[email protected]

greybeard · Jan 4, 2017

I don't know if this is the right place for this but, yesterday I posted some gear on craigs list and this morning I got a hit by text. It went back and forth a bit and then the guy seemed like he was pulling the trigger. He had me request payment to him through PayPal and then I got this odd email from (so called ) PayPal.

(I have ****** out any names to protect the innocent lol )
Transaction ID: U-5K5539459S366673S

*****************t*******

*******************************************************************************************

Estimated funds availability
This payment is currently PENDING as it await shipment verification, so you're to get the item(s) shipped then mail us the tracking details for verification and the money will reflect in your account as soon as the shipment has been verified.

How to ship your buyer's item(s) and Payment assurance

Pick up the item(s) and go to the nearest USPS to ship out the item(s).
Get a tracking number with a receipt and Manually enter the shipment tracking details to us for verification of shipment to our tracking center at [email protected]

Instant funds to your PayPal account after shipment has been verified. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

***************************************************************************************************************

Supposedly money had been put into my PayPal account but was frozen until "trackitpay" got verification that I had shipped something (tracking no.) Then I googled "trackitpay" It is a scam.

zombiesniper · Jan 4, 2017

Looks like a scam. Below is the google search results of others with similar situations.

Google search

The best advice I read from the whole search was...
"You only ever send items if you have the money showing in your PayPal account. Even if it was on a PayPal hold the money would still show as pending in your PayPal account."

greybeard · Jan 4, 2017

zombiesniper said:
Looks like a scam. Below is the google search results of others with similar situations.

Google search

The best advice I read from the whole search was...
"You only ever send items if you have the money showing in your PayPal account. Even if it was on a PayPal hold the money would still show as pending in your PayPal account."

The money never did show in my wallet. I texted the guy that I would not ship anything until the funds were in my account. (no response)

zombiesniper · Jan 4, 2017

From what I can get from the [email protected] email it is not registered with eBay or paypal in any way.
I'd bet a beer you'd be out your product had you shipped anything.

limr · Jan 4, 2017

Just a closer look at the writing will tell you it's dodgy. The inappropriate colloquialisms ("you're to do X..."), the random capitalization (..and Manually enter"), the subject-verb errors ("...as it await shipment...").

Nope nope nope nope.

(PS - Also, I'm going to scoot this thread over to Discussions.)

Dean_Gretsch · Jan 4, 2017

Mr. Trump would probably have unshared knowledge about this :76:

480sparky · Jan 4, 2017

It has SCAM written all over it.

greybeard · Jan 4, 2017

limr said:
Just a closer look at the writing will tell you it's dodgy. The inappropriate colloquialisms ("you're to do X..."), the random capitalization (..and Manually enter"), the subject-verb errors ("...as it await shipment...").

Nope nope nope nope.

(PS - Also, I'm going to scoot this thread over to Discussions.)

Thanks for moving it to the proper forum.

Yes, I noticed that too. The thing stunk to high heaven the 1st time I read it. I read in one of the searches that I should forward it to "[email protected]" I did and here is what they replied.

"Thanks for forwarding that suspicious-looking email. You're right - it
was a phishing attempt, and we're working on stopping the fraud. By
reporting the problem, you've made a difference!"

jcdeboever · Jan 4, 2017

SCAM... 100% certain.
Why would you pay him? Cash only, in person, and in a public place like a McDonalds or Police station. Simple.

greybeard · Jan 4, 2017

zombiesniper said:
From what I can get from the [email protected] email it is not registered with eBay or paypal in any way.
I'd bet a beer you'd be out your product had you shipped anything.

That was my gut feeling from the moment I read the email.

DarkShadow · Jan 5, 2017

Any sale I do craigslist it's face to face or nothing at all,Craigslist warn about not accepting PayPal and shipping items for this very reason.

greybeard · Jan 5, 2017

DarkShadow said:
Any sale I do craigslist it's face to face or nothing at all,Craigslist warn about not accepting PayPal and shipping items for this very reason.

I am not opposed to shipping or PayPal. We do it all the time with ebay and from this site. My point is to tell readers that if you are selling something and a buyer tries to get you to ship before you see the money in your account, RUN

ClickAddict · Jan 5, 2017

Even if you get the money in your PayPal account there's no guarantee about a scam. The person can claim they never got it, or, if you have the shipment tracked, can claim the box was empty / filled with junk...., and Paypal will then reverse the charges, (Unless they've changed their "buyer's are right unless proven wrong" so you lose the money in your PP account after the transaction. Unless dealing with reputable buyer, it's always a risk. (Not sure how my insurance would handle that....? I haven't sold anything valuable since the company was insured.)