Author Topic: PayPal scam  (Read 10651 times)

Offline drlapo

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PayPal scam
« on: July 05, 2015, 07:31:47 PM »
I've been contacted by 3 persons in response to an add on Craig's list. All are from the Baltimore area. they contact me via text but ask that I respond via email as they are in the military, are deployed and have no access to a phone ( I know they texted me on a phone) they will buy my bike for the asking price and want to pay via PayPal. they ask for  my name address and PayPal email address so they can send payment via PayPal.
how does this scam work?

Offline rocker59

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2015, 07:36:26 PM »
1. if you accept payment, and if you release the bike to their agent, the PayPal transaction will come back fraudulent and you'll lose the money and the bike.

2. sometimes they overpay and ask you to return that portion of the money they send.  You'll lose that money.

3.  I'm sure there are several other angles.
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Offline jackson

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2015, 07:38:07 PM »
And from my understanding of this scam, they use a PayPal account that has been hacked.
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Offline LowRyter

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2015, 07:45:37 PM »
I bought a horn for the Sport on ebay a couple of weeks ago.  The seller was in Britain.  I've heard nothing, the web site is dead and no e-mail replies.  I am kissing $40 good bye. 

I am working the Paypal complaint system. 

I've never been ripped off before on ebay.
« Last Edit: July 05, 2015, 07:51:13 PM by LowRyter »
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Offline Triple Jim

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2015, 07:55:35 PM »
I bought a horn for the Sport on ebay a couple of weeks ago.  The seller was in Britain.  I've heard nothing, the web site is dead and no e-mail replies.  I am kissing $40 good bye. 

I am working the Paypal complaint system. 

I've never been ripped off before on ebay.

You should go through eBay and report that you never received your item.  When I've done that, I received a full refund by PayPal.  In one case when it was obvious the seller misrepresented the item, I  had to return it, but I got back the item cost plus shipping both ways.
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Offline LowRyter

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2015, 08:10:16 PM »
thanks
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Offline flip

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2015, 08:14:36 PM »
This will not help you now but it is a good idea to fund your Paypal payments with a credit card instead of your bank account. Then you can also fall back on your credit card  company for fraud protection in case paypal isn't able to recover your funds if a deal goes bad.
« Last Edit: July 05, 2015, 08:15:25 PM by flip »
North Carolina

Offline krglorioso

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2015, 12:52:53 AM »
What Flip said.  Have PP debit your credit card.

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Offline Sasquatch Jim

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #8 on: July 06, 2015, 04:45:19 AM »
1. if you accept payment, and if you release the bike to their agent, the PayPal transaction will come back fraudulent and you'll lose the money and the bike.

2. sometimes they overpay and ask you to return that portion of the money they send.  You'll lose that money.

3.  I'm sure there are several other angles.


 Tell him to paypal to the agent who is to pick up the bike and have the agent bring cash.
 If they are unwilling to do that, it is certainly a scam.
Sasquatch Jim        Humanoid, sort of.

Offline hooah54

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2015, 07:19:05 AM »
They tried with me as well.  Once you fail to meet all the clauses of the protections of PayPal then you are screwed.  My daughter wrote him back that his proposal did not meet the parameters of PayPal and we never heard from him again. I reported them to CL spam and FTC.  Their phone was a text only and the e-mail adress was suspicious since this dick was trying pass himself off as a Senior Master Sergeant in the Air Force.  He stated he was from NC but worked at the Air Force Academy.  I hope they commit a crime while posing as a military member because the hunters from SAtolen Valor will go after them. 
'85 MG  Cal II, '03 BMW R1150R, '09 Piaggio MP3 250 ie

Offline rocker59

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #10 on: July 06, 2015, 07:41:59 AM »
this dick was trying pass himself off as a Senior Master Sergeant in the Air Force.  He stated he was from NC but worked at the Air Force Academy.  I hope they commit a crime while posing as a military member because the hunters from SAtolen Valor will go after them.

It's probably a kid sitting in a coffee house in Nigeria.
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Offline rocker59

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #11 on: July 06, 2015, 07:42:42 AM »

 Tell him to paypal to the agent who is to pick up the bike and have the agent bring cash.
 If they are unwilling to do that, it is certainly a scam.

I wouldn't waste my time.  These scammers are pretty easy to spot.  Easiest to just ignore them.
Michael T.
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Offline hooah54

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #12 on: July 06, 2015, 10:47:02 AM »
I don't think it will be the sob posing as SMSgt Nicholas Wilson and his son Logan.  I have outed that persona.  I should have checked here first before I responded to him.  Seems like it is an old scam. 
'85 MG  Cal II, '03 BMW R1150R, '09 Piaggio MP3 250 ie

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #13 on: July 06, 2015, 11:04:54 AM »
I bought a throttle position sensor from a guy in Britain.  He never shipped or responded to my e mails.  I sent an e-mail from another account requesting price and delivery.  The seller replied to my second request.  I contacted PayPal and included the two e-mails accounts and messages.  I forwarded the e-mails to the seller.  He go mad and said I was being fraudulent in my e mails.  I told him to take explain it to pay pay.  I had a refund in a couple of hours. 

