Need Help - Think I'm Getting Scammed

Domainace · 04-30-2009, 06:47 AM

I think I'm getting scammed by a guy with an account named ****dj at Godaddy. I notice his account here was brief, recent and now closed.

The thing is, I posted an llll.com on Ebay for $349.00 or best offer.

It sells at full price, with no attempt at a discount - to an Ebayer with exactly one feedback (from someone else who had one feedback and a closed account at Ebay). The buyer is in Canada, and all I can find is a woman in Alberta that might match the nickname.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/warnings-and-alerts/579521-need-help-think-im-getting-scammed.html

Surprisingly, I get paid----through Paypal. From a man with an English name in the US (Pennsylvania).

Then I get an Ebay message in broken English suggesting I push the domain to Godaddy user ****dj, suggesting an Indonesian name.

I started to push and canceled. I smell either a stolen PP account or a chargeback.

Three unrelated names, maybe 3 countries, and one closed NP account.

Think I should refund the money and cancel the sale?

Bill

Yofie · 04-30-2009, 07:33 AM

Yep!

That is the biggest problem accepting Paypal for domain names. Very little security for the domain seller, but the good thing is... you sniffed out a lot of things that put up red flags.

This sounds exactly as you stated: Stolen Paypal account!

Domainace · 04-30-2009, 07:37 AM

And this guy with the Paypal account who writes in broken English with an all American name lives at the same address in the small town where he was born - in 1962. And goes by Thomas (as listed in the geneology records on the net) rather than Tom.

I think I am answering my own question, but I would like any information about former NP user indodj, aka Thomas ****** (funny nickname for a guy who has spent his whole life in a small Pennsylvania town), who is requesting the push.

I hate to lose 350 bucks, but I think this all stinks.

Still, it's late at night and I'd like some opinions before NP goes lights out for 2 days.

Thanks for the feedback Yofie.

Paypal just answered my question and removed the funds from my account.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=579521
Luckily I canceled the transfer when I smelled rotten Nasi Goreng.

I have been trying to call Paypal to report a possible stolen account. They have no 24 hour fraud number, and nothing but endless recordings for the number I could find.

Seems they're not too interested in their customers' security.

Again, the Godaddy user is indodj.
the Ebay user is sartiop300, though I think that account was hacked too.

And maybe NP should reconsider not revealing why accounts like indodj's are cancelled, if it's clear that they are thieves.

Oh well, lost the sale, but not the domain.

Len · 04-30-2009, 08:08 AM

Too many red flags...... I think the full price for the domain without negotiation is the one for me.

When I was new to this game I was scammed by someone who offered the full price for a bunch of domains I was selling.
No haggling just full price, payment via paypal....I was thinking... Yahoooo!! This is easy money......Well I soon discovered there is no such thing when the chargeback came due to a stolen paypal account and I never recovered the 26 domains.

Domainace · 04-30-2009, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by Len

Too many red flags...... I think the full price for the domain without negotiation is the one for me.

Yep. That was the first one.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=579521

Sorry to hear about that hard lesson. Sometimes the smell of money overrides our common sense.

I'm bummed to be out the money, but happy I just avoided losing the domain. If this guy hacked the email that went with the paypal account he would have had me, though. A good wake-up call.

DomainTalker · 04-30-2009, 08:49 AM

If you smell a rat - and you're going to get paid by PayPal...wait 4 days after you receive payment before you commence name transfer....If there's going to be a charge-back, it should be within those 4 days, or its too late for them to get the money back...

At best you keep the money - at worst, you flush out the scammer...

.

Spade · 04-30-2009, 09:08 AM

You did the right thing. Its always smart to be cautious, especially if things dont look right. Scams are rampant, and frankly I would recommend using Escrow as your payment method in the future. Its more of a hastle, but worth it to protect yourself.

klrsmith · 05-01-2009, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by Yofie

Yep!
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=579521
That is the biggest problem accepting Paypal for domain names. Very little security for the domain seller, but the good thing is... you sniffed out a lot of things that put up red flags.
This sounds exactly as you stated: Stolen Paypal account!

I don't understand why people with PayPal accounts don't spend the $5 for the PayPal security token - With it, you have to login with your username, password AND OTP from the token - makes it a bit harder for someone to take control of your account...

ecigs.net · 05-01-2009, 11:54 PM

Why don't you contact Paypal and find out if the account has been hacked? Paypal's security people should be able to tell you if the seller is legitimate or not.

Domainace · 05-02-2009, 03:41 AM

Thanks for the comments. Yes, Paypal token is a good idea - I should act on it myself!

Again, the guy did pay with a stolen account. I have no idea how Paypal spotted it so quickly, as they don't seem very interested in fraud.

I pushed the name immediately, though I shouldn't have. But I pushed it to the address information that came with the Paypal account. For reasons I can't understand, this guy stole the paypal account but didn't change the contact info. When I received an Ebay message from the buyer requesting a transfer to indodj I went straight back and cancelled the push.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=579521

What gets me is Paypal (and Ebay). Credit card companies all have 24 hour numbers you can call to report fraud or stolen cards. Paypal does not. In fact, they go through great effort to avoid telephone contact with customers. With this and other PP problems, it's just a matter of time before they're facing a massive class action lawsuit.

shockie · 05-02-2009, 07:53 AM

good call on cancelling the push and i'm glad you still have your domain.

vlad74 · 05-02-2009, 07:06 PM

Looks like the same Tom O... paypal account was used in my case as well.

User "asyenk" wanted to buy 10 LLLL.com fom me for $200 (see my thread "50 LLLL.com for sale"). He paid with Paypal from Tom.... account although his english was terrible.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=579521

I asked for his phone number in order to make a phone call for verification purposes, he told me he is in Thailand on vacation (nice way to spend vacation purchasing LLLL.com) and his cellphone is not working.

