Apparently you can get scammed using PayPal and Gmail
I’ve been trying to sell my MacBook on Craigslist and Kijiji and had an inquiry. After searching for the obviously Nigerian-style phrases in the second message, I sure wasn’t going to wait around to find out how you can get scammed by PayPal.
(Messages posted in reverse order for your reading pleasure. I’m posting this to hopefully keyword Google with this alias.)
> From: Katty weatherly <katty.weatherly01@gmail.com>
> To: sale-742868246@craigslist.org
> Sent: Sunday, July 6, 2008 12:54:06 PM
> Subject: DO YOU STILL HAVE IT AVAILABLE F:S 13.3″ MacBook - white, 2GHz, 2GB
> RAM, 80GB - $1000 (Waterloo - near UW/Laurier)
>
> ** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY — AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
> ** Avoid:Â wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
> ** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
> ** More Info:Â http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html
>
> DO YOU STILL HAVE IT AVAILABLE F:S
>
>
> ——————————————————————
> this message was remailed to you via: sale-742868246@craigslist.org
> ——————————————————————
—
On 7/7/08, Jake Billo
wrote:
> Yes, the MacBook is still available for sale.
>
> Thanks,
> Jake
—
From: Katty Weatherly
To: Jake Billo
Sent: Monday, July 7, 2008 4:43:07 AM
Subject: Re: DO YOU STILL HAVE IT AVAILABLE F:S 13.3″ MacBook - white, 2GHz, 2GB RAM, 80GB - $1000 (Waterloo - near UW/Laurier)Thanks for the reply, the price is okay by me I will add $100.00 USD
for the shipping cost….making $1100.and i am ready to purchase from
you immediately which am buying this item to someone else,the payment
will be made via paypal cos is very secure and fast way to receive
money online and i don’t want you to look for any other buyer.i would
have love to come down for the pickup.But am not chanced to do that
now but am satisfy with your description of the item .I will like to
read from you concerning this moving arrangement before processing
and sending the payment out to you. i will like you to give me your
paypal account email id or send me an invoice for me to send your
payment.i will expect your mail.asap
Thanks in advance.
Hope to hear from you………………
Katty…………
—
Quit trying to scam people.
http://www.computerforum.com/124259-paypal-scam.html
I suppose you’re located in Italy for a conference as well?
http://www.netlinkaccess.com/Cost-Accounting/25790.htm
Die in a fire.
Regards,
Jake
Gmail’s FAQ doesn’t even give a way to try and get the account pulled, only to report phishing through my own Gmail account. The full message headers are useless and only claim that the original message was sent through HTTP. I’ve reported the account using this page, which I found in the support forums.
Lewis:
Sadly, about 96% of people are just too stupid to see through that.
July 7, 2008, 12:07 pmJake Billo:
I can see how easily someone wanting to part with their item could get suckered in, though. I’d have gone through with it just to see how PayPal dealt with it (and hopefully shut down a scammer’s account) but I’ve heard they generally nuke your account too for being involved in a scam. Didn’t want to risk that.
July 7, 2008, 12:22 pmAlex Diaz:
Damnit Jake you missed out on a golden deal right there
July 9, 2008, 4:54 pmw blake:
Just received an email from her vis-a-vis an article I have on Craigslist and the response I got back was almost identical to yours.
July 16, 2008, 1:40 pmJake Billo:
Yeah, I figured posting this would seed Google with the keywords for her name and email address. Looks like it’s working! If it helps even one other person from getting ripped off, it’ll be worth sharing the experience.
July 16, 2008, 1:43 pmTrevor:
how you guys doing, I have a watch on sale on kijij and I just recieved two emails in one day which is ironic because my item has been on for quite awhile now and the only two emails I get are from two different email addresses and they both are quite similar, thought something was fishy so I decided to go and look for if ts possible to be scammed through paypal, as thats what the payment was going to be controlled by. AM I ever glad I found this.. Check this out.
Again I havent had a hit from this for along time, AND the only two I get are very similar and ironically to yours as well. I thank you for posting this, honestly I cant even explain.. And your so right, people get to carried away with someone having interest in their item they just seem to trust somebody they dont know and get lured in..
