Craigslist Paypal Scammers to Avoid

I had posted an ad with KSL (kind of like craigslist) and this was my first response that I received.
It's frustrating how fast scammers find you.

(1/2)Hi I'm interested in your (2010 Hot Springs Relay Hot Tub Excellent condition!!!) If you still have it for sale please back to me asap

(2/2)with the price...Thanks

Me: We are asking $3800.

(1/3)Hello Thanks for getting back to me,what is it's condition ? did you have any picture of it...I am buying this sight unseen been a navy
(2/3)officer and right now i am at work on the ship so i can not come to see it but i have a pick up agent that will handle that for
(3/3)me,payment will have to be by PayPal because that is the only form of payment i can make from here..pls get back to me with your paypal

Me: Sorry cash only

(1/3)Hi Thanks for the message ....the reason why PayPal is the only payment option is because it is safe and secure and as soon as i make
(2/3)the payment for it,you will be sent a notification for the payment receipt in your email ....and the pick up representatives only comes
(3/3)up when we have finish the deal so don't worry i will be the one to take care of the pick up expenses ok. i will be glad if you can log

Me:I have heard too many scams that work this way. I have a few other people interested right now an am not willing to have to western union any money to an agent for their fees.

The number was:281-318-6147

This was weird to me because I put all my ads up with prices and pictures and info on the condition. That right there was my first red flag. I figured it was a scam up front but did not know 100% until I found this post. We will see what they say next....
Thanks so much! I was going to forward to paypal but I don’t have their email address so I don’t think it will do me any good.

I have been communicating with RIck Smith his last email saying he sent the payment was suspicious because he said he sent extra money for the movers and it seemed like a lot not to mention. I googled phone number and found this website. He used this email Rick Smith < [email protected] > to contact me.
I'm glad I found this site.

So glad to have found you! Here is my scam experience.....

Rick Smith is still using the same response and I received a reply from Sophia Clark [email protected].
Here is her response:
Thanks for your response, Please I'm sorry i should have love to come in person to pay in cash because i need this item or i should have also send it through bank but as i told you i am not around for now and the only chance i have is to pay you through PayPal that is the only easy way i have to pay you for now and i have been using my PayPal to buy items through kijiji without any problem, so please kindly send me your PayPal email address so that i can proceed with the payment right away.

Thanks.
Sophia.

We're delighted to see that more and more people are catching on to the spoof Paypal message scam used by fake buyers on ad sites.

As much as it might seem perfect that you have found a buyer who doesn't want to view or collect your item personally, most times it's just the first step in a scam.

The scammer won't tell you up front the full story, otherwise it's much easier to spot. It's only later he insists that payment is via Paypal (so he can send a spoof Paypal message) and that you are required to pay his collection agent (really him) by Western Union/Moneygram.

If you aren't sure at Step 1, by all means let him proceed to Step 2, but if he starts wanting you to pay a phoney collection agent by Western Union - he's a scammer for certain.

They may never give up completely but currently it's an epidemic and it's likely that every seller will receive at least one message that scammers send out in bulk, hundreds at a time, fishing for victims.

Selling my car on craigslist and got a similar email. My guy was an oceanographer- I have to give him props for creativity. My guard was up, but I couldn't figure out how it could be a scam. I use Paypal often to buy things and their fraud protection is great.

I knew it had to be a scam once I got a 2nd email from a different scammer, trying to do the exact same thing. These people are probably sitting at computers next to each other in Nigeria and can't even communicate.

A little google research led me here, and I understand how the scam works. Makes me feel a lot more comfortable knowing that their scam involves a fake Paypal site rather than the real thing.

Welcome to Scamwarners chicasarita,

Please post the email address of both scammers. This will help others avoid their scam attempts if they search the internet using the address. Also the first couple of messages they sent you is also helpful.

The scammer wanted to send you a fake Paypal payment. He has a fake Paypal address from a free email provider. The payment would look real. Its a screen shot of a fake payment. Depending on what you were selling he would either try to steal your money or property. If it was a vehicle or large item, he would pretend to make an overpayment. He then will instruct you to pay a mover, shipper or agent. The fake Paypal email from the scammer would say that your Paypal funds will be released when you send the scammer (mover,agent or shipper) money via Western Union or Money Gram. In reality Paypal would never hold your funds.

Log into Paypal directly without any links to check for monies received or call Paypal directly from the number on their site.

If you are selling electronics, Cell phones or computers then the scammer is trying to steal your "item". Your fake funds will be released when you send the scammer a scan copy of a receipt showing you mailed your item.

