I have been trying to sell a Dell Laptop and have had two different people w/ two different types of scams email me. Please see below the emails that were sent to me. The first is from someone named Erick Larsen claiming to be buying the laptop for his fiance and he is willing to pay an extra $100, saw ad on Craigslist and wants to pay by paypal. I get a paypal email saying I have money and I check my paypal account and there is no money so I go back to the email and see in tiny, tiny writing that the money will not be transferred until I mail the item and enter a valid tracking number for the item. I call paypal and tell them about it and they ask if the email was sent from services@paypal, yes, then she ask if the email is addressed to the name of the pay pal account holder, no, it's addressed to my email address I say. She immediatly says it's fraudulent and upon checking I have no transactions on my paypal account. I knew something was up when I read the email. Paypal never asks for tracking number before giving funds and w/o any transaction on your paypal account there is no way to enter a tracking number. The second email is from a Richard Bauer. He claims to want to buy the laptop for $150 more than asking and he is claiming to have seen it on ebay. He tells me that his secretary will ship out a cashiers check to me on monday and when I tell him I have cashed the check he will have his "own shipper" come to my house and get the laptop. I ask who the shipper is and get no reply. He does give me a phone number but upon calling it, no one answers 3 times. It's a land line in California.
Please read the following emails. The one from Paypal from Erick Larsen has all paypal logos.
Dell Inspiron 1525 Laptop Pink Great Condition - $400 (Aurora, ME)
InboxX
Erick** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY ** Avoid: wiring mo...
4:10 PM (18 hours ago)
Erick to sale-s5rwp-178.
show details 4:10 PM (18 hours ago)
** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info:
http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html
Hey, Do you still have this for sale?
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Erick to me
show details 8:11 PM (14 hours ago)
Are you sure is still in good working condition?I am buying this item for my Fiance i would have love to come over to your place and see it myself but my job will not give me the chance to do that,i will love to see pics,I will offer you $500 including shipping so get back to me with your pay pal email address so tat i can make the payment as soon as possible to your pay pal account.I need you to get back to me as soon as possible and i want the item to be shipped out first thing Monday morning it is very urgent.
Awaiting your quick response.
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Erick to me
show details 8:39 PM (13 hours ago)
I got your paypal email address will make the payment first thing tomorrow morning at 7:am How about that?I will have the shipping address attached to paypal payment confirmation mail that will be sent to you first thing tomorrow morning....Will want you to assure me that this item has been sold to me by taking the AD down now.
Thanks
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THEN I GOT PAY PAL EMAILS:
***Notification Of An Instant Payment***An Amount Of $500 Has Been Made To You From Erick Larson***
InboxX
service@paypal.com[image: PayPal] Get Verified Get Verified--Your Key to More Security and Free...
8:49 AM (1 hour ago)
service@paypal.comLoading...8:49 AM (1 hour ago)
Reply |service@paypal.com to me
show details 8:49 AM (1 hour ago)
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Display images below - Always display images from
paypalcustomerservicecentre@ukaccountant.net
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You've got cash!
Dear
sybley@gmail.com,
Erick Larson just sent you money with PayPal.
Erick Larson is a Verified buyer.
Payment Details
Transaction ID:6746752682679150N
Item Amount:$400.00USD
Postage:
Total:
$100.00USD
$500.00USD
Item/Name
ell Inspiron 1525 Laptop
Buyer:Erick Larson
Business Information (sybley@gmail.com)
Dear
sybley@gmail.com,
This email confirms that you have been paid by Erick Larson (Larsoneric30@gmail.com) $500.00USD using PayPal,which will be transferred into your account after we have received the shipment tracking or reference number from you for verification.
You may now ship the merchandise to the buyer and get back to us with the shipment tracking number in order to verify that the item was shipped and the transaction is secure.You are not expected in any circumstances to send the tracking number to the buyer,we are waiting for you to ship the item and mail us the shipment tracking number so that we can transfer your payment immediately.This is highly recommended because most sellers do not ship out items after which the payment has been made by the buyer.kindly adhere to this policy,we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.For assistance,please contact us online(paypal@ukaccountant.net)
PayPal Email ID PP307
Shipping Information
Address:Name: Shina Adulphus
Address:Block 144 flat 4 Jakande Estate Oke Afa
City: Isolo.
State:Lagos State.
Zip Code: 23401.
Country: Nigeria
Address Status:Confirmed
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InboxX
Reply |service@paypal.com to me
show details 8:49 AM (1 hour ago)
Images are not displayed.
Display images below - Always display images from
paypalcustomerservicecentre@ukaccountant.net
You've made a sale at Craigslist.org!
Dear PAYPAL User
sybley@gmail.com (sybley@gmail.com) you have made a sale at Craigslist.org!!!
Order Summary
ell Inspiron 1525 Laptop
This is a confirmation email of the payment of $500.00USD you received from Erick Larson, what is required of you in order for your account to be credited is the Item's Tracking/Reference number, this number will be given to you at the courier office after you might have sent the item to the bearer, this is part of our new policy and a security measure in order to protect both the buyer and the seller, also to verify if the item was really bought from you we have sent you a confirmation email earlier to inform you that the payment is legal and has been confirmed, also to guide you against fraudulent acts.
