Am I being scammed?

I advertise hand-made chandeliers on etsy.com. A possible buyer, one Sarah Smith emailed me saying she wants to buy one for her mum. We've been corresponding for a while now and I was not alarmed until I received this email from her this morning:

"I'm about to make the payments when i had this little problem with the picking up of the Item, I think you remember what i said in my previous mail that I'm working presently on the sea, so i tried to secure booking with my pick up agent, but they asked me to pay first before they can make the booking, and they only accept Western Union Money Transfer for payments and they don't accept PayPal or bank transfer.
So I tried to send the money online but it's not going through and I am on the sea there is no way i can find a western union agent to make the transfer to my pick up agent, so i wanted to ask if it will be OK for me to include my pick up agent's fees together with your payments through PayPal,So you will help me wire the pick up fee to them via western Union Money Transfer immediately i pay you.I don't mean to bother you I'm sure you understand that I'm presently on the sea and there is nothing i can do to that.The bottom line is after I have made the payments via PayPal,you will help me wire my pick up agent fee to them through western union money transfer, I just wanted to seek your consent before going ahead with the payments,I will be very happy if my offer is given a favorable consideration,Respond as soon as possible so that i can send out your Payment."

I did a bit of searching on the internet which more or less confirmed my suspicions and sent her the following email in reply:

"Hi Sarah

Excuse my ignorance, but I am not familiar with Western Union Money Transfers. I quickly went onto their website and they warn about scams of overpayment, ie

Overpayment: A common fraud in which the victim is sent a check in payment of a service or product ?that appears to be valid, but will eventually bounce. Typically the amount of the check ?exceeds what the victim expects to receive and he or she is instructed to send the ?excess to the fraudster. When the check bounces the victim is left responsible.?

So, as much as I would love to assist you with organizing your pick-up payment, I’m afraid it’s just too risky since I don’t know you personally. Please advise asap whether you’d be able to arrange something else regarding pick-up or whether I should cancel the order."

To which I got the following response just now:

"i want to assure you that am not one of those who do such thing,and besides,am using PayPal and not check,and with PayPal i think we are both 100 per save,so kindly get back to me soon so i can proceed with the payment. Regards."

Am I being scammed? What do you think?


"

[AlanJones]

100% scam. The email that you receive that says it is from PayPal will be from some other email address disguised to look like it is from PayPal. It is likely that the email will say that your payment is being held in Escrow by PayPal and won't show in your account until after the shippers have been paid.

The best thing to do now is cut off all contact with the scammer. And if you could also post the email address up that would help others avoid the scam.

Thanks Alan, the email from which it was sent is [email protected]. Just got another email from him/her:

The sum of $390.00 will be added to the funds and $350.00 for the pick up agent fees,$40.00 for western union charges,and once you receive a confirmation from PayPal and you make it to western union to get the funds wire to them immediately okay.The payment will be made to your PayPal account and just get everything done once you receive confirmation from PayPal,i will urge you not to delay the agent fee when you have receive confirmation email from PayPal.

Here is my agent details:
Courier Cargo Service
[email protected]
2 Greenwood Ave
Trenton,NJ 08611,USA.

kindly get back to me soon so i can proceed with the payment.
Thanks.

[AlanJones]

Thanks for posting the email addresses, this will help others who search for them to avoid being scammed.

The best thing to do now is to block the emails and do not respond to the scammer. They will eventually give up on you when it becomes aparent that you aren't going to give them any money.

I have just had the same thing on an enquiry through ETSY.COM .... i cant believe they even try and scam the poor. So heavy, but anyways they will get it back hard one day. Note: my final email in return to him/her/it/mixup what ever you want to call it. I did have a feeling that this wasnt legit, almost to good to be true sort of sale. The Suspect part was when i saw this one [email protected] i mean what courier company would be running off yahoo??

> On 2013-06-27 23:49, Janice Hartle wrote:
>> I am about to make the payment when i had this little problem with
>> the picking up of the Item, I think you remember what I said in my
>> previous mail that I'm working presently on the sea,so i tried to
>> secure booking with my pick up agent, but they asked me to pay first
>> before they can make the booking,and they only accept Western Union
>> Money. Transfer for payments and they don't accept PayPal or bank
>> transfer.
>>
>> So I tried to send the money online but it's not going through and I
>> am on the sea there is no way I can find a western union agent to make
>> the transfer to my pick up agent, so i wanted to ask if it will be OK
>> for me to include my pick up agent's fees together with your payments
>> through PayPal,So you will help me wire the pick up fee to them via
>> western Union Money Transfer immediately i pay you.I don't mean to
>> bother you I'm sure you understand that I'm presently on the sea and
>> there is nothing i can do to that.The bottom line is after I have made
>> the payments via PayPal,you will help me wire my pick up agent fee to
>> them through western union money transfer, I just wanted to seek your
>> consent before going ahead with the payments, I will be very happy if
>> my offer is given a favorable consideration,Respond as soon as
>> possible so that I can send out you Payment.
>>
>> Regards.


> OK, no problem. here's what i can do. let me know the amount you
> will be paying to your carrier & i will ad this to another invoice
> while i will cancel the previous one i just sent you. Also, let me
> know their contact & the details of delivery address & i shall contact
> them regarding myself paying them rather than you.
> Its currently 4pm so i should be able to contact them before 5pm or
> tomorrow morning..
>
> -- Regards,



> On 2013-06-27 23:49, Janice Hartle wrote:
>> I am about to make the payment when i had this little problem with
>> the picking up of the Item, I think you remember what I said in my
>> previous mail that I'm working presently on the sea,so i tried to
>> secure booking with my pick up agent, but they asked me to pay first
>> before they can make the booking,and they only accept Western Union
>> Money. Transfer for payments and they don't accept PayPal or bank
>> transfer.
>>
>> So I tried to send the money online but it's not going through and I
>> am on the sea there is no way I can find a western union agent to make
>> the transfer to my pick up agent, so i wanted to ask if it will be OK
>> for me to include my pick up agent's fees together with your payments
>> through PayPal,So you will help me wire the pick up fee to them via
>> western Union Money Transfer immediately i pay you.I don't mean to
>> bother you I'm sure you understand that I'm presently on the sea and
>> there is nothing i can do to that.The bottom line is after I have made
>> the payments via PayPal,you will help me wire my pick up agent fee to
>> them through western union money transfer, I just wanted to seek your
>> consent before going ahead with the payments, I will be very happy if
>> my offer is given a favorable consideration,Respond as soon as
>> possible so that I can send out you Payment.
>>
>> Regards.


Nice, ill do that. but before i do.. see that address at the bottom, come there on your boat for the pick up to save on postage (we live in a bay, real easy anchor styles) Knock on our door & ask for "Unkill Drunkle" dont be starteld from his drunkin octopus stance, be sure to get a big hug from him & a swift kick in the balls.

If your lucky you may even have the local Butcher birds peck the shit out of you (starting with your busted up balls) while you bake in the sun from a hectic god you dont want to mess with.

Up to you, the options yours. But ether way you will be delt to with out any of my doing. Karma & all the heavy shit will come back one day to fuck you up.

Much Love,

Unkill Austin

PS. What the fuck are you trying to scam now anyway? theres nothing to scam!! i currently have $0.00 in my bank account.