Unexpected payment into my PayPal account.

Robbie64

Hopefully I've posted this in the correct forum.

I've just received an email to say that a payment of US$350 has been made to my PayPal account. I didn't click on the link in the email but instead logged into my payPal account. Sure enough there's $350 / £245.83 in my account, paid in today for an item I've never sold to a person I've never heard of. The last time I used my PayPal account was a few months ago and I don't sell items so wasn't expecting this money.

Is this likely to just be a payment error, someone having entered my email address in error or is there some sort of con involved? Can anyone suggest what I should do? Other than suggesting I spend the money of course! I'd rather return it to the person if it is an error and there is a "Refund This Payment" button but I smell a rat here, like I'm half expecting that the sender might contact PayPal after I've refunded the sender and the money gets taken out again  which means it comes out of my bank account as my PayPal balance would be back to £0.00.

I've tried to see if there's a way to message the sender but there isn't. Clicking on the sender's name brings up another screen and the message "You're unable to send this user a message".

jimjames

If you don't use Paypal I'd leave in there for the moment and wait to see what happens

Robbie64

There's been a development. I've had an email from the person who paid the money. Again, I'm not going to respond to it but it looks like it's just an error. The email says:

Hi Bob,

$350 is on its way to you via PayPal.

Please confirm this is the adapter I need. I'll get that ordered.

Let me know when you get the funds and we can coordinate a pickup. Probably just bring it to Shoreline this weekend 9/25-26 - I'll be teaching and will be there both days until ~4:00pm.

If that doesn't work perhaps some other time will, or put it in your van for when we are both at Shoreline.

(name and telephone number removed)

The phone number has a Massachusetts, US area code. I googled the number and it is a valid phone number from someone living in Wareham, Massachusetts. No name on the search unfortunately. The email address looks genuine, it's not a spoof type email which is a business type of email address. I'm thinking it's probably a genuine error but I'm not going to contatc the sender of the email just in case it is some sort of sting.

I have found a phone number for Paypal, an 020 (London) number as well as a 0800 number. I might phone them in the morning. I tried to contact PayPal by message but I just got an answer to say that i couldn't raise this sort of transaction dispute!

born_again

I would be tempted to change password & set up 2FA on the account.
Could be a genuine error, or a hacked account & the start of a scam, that leaves you out of pocket. 

Robbie64

born_again said:

I would be tempted to change password & set up 2FA on the account.
Could be a genuine error, or a hacked account & the start of a scam, that leaves you out of pocket. 

Those were the first two things I did. Also it is possible to vew all logins and the last time my PayPal account was accessed before I did so today was back in May when I made a payment.

TheMightySwordfish

Sounds like the start of a scam. Best to tell PayPal of the payment and let them sort it. Last thing I'd do is make direct contact with the payer or touch the money.

Robbie64

^

that's what I'm going to do. I've just phoned PayPal but if I want to speak to someone I have to phone between 8am and 6.30pm.

masonic

Probably a genuine error, but there is a small risk they are going to attempt to get you to pay them back outside of PayPal then hit you with a dispute within PayPal (or the transaction will turn out to be made using fraudulent means). If a mistake, this can happen quite innocently if someone incorrectly enters the email address.

No doubt when you get hold of someone at PayPal, they'll just guide you through the process of using the refund option. If you use the correct process to refund then they won't be able to pursue any further claim.

Robbie64

I've just spoken to someone at PayPal and they advised me to leave the funds in my account and to wait and see if the sender raises a transaction dispute / query with PayPal. PayPal will then get in touch with me. The person I spoke to also said it could be a scam pretty much along the lines of what has been posted above (I refund the money then the person contacts PayPal and is sent the money again leaving me almost £250 worse off). At least the agent I spoke to has put a note on my account that I've phoned up.

I'm not sure how long I'm supposed to sit and wait for something to happen though...

JenB79

Robbie64 said:

I've just spoken to someone at PayPal and they advised me to leave the funds in my account and to wait and see if the sender raises a transaction dispute / query with PayPal. PayPal will then get in touch with me. The person I spoke to also said it could be a scam pretty much along the lines of what has been posted above (I refund the money then the person contacts PayPal and is sent the money again leaving me almost £250 worse off). At least the agent I spoke to has put a note on my account that I've phoned up.

I'm not sure how long I'm supposed to sit and wait for something to happen though...

Best thing to do is let PayPal sort it out now that you've told them. Genuine mistake or potential scam, its now in their hands so I wouldn't stress too much about it.

Catplan

Robbie64 said:

I'm not sure how long I'm supposed to sit and wait for something to happen though...

On this point, the buyer or in this case sender of the funds has 180 days to raise a dispute. As you have made paypal aware and a note is on account (I'd make a record of time / date of call) as 100 days from now you may not remember exactly when you called / made them aware. I'd leave the money as advised, its with Paypal now. I'd expect any dispute to be raised much quicker if its a genuine mistake.