A Paypal Scam

[retiredhappy]

As many of you know I'm advertising my RV for sale on Craigs List. Got an email supposedly from a woman in the Navy out to sea and wanting to buy my RV as a surprise gift for her son. Even told me what ship she was on and when I checked it was actually deployed dealing with Somali pirates. Said she wanted to pay the $16,000 via Paypal. I called Paypal and they have a $10,000 limit for transactions and had no record of any email attached to the woman's email address. This morning I get an email from from her saying the "pickup agent" has charged her $1050 and she will add it to her payment to me thru Paypal and will I reimburse her thru Western Union. Then I get an email from "paypal" saying there is $17,050 in my account from this woman. When I go directly to Paypal and my account, of course there's nothing there. I forwarded all the emails to Paypal at their request. Then I get another email supposedly from Paypal, saying the funds won't show immediately for "MY" protection???? This entire scam is to get the $1,050 from me thru Western Union.

I was suspicious when I got the first email. She wanted to buy that day, without seeing the rig, and send me my money immediately, Yeah, right!! Also when you read the email the grammar isn't quite right, kinda like English wasn't their first language.

The old saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" certainly is right. Be suspicious my friend, be very suspicious.

[Yakn1]

That is always a HUGE decusion on the Airstream forum.
Be VERY careful!

[chalet05]

Yep, I had the same sort of deal come my way when selling furniture only that wasn't a PayPal 'transaction'.

[Bethers]

It's very important to know the "real" from the fake. They send out fake notices from banks, also. Remember, never click directly on links in those messages - if there is a link, copy and paste it into a new browser window. Often the link looks real, but it's a "hyperlink" taking you to a different place so that you think what you're seeing is right - like that money in your account. The real link to your account didn't show it. And never, ever do a transaction where you are sending them back money. That right away lets you know it's a scam. Glad you were being careful, Karen. Would have loved to see you sell the rig legitimately - but don't want anyone to take advantage of you! Good for you.

[WickedLady]

When they say: Send money by Western Union, it is always a scam. Glad you did not fall for it.

[Liz]

I'm so glad you were suspicious and checked it out. I had a similar experience when selling my first Roadtrek online. Avoided one scam, and a second offer to buy turned out legit, but I insisted on a cash only deal in person at my credit union where they checked the cash as it was received. It was a Roadtrek dealer from Canada that didn't speak good English and used a friend to translate. (You can imagine all the red flags going off in my head about that, but he ended up buying it...my way.)

So be very careful.

[Gentleladybear]

On Craig's list the scam is sending a cashier's check by UPS. Flags went up when they wanted to do this for a 50.00 item. Craig's list has a link at the bottom of the email for you to flag it back to them. My son was just hit by buying an item online through Walmart and someone in Iowa was using his information buying 100.00 gift cards from Walmart. The CU caught this one and froze his account because they couldn't get him by phone. You have to be very vigilant now to keep people from stealing from you.

[cpatinjones]

A lot of scams going on! Happy you picked up on it.

[JoanE]

Be very wary. I rec'd a check for several thousand dollars in the mail. Instructions said to deposit it to my account and use a certain amount to be a secret shopper. The balance should be sent back to the company. I called the FBI and turned it all over to them. It was a scam.

[BarbaraRose]

I have gotten several suspicious e-mails when advertising or checking out ads on Craigs List. I checked on a condo for rent that sounded really good and close to where I work. The "owner" was in another country and had the key to the place and wanted the deposit sent to him and he would send the key. Ha! Yeah right!

Poor language, foreign names, foreign countries, and asking for money to be transferred, are all big red flags for me.

[bluepinecones]

Nice save, Karen.
Hope you have a real buyer soon so you can buy a smaller rig and come back out to play.