Lovely...Check Out The PayPal Scam I Recieved In My Email Today

[chefcraig]

This was interesting, as the scammers really went out of their way to create an authentic looking piece. This particular rip-off has been around for years, but this is by far the best version I've seen. And no, I did not click on the "Get Started" link. ;)



http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/4552/apay1.jpg (http://img130.imageshack.us/i/apay1.jpg/)http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/3270/apay2.jpg (http://img22.imageshack.us/i/apay2.jpg/)

[Anonymous]

Duuude!

That's one sweet piece of fraud.

But yeah, Paypal wouldn't send that shit to you, nor would any other trustworthy site.

But still... nice to know that scammers are not treating us like we're retards, or some shit.

I applaud their efforts.

Cheers! :bottle:

[lesfunk]

I had that sent to me too. twice. Instead of clicking on their link, I went straight to paypal and logged in. I found nothing wrong with my account. It's a realistic scam though

[chefcraig]

If anyone else receives this thing, the PayPal Help Center recommends that you forward the email to spoof@paypal.com, then delete the email.

PAYPAL HELP (https://www.paypal.com/helpcenter/main.jsp;jsessionid=RYLnLbGChNTGGsf0jJBTZXRr2vPrNl C1hTw1KLBtpCyQpFFSZBLx!78253683?locale=en_US&_dyncharset=UTF-8&countrycode=US&cmd=_help&serverInstance=9020&t=solutionTab&ft=searchTab&ps=solutionPanels&solutionId=12600&isSrch=Yes)

[Hardrock69]

You guys would not believe the stuff I see.

I am involved in tracking down these asshats.

They SUCCESSFULLY scam people out of BILLIONS each year.

There is a scam going on right now targeting attorneys. The scammer pretends to be representing a large corporation (usually Chinese), and they are trying to collect on a debt (usually between $500,000 and 1 million dollars) owed to them by some other company. They will send contact info of the supposed company that owes the first company the debt.

The lawyer then contacts the "company" that owes the money (usually just an email address of the same or another scammer), and amazingly enough, the "company" sends the law firm a large cashiers check within a few days. The attorney digs it, because such collections can drag on for months or years, with lotsa bullshit involved.

So they get a check within a few days. They deposit it. Banks are VERY slow to verify whether or not a check is real. They will tell you it cleared, but in reality, it can come back up to 2 years later as a forged check, and then you are held responsible.

So what happens in this attorney scam is, the attorney deposits the fake check, then sends a wire transfer or a legitimate check for the amount to the scammer (representing the company that was owed the debt). He is allowed to keep whatever he charges for his service.

Then, days or weeks later he finds the check he deposited was fake, and he is now out from several hundred thousand to a million dollars.

The American Bar Association has been told about this scam, but they refuse to warn their membership. Somehow perhaps they think they are so smart they could never fall for stuff like this. But it is a very real scam.

In just 3 days this last July, 31 Million in checks were sent to attorneys around the US and they were deposited. Average amount on each check was $498,000.

It is a much larger version of the standard Advance Fee fraud you find on Craigslist: You put a motorcycle up for sale, you get an email from someone who will pay you more than what you ask for the "item". They send you a cashiers check for several grand more than what you asked, and ask you to send the full amount, minus what you want for the "item", plus a small percentage for your trouble. Then a few days or weeks later your bank calls, or the police show up at your door, wondering why you are passing fraudulent cashiers checks, and, aside from having to explain yourself, the scammer never showed up to take possession of the motorcycle, and you are out several thousand dollars.

When you get stuff like this, delete it.

For further info, you can read up on all the various types of scams at the following websites:

419 Scam: Advance Fee Fraud and Fake Lotteries (http://www.419scam.org/)

Anti-Fraud International (http://antifraudintl.org/)

ScamBaiting at it's finest - Scam Baiting for Fun and Justice theScamBaiter.com (http://www.thescambaiter.com)

Scam o Rama: The Lads from Lagos (http://www.scamorama.com/)

[Nitro Express]

If it seems to be too good to be true, it usually is. Honest people aren't so generous.

