https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2014/11/online-sellers-stung-scammers-...
Online sellers stung by scammers spoofing PayPal brand
November 20, 2014
by Christina Tusan
Attorney, FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection
Selling your used stuff online has become commonplace. So have scams taking advantage of the good names of reputable online companies. At the FTC, we’ve heard from people stung by scammers spoofing PayPal. The scam generally goes like this: You post a high-value item, like a used car, for sale online. In no time at all, you get an email from a buyer willing to pay full price — or more! But he sets conditions; he is only willing to pay by PayPal or insists the sale must happen right away. What’s really going on? A ruse to steal your personal information, money or merchandise.
Here are some suspicious situations to look for and steps to safe selling online:
Scenario One: The buyer claims he can only pay via PayPal. Don’t have a PayPal account? No problem, he says. He’ll send you an email with a link so you can set one up.
What should you do? Don’t take the bait. The link will send you to a website masquerading as PayPal. Any information you enter will be collected by the bogus buyer, and may be used to commit fraud. If you need to set up an account, go directly to PayPal.com.
Scenario Two: “Check your email!” The buyer claims he has sent payment to your PayPal account with additional funds so you can ship the merchandise ASAP, but oops, he sent too much money. He asks you to return the extra money via a money wiring service. It’s all a lie, including the extra money the buyer says he included.
What should you do? Log into your PayPal account. Make sure you’ve been paid before you ship. Never follow links in emails from people you don’t know. The safest approach is to open a browser window, navigate to PayPal.com, and log in yourself. Also, if the buyer claims to have sent extra money, and asks for some back, that’s a big red flag.
Scenario Three: The buyer sends you real money through a real PayPal account, and you ship him the car. Problem is, the PayPal account belongs to someone else! You might need to return the money even though the scammer has your wheels.
What now? Contact PayPal and ask them to open an investigation. The company offers seller protections so you aren’t liable for unauthorized transactions. Also file a complaint with the FTC and your local police department.
Learn how to recognize and avoid common online scams. And contact PayPal at [email protected] if you’ve been stung by a PayPal spoof. The company wants to hear from you.
Tagged with: buyer, online auction, scam, seller, spoof
Blog Topics: Jobs & Making Money
taki email mam od tego spamera z emito hehehe.dzieki za info ziomki
mail nr 1 :
britney clark 22 wrz (1 dzień temu)
is your advert still available?
mail nr2:
Hi,
How are you doing ? I'm presently out of town , I work offshore and i will be back ending of next month , Actually I'm relocating to a new house and i want to seize the opportunity of the shipping company that will be moving my things to pick it up along at your door step once i complete payment with you,I have gone through the AD and am satisfied with the condition and the price,consider me as your favorite buyer,i will arrange for a shipping courier company that will come and pick it up at your door step or anywhere you prefer as soon as you received payment, I usually pay with cash but due to my current position,i will be paying you through PayPal which is fast, safe and reliable method of payment and . I'll add the 3.9% PayPal surcharge to the firm price. kindly send me your PayPal payment invoice or create an account at www.paypal.com if you don't have one and set it up within 5mins, Please Get back to me with the details below :
Full Name:
PayPal Email address:
Cell Phone No:
Total Amount:
I am eagerly waiting to hear from you. Thank you very much for your time.
Greetings,.
Dostałęm dziś ofertę kupna samochodu od pewnej pani. Po wymianie kilku emaili, spawy zaczęły wyglądać dość nietypowo.
1. Pani nie może zapłacić gotówką, ponieważ przebywa akurat w USA ( gdzie jest podwodną fotografką dla Discovery Channel :)
2. Najchętniej zapłaci mi PayPalem ( nie masz PayPala, nie ma problemu - wysyłamy "bezpieczny link" gdzie szybko założysz konto), lub przelewem na konto - przyślij dane osobowe.
3. Najważniejsze: musimy załatwić płatność SZYBKO najlepiej NATYCHMIAST. To jest prezent dla przyjaciela
4. Po samochód przyjedzie laweta a kierowca załatwi wszyskie papiery związane z rejestracją itp...
Jesli dostaniecie taki email, mój z adresu "britney clark <[email protected]>", nic nie klikajcie, nie podawajcie adresu PayPal itd. W przeciwnym razie prawdopodobnie padniecie ofiarą złodziei tożsamości.
pozdrawiam oraz cytuję:
"Hi,
Thanks for answering the questions, i really appreciate your quick response over my request, how i wish to come and view it in person but am out of town, I am an underwater photographer (shooting for Discovery) and i work and live in united states of America, I think am satisfied with it but can you assure me that I won't be disappointed if I buy it ?. I'm ready to pay your asking price but not cash in person because am out of town, my only quickest payment option is PayPal or Bank transfer , its safe fast and secure and I will be responsible for the PayPal surcharge to the total amount I'm paying you for the PayPal transaction charges so you can get your expected amount. If you don't have an account with PayPal, its pretty easy to open one, Just log onto www.paypal.com and sign up. I hope we can make the purchase as fast as possible? I know its not normal for not showing up to pay you in cash but be considerate due to nature of my job, As I am buying it for someone special as a birthday gift and I'm very sure he will love it, he's a mechanic and a handy man, so if there is anything that need to be fixed in it just let me know he will handle it. I have a mover that will come for the pick up once payment clears in your account and he will handle everything perfectly & take care of all documents, change of ownership whenever they come for the pick up, Please I'll need your full address so i can forward it to the shipping company for them to make arrangement for the pick up, I look forward to hear from you with the information below.
Your PayPal e-Mail Address :
Full name:
Firm Price:
Full Address and mobile contact number for pickup:
OR
Bank Name
Account Name:
Account Number:
Bank Branch :
Thanks for been kindness and considerate...await your response asap"