# Scam warning



## justinhcase (Jun 27, 2014)

I have just had a con team try it on with me.
Had an individual contact me with an interest in an antique watch.
He did not quibil at the price and said he has sent PayPal payment through.
The more experienced traders will already know what is coming next ,so I am just putting this out for the record and to help any one who might be less use to the lengths some gangs are going.
Surprise Surprise the payment never arrives,and you will receive an email that comes from a PayPal.co.uk email address but has several errors on it.
Can you spot what they are


Dear PayPal User,
PayPal company would like to inform you that we are still awaiting for your response to the PayPal Customer Service assign for this transaction. Firstly, we want you to know that payment has been deducted from the buyer's account "Garry Lawson" which can not be cancel or return to the buyer account and we shall verify shipment for this transaction as you will have to ship the item and get back to us with the Shipment/Reference Tracking Number Barcode for shipment verification. 
We implore you not to reveal this Tracking Number to the buyer until we assure you to reveal the Tracking Number. However, we want you to know that this is a security measure we have to take in order to secure both buyer and seller and we apologize for any inconvenience we might have caused you by this measure.

Please do reply to our online customer care email [email protected] because we are monitoring this inbox. To get in touch with us after postage of your item purchase for quick response and review on this transaction for your money
Thanks you for using PayPal,
The PayPal team.
PayPal E-mail I.D PP274

That will be followed by several other emails that are equal bogus and become more threatening.
but the only address they will ever send you is 
Michael Smith,DC5 Airport Road,Benin City,Edo State,234053,Nigeria.
I do string such people along so as to better understand there systems,it amazes me that such ploys are ever successful.
I did offer the Ghana Gold Mine con team a really good deal in the hope of getting an I.D. with in the U.K. so we could take some action ,but they did a bunk at the last minute when they smelt a rat.
Please keep your wits about you and let me know about any new tactics you have experience of.
Justin


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## necromancer (Jun 27, 2014)

was it not you that posted this:

http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=20827

i dont understand why you would post this.


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## justinhcase (Jun 27, 2014)

One was eBay jumping to the wrong conclusion looking at incomplete data and then taking action that can not be undone.
The second is a team of griffters trying it on in what to me is a new way.
Why would I not warn any one selling and advertising High value Items about such activity and how to spot them.


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## Captobvious (Jun 27, 2014)

If you're not logging into paypal to confirm funds transfer.... I'm hesitant to say they deserve to get scammed, but at the same time they kinda do...


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## justinhcase (Jun 27, 2014)

I think the grift relies upon the fact that PayPal some time's has a lag or looses a payment temporally.
So this team have concocted a scenario were they approach a trader who accepts PayPal for private sale's
Then using a cloned PayPal legend makes that vendor be leave that the money is inbound and not fictional.
They must have run the script past every vendor they could find to get even one or two bite's
But if you don't know what your are looking for the emails do look legitimate so some people will post before a proper investigation.
As if PayPal would ever address an important notice to"Dear PayPal user"
But every day people who are able minded fall for such scams because it is to do with numbers not individuals.
Every one will be in a position where there guard is down and they make a human mistake at some point,which is what all these examples have in common.
They find a natural reaction and set a trap for that unlucky one in one thousand who is just having an off day.


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## RGJohn (Jul 3, 2014)

Is it possible that employees ( former or current) of PP have abused their trust to attempt this blatant scam? 
What internal controls and how effective they may or may not be within PP are unknown as it is largely unregulated.


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## justinhcase (Jul 4, 2014)

From what I understand of modern security screening techniques it is possible but not lightly that an employee would be involved.
But I am reminded of a case at Friend's Life some time ago,we caught one of the claim advisers forwarding the money's of deceased clients into his own account.
Very silly and only a matter of time before a relative of one of his victims contacted the company asking what had happened to his fathers money.
The disgraced person claimed it was because of a gambling habit but He did not get much sympathy and ended up getting five years and serving two of them.
Let us hope that PayPal and FleeBay have the proper protocols in place ,but I have to say from a professional stand point they are a joke that look's to act on saving money instead of any real interest in the detection and prosecution of offenders.


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## pusnik (Oct 24, 2015)

Hi I just had the same!!

A guy under the name 'Sean Foxley' is sending me fake paypal emails to verify payment but obviously my account hasn't got the money.
Obviously I'm not falling for it, but I'm a bit scared that they know my email address and received a paypal pay request, this may be a very naive question but can they do any abuse to me with that info?

Also I'm not sure what is the appropriate forum to report these people, can anything be done...

It's literally the same scenario, post item to Nigeria....

Thanks for your help!


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## justinhcase (Oct 24, 2015)

pusnik said:


> Hi I just had the same!!
> 
> A guy under the name 'Sean Foxley' is sending me fake paypal emails to verify payment but obviously my account hasn't got the money.
> Obviously I'm not falling for it, but I'm a bit scared that they know my email address and received a paypal pay request, this may be a very naive question but can they do any abuse to me with that info?
> ...


I would get in touch with PayPal immediately through customer services and forward the entire email to [email protected], PayPal say to delete it from your email account but I always keep evidence for a good period of time ,which has helped in a number of cases so you may just want to save it to a thumb drive or outdated computer.
Monitor your account closely, I have an email solely for my eBay and PayPal , if I was concerned some one would use it for an attack I would simply change it as a precaution. 
Such thing's are sent out on mass some time's so you may not have been targeted personally and they my be just fishing. 
Did he arrange a sale with you in advance??


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## Smack (Oct 25, 2015)

If someone tried to scam me expecting a package, I just might oblige them with a package, might not be what they were expecting inside but a package none the less.


