Almost got spoofed by a new angle in spoofing

[mego73]

Close to a couple weeks ago now, I got contacted by someone who wrote in broken English asking to buy some of my items. Now, people from overseas have contacted me before in broken English to get my repro boxes so this was nothing unusual.

It was a little unusual that they just said "items" and not repro boxes or vintage commercial compilations.

So I asked for clarification and it was the commercial compilations they wanted. So we work out what is wanted and how much it would cost. Sometimes, the broken English seemed worse than other times which I thought was weird.

Then, it was also weird when they asked if I could get them any deals on laptops, camera, electronics, etc. In my mind I chalked it up to they didn't have a lot of access to those things where they were (in Ghana, at least it seemed in the beginning).

I don't even want to think of the duty forms on sending any expensive electronics over the border even if I could get good deals so I said no, just the commercial compilations (which I was beginning to wonder why anyone in South Africa would have a nostalgia and desire for 1960's/70's American commercials, but as long as they paid...)

So after all that, I got the message:

"Hello, I am very sorry for the delay,i was just contacted from my store in nigeria concern the items wich i purchace from you so i have made the payment via paypal i will be shipping to nigeria the address for shipping will send to by paypal okay thanks"

1. We know what Nigeria is famous for these days and even though Nigeria may be close to Ghana, they first said they were from Ghana.
2. There was no payment email from Paypal and visiting my account showed no payment.

Even though this seems to say they sent payment, maybe they really intended to say they were GOING to send payment, so I emailed them back saying I will observe for payment and waited.

So, I got this a day or 2 later:

"PLS SIR WEN ARE YOU SEEN DEN IT "

I emailed back and said I couldn't understand the message and than I got:

"Hello, When are sending my items cos your money has been deducted ftrom account and i dont see any reply from you concern shipping what is going over there can some one tell"

I then explained I got no payment or no email of payment and said perhaps they put the money into their Paypal account without sending it to me (I've had this happen with a couple people new to Paypal). I also asked them to verify the ID

I got this back:

"Why can you contact them concern the money may be they will tell you what to do to recieve the money cos your total amount as been deducted from account i believe that they need some thing from you to credit your account so you need to email them for that thanks"

I wrote back how the money is still not credited to my account and there is no indication of a pending transaction

Later on, I get this email from "Paypal" complete with the syntax errors. It did look nice and official with graphics and all:

"Send Us Proof of Shipping.
Dear Michael J. Rogers,

At PayPal confirmation we inform you again that the payment sent from maureen Oleru has not yet reflected in your account due to our terms and policy to confirm shipping from you before transaction. This condition is only in use for eBay purchase, if you receive this email on direct payment option please do contact our management.

-----------------------------------------
Details of Transaction
-----------------------------------------
Transaction ID: C826-L003-Q999-T5350
Case #: PP-091-962-521
-----------------------------------
What to Do Next
-----------------------------------
You are to send shipping tracking number to us for verification, so as to secure Buyers purchase as well as you. Fund has been deducted from Maureen Oleru and shall be credited into your PayPal account immediately after shipment is confirmed by our management as eBay/PayPal terms to verify Intl.. shipping before transaction, due to Buyer's undelivered reports. Bellow are requested shipping details...
Name /Shipping Address:
Item Number:
Name Of Courier Service:
Tracking Number:
-----------------------------------
***PLEASE NOTE***
THE BUYER OF THIS ITEM HAS REQUESTED THIS ITEM TO BE SHIPPED TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS BELLOW BUYER SHIPPING INFORMATION:

Shipping Method : Royalmail International,Dhl or Fedex Signed For.

Paypal Ordered Confirmation and approval. The shipping address below as an international delivery. You are required to make the delivery within 24 hours before your account can be credited.


Damilola Jeff
No 5,Fowowe street Ifako ijaye,
Ogba,
Lagos state,
Nigeria
23401.


Status: Confirmed?
BUYER SHIPPING OPTIONS :"


Well, first of all, Ebay was never involved in this, I was contacted by email. Second of all Paypal never asks you to send something before payment. Third of all, now them asking me if I could get some pricey electronics is starting to make sense.

They obviously want me to send my stuff and get stuck without payment. I am wondering why they choose commercial compilations to do this with but maybe they visited my site and figured they could get me to get more "deals" for them besides the commercial compilations.

So I sent the "paypal" email to paypal and wrote back:

"I have received an email from Paypal on your behalf telling me I should send the items we discussed in order to get payment. Given the unusual nature of this transaction, the usual policy of Paypal being that items should not be sent until payment is made and the fact that my actual account shows no payment or any indication whatsoever that there is a potential transaction here I have forwarded the email to Paypal to verify it's authenticity. Further contact will depend on what they tell me."

and that's the last I heard from them so far

[Mikey]

I wouldn't ship to Africa no matter what.

Interested to hear what Paypal has to say.

[JPkempo]

You'll get there normal spoof form letter back.

[palitoy]

They contact my buddy's shirt printing company all the time, trying to buy clothes with stolen credit cards. It's always a ministry or some phoney church. They sometimes even phone him, the minute he hears an African accent he hangs up.

[mego73]

They are still trying to contact me:

"MR Mike R HAV YOU SEND MY items LET ME KNOWN"

and sent me an additional "paypal notice" presented here in it's syntax challenged glory:

Send Us Proof of Shipping.
Dear Michael J. Rogers,



We are telling you the our now protocol of our service that seller have send Send us tracking number reference in order to accredited the seller account, PayPal are safety between buyer and seller in order for both of them not to loose, We are here to tell you should send us tracking number reference to accredited your account because your total amount has been deducted from Mrs. Maureen oleru so we are inform you for last time that you have to send us tracking to prove the item brought from you by Mrs. Maureen oleru been shipped. In order not to do so, We will return the money to Mrs. Maureen oleru account cos we don’ have to be holding client fund



Get back to us at our customer service [email protected]

The only thing I'm a tad worried about is that initially I gave them my address as an option for sending payment. Otherwise, it's getting amusing.

[Mikey]

Get back to us at our customer service [email protected]

.

.con ?

Ok, that just made me spit my coffee out

[Random Axe]

I sold some shoes a few years ago on Ebay to someone overseas, possibly Nigeria. I didn't have Paypal set up, so I told him I'd have to have a cashier's or certified check. THey did send one, but for 5000 dollars and a note to cash it and send the difference back to them. I immediately took the phony check to the bank and turned it over to them which in turn was given to local police.

Scott