Beware Of Online PayPal Scam

A new scam is hitting Green Country and it's aimed at people who sell things online and use PayPal as a secure way to know they've been paid. The U.S. Postal Inspectors are doing something extraordinary to save you from losing your money.

People sell millions of dollars worth of goods online every year. Websites like eBay are popular because of PayPal, a secure third party that handles the money so you don't risk sending a check to someone and not getting your stuff or vice versa, sending the item and not getting paid.

However, the scammers have even figured out a way to work around that. They buy something from you, and then send you an e-mail that looks like it's from PayPal that confirms payment is made. So, you feel confident sending the merchandise.

The problem is the e-mail confirmation is a fake and you're hosed in two ways.

"You're thinking everything is legitimate so you go ahead and send the merchandise and obviously you never receive the check or payment for that shipment," said Charlie Thigpen, U.S. Postal Inspectors.

The U.S. Postal Inspectors say this is just a variation on a number of different themes from scammers around the world.

Last year, they intercepted 600,000 fake checks sent through the mail and made 77 arrests in three foreign countries. That's why the Tulsa warehouse is now pulling packages headed for certain places, like Nigeria and contacting the person who mailed it.

"If we see something to be fraudulent or appears to be, we contact the sender and give them the opportunity to discontinue the transaction and do not send the merchandise," said Thigpen.

At the very least, they urge the sender to wait 48 hours to make sure they actually have money in their account, as promised. It's hard to know who you're dealing with online, but, at the very least, you need to take some precautions.

"Once the check clears the bank, and that is the key, once the check clears the bank, then you send the merchandise," said Thigpen.

Most Americans receive one or two scams a week, either through the mail, e-mail or over the phone. Many have already been taken.

What most don't realize is they are the ones who will be held accountable in many cases. If someone sends you a check and you deposit it and it turns out to be a fake, you are responsible for that entire amount and the scammers know that.

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