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## justinhcase (Oct 25, 2015)

Smack said:


> If someone tried to scam me expecting a package, I just might oblige them with a package, might not be what they were expecting inside but a package none the less.


http://www.glitterretribution.co.uk/
I like the look of the bomb.


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## user 12009 (Aug 14, 2016)

Smack said:


> might not be what they were expecting inside but a package none the less.


Will your puppy help fill the box?


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## silversaddle1 (Aug 14, 2016)

Well first off, read that e-mail again and study how badly it is written. The grammer and sentence structure is bad, bad enough to spot it right off. Now do you really think Pay-Pal would send you such a poorly written letter? That is the very first clue that you are being scammed.


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## anachronism (Aug 15, 2016)

If you want to put scams into perspective then take a look at this. 

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/you-cant-contact-im-under-10762832

This is a forum member by the name of barkers. Not active for a few years but still technically a member (which I'm sure will be dealt with pronto.) The guy who was duped isn't the only victim by a long shot.


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## justinhcase (Aug 15, 2016)

anachronism said:


> If you want to put scams into perspective then take a look at this.
> 
> http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/you-cant-contact-im-under-10762832
> 
> This is a forum member by the name of barkers. Not active for a few years but still technically a member (which I'm sure will be dealt with pronto.) The guy who was duped isn't the only victim by a long shot.


Poor old chap.
Needing welsh gold for his production must make sourcing difficult enough in the first place.


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## 4metals (Aug 16, 2016)

Kind of amazing that convicted felons can receive and send emails which are not monitored for content. In Vietnam the soldier's mail was read and censored so no-one inadvertently gave any indication as to location or troop movements. 

But to allow security lax enough to carry out an internet scam from a prison cell is beyond my comprehension!


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## upcyclist (Aug 16, 2016)

4metals said:


> Kind of amazing that convicted felons can receive and send emails which are not monitored for content. In Vietnam the soldier's mail was read and censored so no-one inadvertently gave any indication as to location or troop movements.
> 
> But to allow security lax enough to carry out an internet scam from a prison cell is beyond my comprehension!


And the authorities might be wondering how gang coordination continues even when the big bosses have been convicted. Yeesh.


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## 4metals (Aug 16, 2016)

> And the authorities might be wondering how gang coordination continues even when the big bosses have been convicted.



I guess that explains how "el chapo" co-ordinated a tunnel into his private cell bathroom when he escaped from prison in Mexico.


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## Palladium (Aug 16, 2016)

> And the authorities might be wondering how gang coordination continues even when the big bosses have been convicted.



Here i was thinking we were taking about wall street! :mrgreen:


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## anachronism (Aug 16, 2016)

TBH I have always wondered what would happen if they jammed all mobile signals in and around a prison.


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## Topher_osAUrus (Aug 16, 2016)

anachronism said:


> TBH I have always wondered what would happen if they jammed all mobile signals in and around a prison.


They could, if they wanted to... And they should, to prevent this kind of thing. The casino my wife works at jams cell phone service. They also have no clocks anywhere in the entire establishment. Once you are there, they never want you to leave..(very hotel california of them.)... I cannot believe the minimal penalty the convicted got, its sad.


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## anachronism (Aug 16, 2016)

The worst bit is that he already did jail time for a previous fraud Topher.


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## kurtak (Aug 17, 2016)

Palladium said:


> > And the authorities might be wondering how gang coordination continues even when the big bosses have been convicted.
> 
> 
> 
> Here i was thinking we were taking about wall street!  :mrgreen:



:lol: :lol: :lol: Thanks a lot Ralph - now I have to go get a rag to clean all the coffee I just spit all over my computer off :lol: :lol: :lol: 

Kurt


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## g_axelsson (Aug 17, 2016)

kurtak said:


> :lol: :lol: :lol: Thanks a lot Ralph - now I have to go get a rag to clean all the coffee I just spit all over my computer off :lol: :lol: :lol:
> 
> Kurt


No problem, I'll refine your keyboard. :mrgreen: 

Göran


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## Topher_osAUrus (Aug 17, 2016)

anachronism said:


> The worst bit is that he already did jail time for a previous fraud Topher.



Yes, that is probably the worst part. It shows a negligence of the system there.. But, we have our own issues with ours here that i will not get into.

I just see that poor ol' guy's picture, and think "...he already probably feels wuite embarrassed about being run through the ringer...do you *really* need to take his picture and put it up online for millions to see?.... ..he probably had numerous people come to him after that saying 'oh, he screwed you, but i *really* have some Welsh gold to supply your jewelry manufacturing -trust me!'"


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## justinhcase (Sep 25, 2016)

Came across this,I will not spoil it for you.
How fast do you catch on?
Good chap caught them but quite an organized gang.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHO_Dj2dAxE


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## UncleBenBen (Sep 26, 2016)

Haha! You could just see the guys stomach knot up and his heart drop down to his knees when the buyer started to test it again! :shock: :roll: :lol: 

The old switcheroo! Definitely not the buyers' first rodeo! That was a good catch.


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## justinhcase (Sep 26, 2016)

UncleBenBen said:


> Haha! You could just see the guys stomach knot up and his heart drop down to his knees when the buyer started to test it again! :shock: :roll: :lol:
> 
> The old switcheroo! Definitely not the buyers' first rodeo! That was a good catch.


Yes the buyer was considerably calmer and politer that I would have been.You could see him catch on to some thing was up.
He got over I am about to drop you through nonverbal communication while just saying"I like that,I like that a lot".
:lol: 
I have seen similar cases in retail where the tango has researched a high value item of jewellery and had a copy made.Some of these crooks would make more money on the stage doing a Pan and Teller show they put Paul Danial's to shame..


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