again!) Had another attempt this morning from another one in Nigeria! Just ignore - block number if you can! 🙂

[kernowlass]

@glowfish51

I wouldn't threaten them with legal action as its pointless.

The police in this country can't act against an international scammer BUT they have been known if you annoy them to use your email address to sign it up to some nasty internet sites.

Just delete and ignore is best.

[glowfish51]

No... obviously I know police wouldn't do anything! Just the only thing that shut them up! It worked a treat. No more texts or emails!

[overfiendavi]

People, i could not help read what you all wrote. i was probaly one of the first who

saw these scams back in the 90s.  The are called 619s which is the criminal code

supposedly enforced in Nigeria against such scams

I advise you to use your common sense

- If it is too good to be true, then it ain't.

- never click on email links you get from paypal in your email. Instead, go to the web site and sign in

- Do not have anything to do with African countires. Nigeria is not the only one sadly

- Always get paid first then send your item later 

[drewbbar]

I was recently frauded by the ebay username gracdant0

Beware, do not send anything to this name/address!!!

Brown <removed>

<removed>

Agege,

Lagos, 23401

Nigeria