Paypal fraud by buyer on Gumtree website

Sab2020

Sorry, to say that I am now a victim of fraud on Gumtree.

I posted an advert for a PS4 on Gumtree on last Friday and I was pleased to have someone make an offer yesterday (Monday 4th May). However, it could be fraud as I have not recieved the money in payment to my Paypal account. To make matters worse, I posted the games console yesterday (Monday 4th May) via Special Delivery Royal Mail, as requested, and it looks like the parcel was recieved today. I was under the impression that the buyer would pay me after I told him the tracking number but today at 10.45 pm Tuesday 5th May but I still have not recieved any payment yet.

I have the email address and the postal address that I sent the parcel to. How would I report this to the police? Can Paypal help? Is this actually a common Paypal fraud? What are my rights?

davidmcn

Sorry, how do you know this is "fraud" and not just "payment not yet made"?

I have no idea why you posted the item before you got paid, or how Paypal come into it when there doesn't appear to be (yet) a Paypal transaction. If you agreed to sell the item then you're entitled to be paid the price.

Aylesbury_Duck

As above, you may be jumping the gun. But next time, don't send the item before being paid. 

If the buyer has been dishonest, it's not PayPal fraud. They're just your chosen method of payment. 

Sab2020

The buyer has sent me two emails, Virtual Paypal messenger confirmed that one of the emails from him was not from Paypal. These two emails were made to look like they were from Paypal. This leads me to think this fraud. Alsio, he is making strange excuses as to why he is not paying me such as " I am offshore".

Sab2020

One of the emails that I recieved is as below with personal information deleted:

• 

  service@paypal.co.uk <safepay_onlineservices@accountant.com>

  To: XXXXX
  

  Mon, 4 May at 10:12

  
  Hello XXXXXX,

  Thank you for using PayPal. This is to inform you that a review of recent transaction made to your account by XXXX indicates that you have received a payment of XXXX but it is currently pending for shipment verification due to the security measures we've taken. 

  
  For security purposes, This payment is pending because it was sent in a currency in which you do not currently hold a balance.The funds has been removed from the buyer's account which will be credited to your account as soon as we receive the shipment reference number to avoid fraud because many sellers don't ship the items after their accounts have been credited.

  
  

  To complete this transaction,get back to us with the Shipment Reference Number so that we can verify that the item has been shipped and transfer the funds deducted from the buyer's account to your account.

  
  Your payment is safe with us and this security measure is invented due to high rates of complains from buyers that after payment has been received by sellers, sellers hesitate to ship out the items. Therefore, carry out the shipment as instructed, send us the shipment tracking details of the package and your account will be credited immediately we've confirmed and authentically verified the shipment tracking number.
  

  
  

  Shipping Address - Confirmed

  
  

  XXXXX     .         .
  

  
  

  
  

   Here is the recent history of your Transfer Status in the Transfer Menu: 
  

  Transfer on hold

  :      Transfer Current Percentage% 98%Done...PayPal Message:Transfer On Hold...Shipment Tracking Number Required...

  
  

  
  
  

  NOTE: This payment has been approved and deducted from the buyer's account. Your account will definitely be credited as soon as we've verify your shipment. Thus, Email us the tracking number of the shipment by replying this mail or the payment notification we sent you for shipment verification to take place.

  
  Below are the necessary information requested before your account will be credited. Send the tracking number of the Postage to our customer-care  safepay_onlineservices@accountant.com 
  
  

  
  
  Thank you for your cooperation.
   
  

  Sincerely,

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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  ---

theonlywayisup

Yes it is a common scam.
You should ALWAYS safely log in to your Paypal account to check a transaction is deposited.

Aylesbury_Duck

Yes, you've been conned.  As advised above, you should always check your PayPal account to check that funds have actually arrived before sending the item. 

You should report it but nothing will come of it. I'm afraid your console is gone. 

pinkshoes

This is a very common scam I’m afraid. Your money and games console are gone as you didn’t check your PayPal account before sending.

Also, Gumtree is for face to face transactions with cash.

sorry!

soolin

Quite an old scam this and very common, I haven’t seen it around for a while as it was well covered in the various newspapers and watchdog type programmes and I think most people were aware of it. 

Unfortunately if you shipped on the basis of a dodgy fake PayPal email then this is going to be difficult to sort out, Obviously it has nothing at all to do with PayPal so your route to getting anything back is direct with the buyer.

You have an address, so firstly check that out, you need to know if it is a proper residential address or a boarding house or lodging of some sort . You really need to snoop here, do everything you can to work out if this went to a good address, who lives there, etc. If the address looks good then send a letter stating that you sent goods in good faith and if they were not ordered by them to hold the goods safely until you can arrange collection, or if there was an error in payment, to make payment. After that you can start with the letter before action route and small claims. 

davidmcn

soolin said:

After that you can start with the letter before action route and small claims. 

Against whom though? I doubt the fraudster will have been daft enough to provide a real name and/or address.

soolin

davidmcn said:

soolin said:

After that you can start with the letter before action route and small claims. 

Against whom though? I doubt the fraudster will have been daft enough to provide a real name and/or address.

That’s why they need to investigate the address, it will almost certainly be a boarding house or shop type place with forwarding abilities, but if it is a private house then they know where item is.