I think I'm being scammed, but I can't figure out how it works if I am. Here's the story so far. I received over $400 in my Paypal account last night from ebay auctions. This was a shock to me as I'm not selling anything on eBay. The payments came from three different item listings, but the item description was exactly the same. Anyway, I called paypal and got them to reverse the charges so the people got their money back. While talking to paypal the item listings magically became invalid. Paypal advised me to change my password and security questions, but that it was probably a typo error on the sellers part. This morning I start getting getting payments again. Almost $400 worth so far. This time the listing is still vaiid. Item # 200535067979. The seller cuoz0w seems wrong to me. Has 18 postive feedbacks from various items as a buyer, but they are all on the same date and within minutes of each other. The eBay users that are sending me money appear to be legit. Most have been eBay users for years. I can't get ahold of eBay as they don't provide a telephone number for customer service. I've been waiting for one of their live chat people for over 2 hours now. I'm pretty sure this is a scam of some sort, but I can't figure out how. Anybody have experience with this or see through it?
First send a message to the buyers telling them what is going on. Change your password on ebay and on paypal. Use numbers and symbols in your password. Issue a refund to the buyers through your paypal account before the idiot has a chance to snatch the monies and leave you holding the bag. Then just keep trying to get in touch with ebay. I don't know how much luck you will have with this number today but give it a try anyway. 408-376-7400
Sounds like your paypal account got hijacked. And even though you changed the password, if the scammer thought that his password was still valid, that would be why he posted more auctions and more payments showed up even after you changed your password. Once he realizes he can no longer access your paypal account, he'll probably move on to hacking another.
Unless I'm missing something, sounds more to me as if the ebay selller simply made a typo (resulting in your paypal account being referenced) when entering his paypal payee info into the auction. One doesn't have to "hack" into another person's paypal account to send them money or tell someone else to use your paypal account email address to send money, resulting money showing up into your paypal account. I don't think your ebay account or paypal account was hacked.
How do you figure? If my paypal account is being sent unsolicited funds, how is that an indication that my account has been hacked?
Currently on live chat with eBay. They are resisting doing anything about it. I'm pressing the issue.........
I agree that the seller's feedback all within seconds on the same day is suspect. I wonder if there is any potential future liability to this thread's OP on the "refunds" Paypal issued to the buyers (for example if the buyer's original payments bounced)? I agree that it is odd, but I still suspect a simple typo on behalf of the ebay seller with regards to Paypal account name.
Claim they don't have one at the moment I'm losing the battle. They aren't going to do anything about it.
Interesting thread on the ebay forums on the subject. Doesn't appear that any resolution was found. http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Paypal ... 06&start=0
Oh well, I lost. Said they were going to refer the listing to a specialist. Yea right. Just for kicks, I'll send the seller a message about using my email address for payment and see what he says. Changed my passwords again using Seajay's recommendations. Hopefully, he hasn't hacked my Paypal account.
One more thing. When you received the email notifications from paypal that you had money, did you click on links in the email to go to your paypal account? If so, phishing scam possibly.
Good question. I think I did at first. They look like legit emails though. Received two more payments since I started this thread. I'm up to $528 now. If I hadn't refunded the money from the listings last night, I'd have over $1000 in my account by now. This is crazy
Thanks for the link. Doesn't appear to be exactly the same situation as me since their payments were random. Interesting read though.......
if he fell for a phishing scam, then they have his real passwords and usernames now. He needs to go into the real website to fix it. If he's paypal verified, then they have access to money in his checking account.
I could have fell for it last night, but I did go to the real website and change all my passwords while on the phone with Paypal. Then I logged in to the website again this morningi and changed them again. I don't know why it started again this afternoon.
Close your Paypal account, and either open a new one using a different email address, or use another service such as Yahoo or Google.