This same scam works with fake check and money orders. You and your bank will think they are real. After you cash the fake check. Days or weeks later your bank will inform you of the fraud. Your bank will have you repay the monies. Possibly close your account for fraud and report you to Law Enforcement.

The best thing to do is to sell in person face to face in a public place.

Someone else tried to scam me as well, but I found this forum before wasting much time communicating. The weird thing is that the same scam wrote from 2 different accounts at the same time. Their emails, situations, locations targeted towards me were different. I was selling furniture. After seeing both persons with same set of questions coming from "different" cities and buying for different loved ones, I just responded that the item could no longer be sold to him. No answers back.

From: Smith <[email protected]>
Date: September 10, 2013 1:39:27 PM EDT

Hello, I will appreciate it if you to get back to me with your bottom
price at my email address walkerchromer at gmail dot com. I hope it's
still in OK condition ?

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From: Smith Johnson <[email protected]>
Date: September 10, 2013 3:14:28 PM EDT

hello i came across your ads just now. i just wanna know if the item
is still up for sale? if so pls get back to me asap....

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From: Rick Smith < [email protected] >
Date: September 10, 2013 4:58:43 PM EDT

Hello,

Thanks for the response, My name is Rick Smith. I am buying this as a surprise to someone very dear to me and I want to keep it that way(AS A SURPRISE) after delivery day. I work with Turner Construction,we are currently working at a very rural area which makes it very hard for me to make phone calls due to bad network reception here but you can always text me on (501)438-9373 . I will not be able to view it but I have a Mover who will come for the pickup so please get back to me with more pics and also I will be making the payment via PayPal as that is the only payment option I can access from here I hope you understand.I have some questions for you;

Are you the first owner of it?
Where do you live?
What is your final asking price?
Does it have anything negative i should know about?

Hope to read back from you soon.....
Regards Smith

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From: Smith Johnson <[email protected]>
Date: September 10, 2013 5:04:14 PM EDT



Thanks for the respond my name is Smith Johnson a 60 yr old deaf
father, i live in Florida (panama city) i saw your listing while
checking on CL and i will like to purchase from you, i want you to
know am buying this as a gift for my son and i want to keep it as a
surprise to him on till it delivered. I tried buying here but I
realized that there are only few items here. I will not be able to
view it but I have a Mover who will come for the pickup so please get
back to me with some resent pictures and also I will be making the
payment via PayPal as that is the only payment option I can access
from here I hope you understand I have some questions for you;
Are you the first owner of it?
Where do you live?
What is your final asking price?
Does it have anything negative i should know about?

Added quotation. (BW)

Rick Smith contacted me for a sectional and dining room set I listed. His email was exactly the same as others have posted. His email address is [email protected] . I Googled the phone number he gave me and this was the first result. Thanks for saving me lot of trouble and confirming my suspicions. I really appreciate it.

Welcome to Scamwarners BBKoenigsegg,

What was the phone number he used? Please post the email he sent you. Remember to remove your person information. Sometimes these scammer make little changes to their scripts. We like to see the scripts.

This was the exact email he sent me, copied and pasted from my inbox:

Hello,

Thanks for the response, My name is Rick Smith. I am buying this as a surprise to someone very dear to me and I want to keep it that way(AS A SURPRISE) after delivery day. I work with Turner Construction,we are currently working at a very rural area which makes it very hard for me to make phone calls due to bad network reception here but you can always text me on (501)438-9373 . I will not be able to view it but I have a Mover who will come for the pickup so please get back to me with more pics and also I will be making the payment via PayPal as that is the only payment option I can access from here I hope you understand.I have some questions for you;

Are you the first owner of it?
Where do you live?
What is your final asking price?
Does it have anything negative i should know about?

Hope to read back from you soon.....
Regards Smith

It's the exact wording as two posts on the previous page.

^^^Thank you.

I was recently hit by this scammer while selling a car on craigslist. Fortunately I had a feeling something was up and contacted PayPal before proceeding. The crooked parties involved also attempted to bully me via aggressive text messages when I responded that I was not going to be sending them any payments what so ever. They even went as far as sending an email claiming to be PayPal with a fake F.B.I letter head, stating that If i did not send the money via Money Gram my bank and credit accounts would be frozen and i would be facing federal charges. I was corresponding with an unknown party (I'll just call them Mr. Fail) from a Nevada phone number 775-234-3082 if that helps any. Below is one of the fake emails Mr. Fail sent me.

