Craigslist Paypal Scam

Hello,

I decided to try my luck on selling a PS Vita on Craigslist yesterday. It is the first time I've tried to sell anything online. Within 10 minutes of making my post I recieved a text from a prospective buyer. He offered to purchase it through paypal. I listed the lot for $300. This is the text he sent me:

"will pay you $400 including the shipping fee, i will be paying you with my paypal account so get back to me with your paypal email address so as to make payment and if you dont have a paypal account you can set up one at http://www.paypal.com and get back to me as soon as possible."

He kept asking me to send him a tracking# so paypal could deposit the funds into my account. Just so everyone knows, PAYPAL DOES NOT WITHHOLD FEES FROM A TRANSACTION. I should have known better than to foolishly send this item once I realized that it was being sent to Nigeria. I just needed money and didn't follow my gut. So I sent the package. I was lucky though. The USPS Investigation team red flagged my package and called me about the matter. They told me that 99.9% of the time anything going to Nigeria is part of a scam and offered to return my package, which I got back today. After doing some research I found this website and saw verbatum in another posting everything that I had recieved as a scam. I will not make this mistake again and I am greatful that I didn't loose my stuff. Now I am recieving texts from the buyer asking why he can't view the package tracking. I don't know whether or not to screw with him, verbally assault him, or ignore him. So far I am just ignoring him.

Here is a copy of the fake paypal confirmation email he sent me:

"Hello ([email protected] ),

You have an instant payment of $400.00USD from Mary Luiz ([email protected])
You are required to ship out the item and get back to us with the tracking number.

Payment Sent (Unique Transaction ID #098234541674357F39E)
Original Transaction

Date Type Status Details Amount

Aug 8, 2012 Credit Card Pending Complete Details -$400.00USD
Related Transactions

Date Type Status Details Amount

Aug 8, 2012 Credit Card Pending Complete Details -$400.00USD


Funding Type: Credit Card

Funding Source:$400.00USD - Visa Card XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-1019

This transaction will appear on your bill as "PAYPAL".

You can report a transaction problem in the Resolution Center within 45 days of this payment.Have a problem with this transaction?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Merchant : [email protected]

Note to seller
You have to provide to us the shipment tracking number so that your funds can reflect in your account as soon as possible.

NAME: Idowu Adetola
Address:Block 26 flat 1 jakande estate oke afa
City: ISOLO.
State:Lagos.
Country:Nigeria.
Postal Code:23401

Shipping details
USPS Post Office
EXPRESS MAIL INTERNATIONAL

Issues with this transaction?
You have 2 days from the date of the transaction to open a dispute in the Security Center

IMPORTANT NOTE: This PayPal® payment has been deducted from the buyer's account and has been "APPROVED" but will not be credited to your account until the shipment reference/tracking number is sent to us for verification so as to secure both the buyer and the seller.Below are the necessary information requested before your account will be credited.Send tracking number to us or email us through this mail and our Customer security service center will attend to you. As soon as you send us the shipment's tracking number to us for security purposes and the safety of the buyer and the seller,the money will be credited to your Account.

**PLEASE NOTE**
Once item has been shipped and the tracking number sent to us,
You will receive a "CONFIRMATION EMAIL" from PayPal® Team informing you that the Fund has been credited to your Account.Thanks for using PayPal .

You are require to ship out the item and get back to us with the tracking number or custom form number.
For more information Please Get back To our Agent @ ([email protected] )

Copyright © 2000-2012 PayPal. All rights reserved.
PayPal Email ID PP307
This email was sent to [email protected] because your email preferences are set to receive the PayPal Periodical Newsletter and Product Updates.
Copyright © 2012 PayPal Inc. All rights reserved. PayPal is located at 2211 N. First "

I tried to reply to the email and it turned back a non-devilverable.

Hello mjhliberty and welcome to scamwarners.

I am glad you were lucky in this scam. The USPS did a great job for you. Thanks for posting your ordeal it will help others.

The scammer may send you threats of reporting you to the Police, FBI and etc. They are all bluffs. Just simply not respond to any messages from him. You can even block him. Please keep in mind that you may receive new and different types of scam mail.

Be aware of Craigslist check scam also. The scammer will send you a fake check or money order have you cash it at your bank. The check will be an over payment. He will want you to send money to a shipper / mover by Western Union or Money Gram. Days, weeks even months later the bank will inform you that the check was a fake. You will have to re-pay the money back to the bank and possibly be investigated for bank fraud.

Hi everyone,
Thanks for this site. I advertised some bunkbeds with photos and was all excited as I got 2 (women's) SIMILAR emails as follows

from person 1
email #1: Is the furniture still available for sale?
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
from [email protected]

email #2: Hi,I am very keen. How i wish i could come and view what am buying
from you.but am currently out of town at the moment and i want it
picked up before i get back, though i will be back in couple of weeks.
Due to my inability to make a bank deposit, I would be paying via
PayPal which is safer for me. Kindly send me a paypal payment invoice
or create an account at www.paypal.com, if you don't have one. I will
make a concrete pick up arrangement with my transport agent who will
be coming over for pick up once you receive full payment into your
PayPal account. Have a nice day.
from (please note the slightly different email) thomas brenda <[email protected]>

I got another similar one like this for the same item. Here it goes:
email 1: Is the furniture still available for sale?
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

From person 2

Am buying this for my uncle in as a surprise gift and understand i
and you assure me it's in condition described. I will appreciate more
pictures if available and will be sending your money asap. My shipper
will be available to pick this up as soon as payment is made. Do you
have paypal account?because, I have a paypal account that I can easily
send money through because, its good for business payments. Get back
to me with your paypal email address and name in order for me to have
your money sent on time. Confirm sale to me and remove the add from
posting.....

Yeah right. I was wondering how they would get my money from Paypal. I found numerous sites denouncing similar scams
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1014444
http://craigslistscammer.blogspot.com/2 ... -scam.html
http://www.fox4now.com/news/local/147387915.html

Darn, I gave them my cell #, home address and wife's cell #... I hope they are too stupid to do anything with those. My guess is they are not in the US (poor english language) so I won't see any thugs at my door