Scam artists appeal to people's greed. Greed is what does anyone who handles money in. Bernie Madoff understood that perfectly.

[Hardrock69]

The greed of the scammers themselves can be their own undoing.

Many of them are behind bars because of it. :cop:

:biggrin:

[bueno bob]

You guys would not believe the stuff I see.

I am involved in tracking down these asshats.

They SUCCESSFULLY scam people out of BILLIONS each year.

There is a scam going on right now targeting attorneys. The scammer pretends to be representing a large corporation (usually Chinese), and they are trying to collect on a debt (usually between $500,000 and 1 million dollars) owed to them by some other company. They will send contact info of the supposed company that owes the first company the debt.

The lawyer then contacts the "company" that owes the money (usually just an email address of the same or another scammer), and amazingly enough, the "company" sends the law firm a large cashiers check within a few days. The attorney digs it, because such collections can drag on for months or years, with lotsa bullshit involved.

So they get a check within a few days. They deposit it. Banks are VERY slow to verify whether or not a check is real. They will tell you it cleared, but in reality, it can come back up to 2 years later as a forged check, and then you are held responsible.

So what happens in this attorney scam is, the attorney deposits the fake check, then sends a wire transfer or a legitimate check for the amount to the scammer (representing the company that was owed the debt). He is allowed to keep whatever he charges for his service.

Then, days or weeks later he finds the check he deposited was fake, and he is now out from several hundred thousand to a million dollars.

The American Bar Association has been told about this scam, but they refuse to warn their membership. Somehow perhaps they think they are so smart they could never fall for stuff like this. But it is a very real scam.

In just 3 days this last July, 31 Million in checks were sent to attorneys around the US and they were deposited. Average amount on each check was $498,000.

It is a much larger version of the standard Advance Fee fraud you find on Craigslist: You put a motorcycle up for sale, you get an email from someone who will pay you more than what you ask for the "item". They send you a cashiers check for several grand more than what you asked, and ask you to send the full amount, minus what you want for the "item", plus a small percentage for your trouble. Then a few days or weeks later your bank calls, or the police show up at your door, wondering why you are passing fraudulent cashiers checks, and, aside from having to explain yourself, the scammer never showed up to take possession of the motorcycle, and you are out several thousand dollars.

When you get stuff like this, delete it.

For further info, you can read up on all the various types of scams at the following websites:

419 Scam: Advance Fee Fraud and Fake Lotteries (http://www.419scam.org/)

Anti-Fraud International (http://antifraudintl.org/)

ScamBaiting at it's finest - Scam Baiting for Fun and Justice theScamBaiter.com (http://www.thescambaiter.com)

Scam o Rama: The Lads from Lagos (http://www.scamorama.com/)

...I gotta make a few phone calls. Be back later.

[GAR]

I had that sent to me too. twice. Instead of clicking on their link, I went straight to paypal and logged in.

Don't do that again. Phish are getting good at keylogger scripting, and if the email managed one in on you, they will have your password.

[Panamark]

I work in internet security and for the first time in my life
got scammed (on a small scale) ....
Basically the US govt recently changed the visitor visa in the
US to what is now known as "ESTA".

When you book a ticket to the USA now from a foreign country
your airline will request an ESTA number.
I googled ESTA Australia, figuring (wrongly) that would guide me
to the right website. Good old google gave me the link,
I filled out the details, and was emailed my ESTA number...
Valid number too...

Then next day I get an email from the US govt saying
I have been scammed, and to cancel all cards immediately..
Basically theres these dudes in South Korea that have
ESTA websites registered in each country. They take
a $50 payment, register you with you the real website,
you get a legit number, THEY GET YOUR IDENTITY !!

The real ESTA website is free.

So if you apply online for a visitor visa to the US, and it
asks for payment, you are at a scam site.
I had never had to apply for this "ESTA" ever when travelling
to the USA and thats where they got me. The bogus website
even has all the same graphics as the legit....

Dunno how the US govt knew I had been scammed, but all
these fuckers got out of me was $50, could have been a lot
worse...


Heads up to anyone planning to travel to the US as the temp
visa has all changed...