We wanted to alert you to a scam involving fake Paypal transaction notices via Email which was reported by one of our users.
The message was pretending to be an official notice from Paypal that payment was sent for an ad. It included several red flags, however including this sentence which perhaps was the most obvious: "payment has been deducted from the buyer's account and has been "APPROVED"but
will not be credited to your account until the shipment reference/tracking number
is sent to us for shipment verification and this is done to secure both the buyer
and the seller against any fraudulent activities."" Paypal would not hold your money until a tracking number has been sent. If you receive a payment notice from Paypal or another service and are unsure if it is legitimate, log into the website directly and look through your recent transactions to verify the purchase.
While these types of scams are nothing new, it's always good to exercise due diligence when receiving Email related to a amoxicillin over the counter to ensure it is not a fraud. The text of the message is below. Names have been removed for security.
Subject: Monica Jones has sent an Auction Payment Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2014 05:17:55 +0100 From: PayPal ServiceCategory: *Site NewsTo: [Email address redacted] PayPal PayPal You've Got Cash! Dear [redacted] ) , This email confirms that you have received a payment of $800.00 USD from [redacted] ( [email address redacted] xxxxxx@gmail.com ) Receipt ID: 1234-5678-2345-5678 The number above is the buyer's receipt ID for this transaction. Please retain it for your records so that you will be able to reference this transaction for customer service. It may take 24 hours for this transaction to appear in the Recent Activity list on your Account Overview. PayPal Shopping Cart Contents Item Name: Hp Laptop Quantity: 1 Total: $800. 00 USD Cart Subtotal: $700.00 USD Shipping: $100.00 USD Sales Tax: $2.35 USD Cart Total: $800.00 USD Payment Details Total Amount: $800.00 USD Currency: U.S. Dollars Transaction ID: xxxxxxxxxx Buyer: [redacted] Shipping Information Address: Name: Ikechukwu Jones. Address: # 134 Zik Avenue Uwani State: Enugu-State City: Enugu Zipcode: 23442 Country: Nigeria Shipping Method: USPS EXPRESS = MAIL Address Status: Confirmed Keep your Receipt Number (shown above) for future reference. You will need to refer to this number if you need customer service from P.A, Inc. or from PayPal . This PayPal. payment has been deducted from the buyer's account and has been "APPROVED"but will not be credited to your account until the shipment reference/tracking number is sent to us for shipment verification and this is done to secure both the buyer and the seller against any fraudulent activities. Below are the necessary information requested before your account will be credited. Send tracking number to us or email us through this Mail trackingsonline@mail2expert.com and our customer service care will attend to you. As soon as you send us the shipment's tracking number the money will be credited to your account and this is done for security purposes and the safety of the buyer and the seller. This payment is approved but it will stand as payment pending until we receive the shipment reference/tracking number from you. **PLEASE NOTE** Once shipment has been verified and the tracking number sent to us, You will receive a "CONFIRMATION EMAIL" from PayPal . informing you that the Money has been credited. Thank you for using PayPal! The PayPal Team. Click here to pay instantly with PayPal! Click here to pay instantly with PayPal! Visa Visa MasterCard MasterCard Discover Discover American Express American Express eCheck eCheck (Copyright ) 1999-2014 PayPal. All rights reserved
You're not quite correct in stating that PayPal would never hold your money until a tracking number is sent. For certain Ebay transactions this will actually happen, and your money will be held until you give a tracking number for the package you are selling. However, this will only happen if you have sold a popular item with a high value around a busy shopping season, and would never happen if someone is just sending you money. It takes place only in specific circumstances around your Ebay transactions, and at no other time.
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J.J. Meddaugh is an experienced technology writer and computer enthusiast. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a major in telecommunications management and a minor in business. When not writing for Blind Bargains, he enjoys travel, playing the keyboard, and meeting new people.