From: thomassmth670@yahoo.com
Hi,
I am interested in purchasing this item, i will like you get back to me with
the present condition of this product and the
cost plus international shipping of the item,’Cos i will like to ship to my wife. if its in a good condition you can go ahead and remove the ad from the site becos i will pay for it.
i will like to let you know that i will be making my paying via paypal , so do get back to
me with the final cost and international shipment cost also send me your paypal id or send a payment request
to thomassmth670@gmail.com
Cheers,
Tom.
——————————————————————
From: willde23@gmail.com
Good morning
My eye cut your item listed for sale and i will like you get back to me with the
the condition of the and the final cost plus international shipping of the item,
i will like to let you know that i will be paying via paypal , so do get back to
me with the final cost and also send me your paypal id or send a payment request
to willde23@gmail.com.
Thanks
————–
August 29, 2008, 11:35 pmThese people are fucking dumb, please excuse me!
I must ad they cant spell, they got the international part right, they are just low lifes, they are just immature kids, and again low life adults that need a job, or a life.
Trevor:
this was my response..
From: Helter
Sent: August 30, 2008 3:46:44 AM
To: thomassmth670@yahoo.com
Its perfect condition, and actually I cant give you that information because I dont have any, I will love to take YOUR money through mail, so once I get your CASH, I will give you the watch that you most likely are trying to scam me for
have a great day Fucker!
August 29, 2008, 11:48 pmJake Billo:
Way to go Trevor. Apparently it gets really impossible to sell high end electronics on eBay now because of all the scams, so I assume people are targetting Craigslist next.
August 30, 2008, 3:22 pmkk:
hey thanks a lot for the notice! i got the same exact one
September 2, 2008, 6:23 pmthanks:
thanks a lot for this. I got the same message after posting to sell a camera in kijiji.
September 2, 2008, 8:32 pmYREU:
FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKK U ALLLLLL IT A LIE THEY PAY IS YOU PEOPPEL THAT TAKE THE MONEY AWAY…
October 19, 2008, 1:02 pmu MORON
Chester Palmer:
i jus got ripped off by that same email adress and google it and this came back I have police and ic3.gov working on it go there and report this because Im not stopping to get mine
October 22, 2008, 1:02 pmDavid:
Hello,
Sorry for the delay,i am hoping to buy your camera for my Cousin who traveled with the parents to West Africa for some HIV/AIDS Campaign, i will like it to be delivered to him cos I am currently out of town for my sister’s wedding. I will be adding an extra $80 for expenses and shipment fees and i will be making the payment through paypal. If you have a paypal account, send paypal money request to my paypal email address marythmp1@gmail.com so that i can make payment immediately and if you don’t have, go to paypal website http://www.paypal.com and sign up, its free. Hoping to hear from you soon,
thanks.
Mary
Thank You…You guys saved me a lot of hassle.
October 22, 2008, 6:40 pmalan:
LOL guys i just put my samsung blackjack phone for sale on kijiji and i got an email from that scammer Katty Weatherly lol
November 7, 2008, 4:35 am“DO YOU STILL HAVE THIS ITEM AVAILABLE F:S”
alan:
Thanks for the reply,the price is okay by me I will add 100.00 USD for
November 7, 2008, 5:18 pmthe shipping cost..making 260$.and i am ready to have it purchase from
you immediately which am buying this item to someone else ,the
payment will be made via paypal cos is very secure and fast way to
receive money online and i don’t want you to look for any other
buyer.i would have love to come down for the pickup.But am not
chanced to do that now im starting new job this week but am satisfy
with your description of the item .I will like to read from you
concerning this moving arrangement before processing and sending the
payment out to you. i will like you to give me your paypal account
email id or send me an invoice for me to send your payment.i will
expect your mail.asap
Thanks in advance.
Hope to hear from you……………
alan:
and my answer is
November 7, 2008, 5:23 pmmy paypal account is gofuckurself@noscammers.com
lol