Scams
Fraudulent PayPal Scam
Aug/17/07 18:30
This listing of my MacBook Pro on eBay is proving to be a very fruitful source of scams. The second scam went like this: a fraudster creates a new eBay account and uses Buy It Now to buy my laptop. Payment with PayPal is due immediately, but that doesn't stop the enterprising fraudster: he's set up a PayPal account linked to a stolen credit card account. The idea is that I see that payment has been made and send out the laptop. A few days later, PayPal reverses the transaction, and I'm out of the money and the laptop.
Red flags here are the zero feedback on the bidder's eBay account, and a non-confirmed address on both the eBay and PayPal accounts.
The fraudster was out of luck, though, because just fifteen minutes after the listing closed, eBay suspended his account and sent me an email alerting me of suspicious behavior. About 36 hours later, PayPal called me to tell me the transaction was fraudulent and had been reversed, so I shouldn't send out the laptop.
One more detail: although my listing specified the US Postal service as the sole shipper, the fraudster advised me to use UPS or FedEx. Smart move on his part: if his fraud had involved the USPS, it'd be called "mail fraud," which is a federal offense. The postal inspectors tend to not look upon it favorably.
The damage so far is limited: PayPal has completely reversed the transaction, so I'm out nothing there. eBay has rescinded the Final Value Fee, but not the Insertion Fee. So I'm out $5.05 on that, but I've relisted, and if the item sells, I think they'll refund me that, too.
Red flags here are the zero feedback on the bidder's eBay account, and a non-confirmed address on both the eBay and PayPal accounts.
The fraudster was out of luck, though, because just fifteen minutes after the listing closed, eBay suspended his account and sent me an email alerting me of suspicious behavior. About 36 hours later, PayPal called me to tell me the transaction was fraudulent and had been reversed, so I shouldn't send out the laptop.
One more detail: although my listing specified the US Postal service as the sole shipper, the fraudster advised me to use UPS or FedEx. Smart move on his part: if his fraud had involved the USPS, it'd be called "mail fraud," which is a federal offense. The postal inspectors tend to not look upon it favorably.
The damage so far is limited: PayPal has completely reversed the transaction, so I'm out nothing there. eBay has rescinded the Final Value Fee, but not the Insertion Fee. So I'm out $5.05 on that, but I've relisted, and if the item sells, I think they'll refund me that, too.
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"Different Address" Scam
Aug/12/07 23:49
I'm starting a new category for this one, called "Scams." The intent is to record the scams that I've been personally subjected to -- or at least. scams that people have tried to perpetrate upon me. The first one is one the may be called the "different address" scam. Here's the situation: I've put my old MacBook Pro up for sale on eBay, and I receive a message stating:
So this person offers to pay via PayPal, a trusted service, but want to get the goods shipped to a different address. The message is legit, it was sent via the eBay site by an eBay user. Only the eBay account is less than a week old, and has zero feedback. That sets off the alarm bells, but it's not a scam by itself.
The scam is this: the PayPal account has been hijacked. Now, if you want to change the certified address on a PayPal account, the original owner of the account gets an email message, which would alert them to the unauthorized change of address. So the criminal uses the account and asks you to send your goods to a different address (hence the name of the scam). If you do, after receiving the PayPal payment, the goods are gone. Later, the legitimate owner of the account notices the fraudulent transaction and complains to PayPal, who shut down both accounts -- after getting your money back.
Now you're out of your item and out of your product.
The moral of this story, I guess, is to always be wary of "special considerations" when dealing on the internet.
Hi, today or tomorrow I want to purchase your item. But before I will ask you. You may send this item to directly my sister? She lives in other city. I will pay via PayPal. The sister has birthday in five days. I want so that they would deliver the item in time. After payment I will give its address. Please email me. Thank you.
So this person offers to pay via PayPal, a trusted service, but want to get the goods shipped to a different address. The message is legit, it was sent via the eBay site by an eBay user. Only the eBay account is less than a week old, and has zero feedback. That sets off the alarm bells, but it's not a scam by itself.
The scam is this: the PayPal account has been hijacked. Now, if you want to change the certified address on a PayPal account, the original owner of the account gets an email message, which would alert them to the unauthorized change of address. So the criminal uses the account and asks you to send your goods to a different address (hence the name of the scam). If you do, after receiving the PayPal payment, the goods are gone. Later, the legitimate owner of the account notices the fraudulent transaction and complains to PayPal, who shut down both accounts -- after getting your money back.
Now you're out of your item and out of your product.
The moral of this story, I guess, is to always be wary of "special considerations" when dealing on the internet.