This is the second article I’m writing about scams I’ve experienced while selling things online. Just like with the previous one, again the payment processor is Paypal, and again it’s a weird type of payment.
Read about the previous scams I wrote here:
Part 1 – https://onmoneyline.com/selling-online-paypal-and-scams-part-1/
Part 3 – https://onmoneyline.com/selling-online-paypal-and-scams-part-3/
Part 4 – https://onmoneyline.com/selling-online-paypal-and-scams-part-4/
Part 5 – https://onmoneyline.com/selling-online-paypal-and-scams-part-5/
Part 6 – https://onmoneyline.com/selling-online-paypal-and-scams-part-6/
Scam
Back in late 2015 a guy comes and buys 2 products from me from one of my websites – one for $13 and one for $6 dollars – and he pays with Paypal, but with a payment funded from the sender’s bank account.
This is the first time I received such payments, but I decided not to do the work until the payments arrive in my accounts and clear. And the main reason I decided this (unlike what I did in the other case which I described in my previous article) is because this time one of the offers that was purchased would cost me a few dollars to outsource and deliver, while the previous one cost me nothing.
Here is the payment email:
Notification of Pending PayPal Payment
Hello [NAME],
[email protected] has initiated a PayPal payment to you – funded from the sender’s bank account – on Nov 11, 2015 01:49:53 PST.
Payment Details
Sender: [email protected]
Payment Initiated: Nov 11, 2015 01:49:53 PST
Amount: $13.00 USD
Transaction ID: ###View the details of this transaction online
If the payment is still pending or the funds are not collected after 30 days, the transaction will be automatically cancelled. The sender can cancel this transaction anytime before you collect the funds.
Shipping Information
Address Andrjuha Kuliwajit
Brückmanweg
44328 Dortmund
Germany
As you can see, the payment was initiated from the sender’s bank account, and even Paypal states on the payslip that the payment could be cancelled if the payment is still pending or not collected after 30 days, and that the sender can cancel the transaction at any time.
11 Days later, this happened:
Notification of Cancellation of Pending PayPal Payment by Bank Transfer
Hello [NAME],
We have just cancelled a pending PayPal payment by bank transfer to you.
Cancellation Details
Sender: Andrjuha Kuliwajit
Payment Initiated: Nov 11, 2015
Amount: 12.56 EURView the details of this transaction online
Note: A PayPal payment by bank transfer which is still pending after 10 days will be cancelled automatically. A PayPal payment by bank transfer is considered “pending” as long as the transfer amount has not reached PayPal. PayPal has no control of whether or not, or how fast, a sender completes his pending payment.
I tried contacting the customer about it multiple times, but he never replied.
Typical scammer…
Here is a video I made talking about this:
Conclusion
Nothing was gained and nothing was lost in this case. But word to the wise, these kinds of scams still go around, so if you ever receive such a payment or a similar one on your Paypal account, unless it’s a repeat customer or something you know and trust, don’t do any work or deliver any product until the payment has arrived and cleared in your Paypal account.