*****PayPal New Funds on Pending To Be Credited Into Your Account From Diana Anderson*****‏
Service@paypal ([email protected])

To: ****************@outlook.com
From: Service@paypal ([email protected])
Sent: Tue 6/30/15 12:22 PM

Powered by PayPal

Hello ****************@outlook.com,
PayPal new funds on pending to be credited into your account from Diana Anderson.
As mentioned in the receipt of Payment and as per New PayPal Payment policy to protect both the buyer and the seller, we have fully debited the total sum 3,700.00 USD from the buyer's account Diana Anderson which includes the buyer's pick up fees.
In order to complete this transaction and get the funds approved into your account.We advice you go to nearest Money Gram Office, and send $900.00 USD to the pick up Agent and send us a the Reference # details including senders name and address.
NOTE: This is important as a security measure to ensure the safety of both the seller and the buyer.
Please, find below the address of the Transport Agent where the Funds would be sent to via Money Gram Money Transfer.

Shipping Agent address:
Name: Eduardo Acosta
Address:1516 n parson p.l
City: Santa Ana
State: ca
Zip code: 92703
Country: USA
Address Status: Confirmed

View Payment Summary
Paid From Visa Mastercard eCheque
(Premier Business Account)
Payment Summary
Sent to **************@outlook.com
Sent from Diana Anderson
[email protected]
Transaction Identity KMM69870892V1725L0KM
Amount $3,700.00 USD
https://www.paypal.com/us/mrb/pal=KZAL42RVE3MQS

I too was just targeted by this low life:

Thanks for the response, My name is Rick Smith. I am buying this as a surprise to someone very dear to me and I want to keep it that way(AS A SURPRISE) after delivery day. I work with Turner Construction,we are currently working at a very rural area which makes it very hard for me to make phone calls due to bad network reception here but you can always text me . I will not be able to view it but I have a Mover who will come for the pickup so please get back to me with more pics and also I will be making the payment via PayPal as that is the only payment option I can access from here I hope you understand.I have some questions for you;

Are you the first owner of it?
Where do you live?
What is your final asking price ?
Does it have anything negative i should know about?

Hope to read back from you soon.....
Regards Smith
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I know it won't do anything, but I still feel happy with my response once I searched him out:

Forgive me, but I am always leery with regards to this sort of cryptic response as I have been duped before.

In searching if I am justified in my feeling, I found that I am.

In fact I found several nearly identical message posts some even including your email address listed in some scam forums.

Alias "Brown Smith"

I will be reporting this to craigslist and any other place I can, and adding to your "avoid at all costs" online profile.

And might I add, shame on you. I am injured and unemployed and selling these items because I am in desperate need for money to live and to know that there are people out there like you taking advantage of people who may not know how to spot a scammer makes my blood boil.

I am sure now you will come up with another name and email address to continue your slimy ways, but I sincerely hope that you are caught and prosecuted. And if not, you will have to answer to a higher power someday. Hope you have plenty of sunscreen.

Do not contact me again, or I will lead the charge!

^^^ Welcome to Scamwarners,

Thanks for the update. Please post the email address and/or the phone number he used. This will help others if they search for that information.

If you have any questions please ask.

Sorry, I guess it would make sense to add his contact info.

Man, I wish these scum bags could get caught!! I had such high hopes when I got a response. I really need to get these things sold. Its depressing. 

The name used: Rick Smith.
Number texted from: 407-848-2595
Email used: [email protected]
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While I’m writing, I got a second response yesterday as well.

Of course being on guard already, I was immediately suspicious due to some warning flags. I did a search of this "person", but actually didn’t come up with anything; I did send back very guarded response, which may have put her (?) off, if it was in fact legit, as she has not responded back since.

Here is that exchange:

The number texted from: 702-618-9141
Name used: Anne J. Miller
Email: [email protected]

Original text msg:

“Antique Roll Top Desk w/Chair - $1000 Hi,I just saw this ad, so i want to know the condition, is there any wear or tear? pls reply to my email at [email protected] you can use the item as subject in the email for clarifications. Thanks.”

I responded, “sent email”:

My response in email:

“It is in fairly good condition for its age and travels. It does have a few scuffs here and there. Mostly at the bottom. I also still have the keys for both sections.”

Hers (this is where I got suspicious):

“Alright, Pls what is your final price, I'm interested, what is the address where it can be picked up? because am arranging for a pick up and if possible Send me the recent picture of it.”

**The price was listed in the ad as “$1000 firm”, so that was a flag. Plus the picture was in the ad.

I told her I had just targeted by a verified scammer and was suspicious as she was asking questions she already knew the answers to, as well as the “having it picked up” part.

I further told her, it would be a cash transaction only at pickup, and that I would not deal with movers/couriers and would give her my address once she agreed to my terms. I did apologize if she felt I was being too brusk. Needless to say, I have not heard back, but still feel I was justified to feel uneasy. I think it was a potential scam.

Anyone heard of this person??

Thanks.