Offline LowRyter

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #14 on: July 06, 2015, 11:11:36 AM »
I bought a throttle position sensor from a guy in Britain.  He never shipped or responded to my e mails.  I sent an e-mail from another account requesting price and delivery.  The seller replied to my second request.  I contacted PayPal and included the two e-mails accounts and messages.  I forwarded the e-mails to the seller.  He go mad and said I was being fraudulent in my e mails.  I told him to take explain it to pay pay.  I had a refund in a couple of hours.

probably the same guy that screwed me
John L 
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HardAspie

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #15 on: July 06, 2015, 02:55:45 PM »
I encountered  a complex scam, "We'll pay that price, an agent will pick  it up. . ." when selling my Honda Reflex.  Glad I didn't take it! I am  so glad that I failed Evil 101.

Offline Mark West

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #16 on: July 06, 2015, 03:10:37 PM »
The deployed service person is one of the most common scams. I never leave a phone number or email in a craigslist add. That way I can ignore the obvious scammers.

Craigslist provides some good info on the various scams.
http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams
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Offline drlapo

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #17 on: July 06, 2015, 07:40:42 PM »
if you don't provide a phone number how can a prospective buyer contact you?

Offline LowRyter

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #18 on: July 07, 2015, 08:38:56 PM »
I bought a horn for the Sport on ebay a couple of weeks ago.  The seller was in Britain.  I've heard nothing, the web site is dead and no e-mail replies.  I am kissing $40 good bye. 

I am working the Paypal complaint system. 

I've never been ripped off before on ebay.

Paypal got my 23 $BP refunded to me today.  I still need a high freq horn for the Sport. 
John L 
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Offline rocker59

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #19 on: July 08, 2015, 10:09:31 AM »
Paypal got my 23 $BP refunded to me today.  I still need a high freq horn for the Sport.

Autozone is where I got the one currently on my Sport 1100.
Michael T.
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Offline LowRyter

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #20 on: July 08, 2015, 10:19:43 AM »
?  OK
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Offline rocker59

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Michael T.
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Offline LowRyter

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #22 on: July 08, 2015, 10:31:51 AM »
whoa.  Blazer hi tone.

Thanks Mike!
John L 
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Offline kirb

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #23 on: July 08, 2015, 10:43:47 AM »
I've been contacted by 3 persons in response to an add on Craig's list. All are from the Baltimore area. they contact me via text but ask that I respond via email as they are in the military, are deployed and have no access to a phone ( I know they texted me on a phone) they will buy my bike for the asking price and want to pay via PayPal. they ask for  my name address and PayPal email address so they can send payment via PayPal.
how does this scam work?

Ignore or respond with 'cash in hand only' (by rep or buyer). No deposits via paypal, either. I only take Postal Money orders in place of cash.  Assume the rest is junk, including bank checks.
I have allowed bank checks only if I can call the bank ahead of time to clear it, but that is only for lower dollar items. Bikes are always cash or PO money orders.

Paypal generally sides on buyers protection (often screwing sellers in a scam), but you need to make sure you meet the requirements.

Offline Adan

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #24 on: July 08, 2015, 12:07:08 PM »
As others have said, this has scam written all over it. 

A variation is that they say they will buy a motorcycle for your asking price and add $800 or whatever to cover shipping, but that you will have to pay the shipper.  Then you get an email with instruction to send $800 to the shipper. 

It's pretty sad to think there are people who just spend their time trying to scam people this way.  What a pathetic life that must be.
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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #25 on: July 08, 2015, 01:16:52 PM »
It's even more pathetic that people fall for it.

Offline Rebochi

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #26 on: July 08, 2015, 01:47:27 PM »
  My standard response to scam ashholes on Craigslist  is to
1   Agree that it seems good to me and wait for their response
2   Let them know that my cancer has returned and I will be spending my final days at Fred Hutchinson/
     I am being redeployed/ I am a long haul trucker and I have to in New Jersey to pick up a load of Salsa
3   A eldery relative will be handling my affairs due to my condition and does not have a computer and is hard of hearing   so you have to use US mail
4   Give them the name and address of the fraud investigator at the AGs office/ Sheriffs dept or local FBI office as your elderly relative
5   Laugh

  I have done this several times and it does seem to work judging by the threats.
  Do not give out your phone number or e-mail , let them contact you through Craigslist
1200 Sport

Offline LowRyter

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #27 on: July 08, 2015, 01:51:10 PM »
John L 
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Offline hooah54

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #28 on: July 08, 2015, 05:05:59 PM »
I think these butt wipes are satisfied to be rejected or called out 99 times of of a hundred because they wait for that one naive, gullible trusting person.  That is one person conned to many.  If it happens again, I am considering a reverse "sting".   
'85 MG  Cal II, '03 BMW R1150R, '09 Piaggio MP3 250 ie

Offline Lannis

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Re: PayPal scam
« Reply #29 on: July 08, 2015, 05:07:56 PM »
Ignore or respond with 'cash in hand only' (by rep or buyer). No deposits via paypal, either. I only take Postal Money orders in place of cash.  Assume the rest is junk, including bank checks.
I have allowed bank checks only if I can call the bank ahead of time to clear it, but that is only for lower dollar items. Bikes are always cash or PO money orders.

Paypal generally sides on buyers protection (often screwing sellers in a scam), but you need to make sure you meet the requirements.

Why is a PO Money Order safe?   Looks like to me it's just a piece of paper that could be generated by a smart guy with the right software?   

Heck, these days even $100 bills look like Monopoly money ... ?

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