State Attorney Phil Archer Warns of New Craigslist Car Buying Scam Using PayPal
By Phil Archer, State Attorney // July 18, 2017
USE OF MONEY WIRE SERVICE IS RED FLAG
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – A new scam has hit Craigslist vehicle sellers.
If you’re got a car, motorcycle or boat for sale on Craigslist you may be targeted by crooks using PayPal in a clever new scam.
Here’s how it works:
1. You list a vehicle for sale on Craigslist.
2. A scammer uses your ad info and creates a fake PayPal notice saying the car sold and emails it to you.
3. The notice says your vehicle sold for the asking price plus shipping (in this case $990.00) and the money is waiting for you on PayPal. But first you must wire the transport fee to the agent who will pick up the vehicle.
Sound familiar?
It should since using a wire service like Western Union to send any amount as a fee, deposit, tax or refund of over payment is a BIG RED FLAG that your money is about to become a crooks money.
The two photos, above and below, of this FAKE PAYPAL EMAIL and like many others it’s got a bad email address, grammatical errors and, of course, uses a wire service asking for a payment.
This one even explains why the money hasn’t appeared in your PayPal account yet (in case you check) and an independent pickup agent (not the buyer) who will receive the transfer.
– State Attorney Phil Archer
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