We have included the buyer's full name and amount paid for you to know this message was really sent from PayPal. We advise that you make sure the item is sent out as soon as possible and request for a tracking number at the post office after you might have sent out the item, then you can email us the number by replying directly to this message after it might have been given to you at the courier office so as to credit your account without delay.
After we receive the number from you for security verification, your account will be credited at once, Our system has witness new upgrades, Please don't be surprised if you see us forwarding you to new customer attendants, its due to the amount of fraud going on involving our name which we are trying all our best to limit and put a stop to. As soon as we receive the requested information from you, your account will be credited.
PayPal Account Review Department.
Sincerely,
Buyer's Comment:
Ship Method: USPS EXPRESS MAIL INTERNATIONAL
The buyer is a Craigslist & PayPal
Verified Buyer
Ship to:
Receiver's Name: Shina Adulphus
Address:Block 144,Flat 4 Jakande Estate,Oke Afa, City:Lagos
State:Lagos State.
Country:Nigeria
Zip/Postal code:23401.
Failure to comply may result in loss of shipping allowance, poor seller rating or suspension of seller privileges.
PayPal
Copyright © 1999-2009 PayPal. All rights reserved.
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CALLED PAY PAL AND FORWARDED EMAILS TO
SPOOF@PAYPAL.COM
After I got paypal emails Erick Larsen sent me this email:
Erick to me
show details 9:04 AM (1 hour ago)
Have made out the payment,Check out your paypal mail box for the payment confirmation mail from paypal Ok once you must have gotten the payment confirmation mail go and make the shipment via USPS Express Mail International Post Office.
Get back to me once you are back form the post office.
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PS HIS EMAIL WAS
larsoneric30@gmail.com.
Now to the second guy.............
First email
Richard Bauer to me
show details Jun 12 (2 days ago)
--
Hello there, I saw your advert on ebay and i'm interested in purchasing the item. I wanna know if the item is still available and in good condition. Kindly specify how much you will let go as per ''buy it now'' option. Kindly get back to me ASAP.
Best Regards,
Richard.
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Richard Bauer to me
show details Jun 12 (2 days ago)
Hi There,
Thanks for the quick response, my payment mode is Cashier Check and will be posted to you through courier service... I want you to remove
the add right away so that i can be rest assured that you are really selling the item to me. I'm adding $50 to the payment for removing the add, however i'm offering you $550 for the item. So kindly get back to me with your full information such as:
Full Name
Residential Address (not P.O box)
Phone Number
I want you to have this in mind that my private mover will handle the pickup and all necessary documents. So i don't want to bother your self concerning the shipment.
Thanks.
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Richard Bauer to me
show details Jun 12 (2 days ago)
I will inform my secretary to prepare and post the payment to you first thing on monday morning, as soon as its mailed i will inform you about this, so that you will aware of when to expect it, normally it should take just about 3-5 working days to reach Ur place so that the mover can come over for the pick up after payment cashed so that what he does simply is to have the item examined and pick up. So i will need you to hold the Item on my behalf for at a week or there about for payment to arrive, Please i will like if you kindly inform me as soon as you get the payment so that i can have my shipper ready for the pick up,i will be looking forward to your reply, Once again thank you..I will keep you updated.
Best Regards,
Bauer.
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Richard Bauer to me
show details Jun 12 (1 day ago)
call me (209) 779-5618
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This email address was
rhowhd@gmail.com
I am posting these so people know that there all different kinds of fraud that people are commiting. Cashier/ money orders/pay pal. If you get anything that sounds like these emails, do not even reply or bother w/ them. They will just try to screw you out of your item.
I thankfully knew something was not right about either of these, plus I still get more everyday. It's insane.
I did call out Erick Larsen and told him he should be ashamed of what he is doing to people and to never contact me again.
I tried asking Richard Bauer about who the private mover/shipper was, why he just didnt buy it via ebay, why he wouldnt pay via paypal, how this supposed shipper would be examing the laptop, etc; and never got a reply to any of those questions. He gave me the phone number which no one ever answered.
I believe w/ the pay pal scam the reason why he contacted me at night and said he would not pay till morning was because he wanted me to get the you got money email from pay pal, run right out, ship it, and if he had sent it the night before it would have given me all night to think about the email and reread the contents.
Please beware!!
Now my fiance has me scared to even sell it through ebay because he's afraid we will send the winner a great working laptop, they will have it for a few weeks or even a month, break it, and file a dispute saying it was broken when the got it w/ pay pal (as buyers have up to 90 days to dispute and get there money back). So, now I don't think I will even sell it through ebay. That would suck to sell it, ship it, and get an email a month later saying they want there money back and in 95% of cases pay pal says ship it back to seller and we will refund money. So, I would end up w/ no money and a laptop someone else broke. You can't win.
If you sell on craigslist.com only sell if the person comes to your home or meeting place and pays cash and takes the item w/ them.
Good luck to all and I hope you read all of this as someday you may get scammed and fall for it if not.