This was the last red flag (I already suspected this starting from his first PM). I aksed PP if I shall return the money, they confirmed that the owner was not aware of this transaction.

Of course domains were not pushed, thus lost some time but got experience how the conflict cases are dealt at PP.

Hearthrobz · 05-02-2009, 10:23 PM

It smells stinky.Better you stop the sale.

Domainace · 05-03-2009, 05:11 AM

"Looks like the same Tom O... paypal account was used in my case as well. "

Yep, that's the one. Different user name. I was unable to reach anyone at Paypal, though. I hope he didn't snag anyone.

Emily Yee · 08-27-2009, 07:26 AM

>.< Good lesson over here. I just knew about the token, I will find out how to get it for my own account safety.

riks.rocks · 09-12-2009, 02:06 PM

can anyone tell me how to get a paypal securty token!!

WORDSWORTH · 10-08-2009, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by Domainace

I think I'm getting scammed by a guy with an account named ****dj at Godaddy. I notice his account here was brief, recent and now closed.

The thing is, I posted an llll.com on Ebay for $349.00 or best offer.

It sells at full price, with no attempt at a discount - to an Ebayer with exactly one feedback (from someone else who had one feedback and a closed account at Ebay). The buyer is in Canada, and all I can find is a woman in Alberta that might match the nickname.

Surprisingly, I get paid----through Paypal. From a man with an English name in the US (Pennsylvania).

Then I get an Ebay message in broken English suggesting I push the domain to Godaddy user ****dj, suggesting an Indonesian name.

I started to push and canceled. I smell either a stolen PP account or a chargeback.

Three unrelated names, maybe 3 countries, and one closed NP account.

Think I should refund the money and cancel the sale?

Bill

I had a very similar experience recently. A buyer with zero feedback bought one of my domains at $xxx BIN, even though there was a make offer option. The PayPal payment was made very quickly. The alarm bells were ringing and the red flags were waving.

I contacted my domain registrar (Dynadot) and PayPal but, as expected, neither would help me in the event of a chargeback or other scam.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=579521

I then sent this message to the buyer:

Hi,

I have now received replies from PayPal and my domain registrar. Neither will provide me with any seller protection for this transaction. Therefore, I would prefer to fully refund your PayPal payment and use an escrow service for this sale. Escrow provides full buyer and seller protection. Your monies will only be released to me once the domain is safely in escrow. There are no escrow fees to pay (I will pay fees). Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you for your understanding and I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Kind regards,
Matt.

The buyer accepted my suggestion and turned out to be genuine. The transaction completed successfully via Sedo. I paid two lots of fees, but at least I got the sale and was protected. A good way to weed out the scammers from the legitimate buyers.

04-30-2009, 06:47 AM	THREAD STARTER #1 (permalink)
Domainace Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Japan Posts: 1,881	Need Help - Think I'm Getting Scammed I think I'm getting scammed by a guy with an account named **dj at Godaddy. I notice his account here was brief, recent and now closed. The thing is, I posted an llll.com on Ebay for $349.00 or best offer. It sells at full price, with no attempt at a discount - to an Ebayer with exactly one feedback (from someone else who had one feedback and a closed account at Ebay). The buyer is in Canada, and all I can find is a woman in Alberta that might match the nickname. ????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/warnings-and-alerts/579521-need-help-think-im-getting-scammed.html Surprisingly, I get paid----through Paypal. From a man with an English name in the US (Pennsylvania). Then I get an Ebay message in broken English suggesting I push the domain to Godaddy user dj, suggesting an Indonesian name. I started to push and canceled. I smell either a stolen PP account or a chargeback. Three unrelated names, maybe 3 countries, and one closed NP account. Think I should refund the money and cancel the sale? Bill __________________ Mini Trucks from Japan Potassium Rich Foods Air Duct Cleaning

04-30-2009, 07:33 AM	#2 (permalink)
Yofie Yofie.com Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: DotWeekly.com Posts: 2,935	Yep! That is the biggest problem accepting Paypal for domain names. Very little security for the domain seller, but the good thing is... you sniffed out a lot of things that put up red flags. This sounds exactly as you stated: Stolen Paypal account! __________________ DotWeekly.com <--My Blog, Readers Welcome!

04-30-2009, 07:37 AM	THREAD STARTER #3 (permalink)
Domainace Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Japan Posts: 1,881	And this guy with the Paypal account who writes in broken English with an all American name lives at the same address in the small town where he was born - in 1962. And goes by Thomas (as listed in the geneology records on the net) rather than Tom. I think I am answering my own question, but I would like any information about former NP user indodj, aka Thomas **** (funny nickname for a guy who has spent his whole life in a small Pennsylvania town), who is requesting the push. I hate to lose 350 bucks, but I think this all stinks. Still, it's late at night and I'd like some opinions before NP goes lights out for 2 days. Thanks for the feedback Yofie. Paypal just answered my question and removed the funds from my account. ????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=579521 Luckily I canceled the transfer when I smelled rotten Nasi Goreng. I have been trying to call Paypal to report a possible stolen account. They have no 24 hour fraud number, and nothing but endless recordings for the number I could find. Seems they're not too interested in their customers' security. Again, the Godaddy user is indodj. the Ebay user is sartiop300, though I think that account was hacked too. And maybe NP should reconsider not revealing why accounts like indodj's are cancelled, if it's clear that they are thieves. Oh well, lost the sale, but not the domain. __________________ Mini Trucks from Japan Potassium Rich Foods Air Duct Cleaning

04-30-2009, 08:49 AM	#6 (permalink)
DomainTalker Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: http://ISSUES.COM Posts: 1,126	If you smell a rat - and you're going to get paid by PayPal...wait 4 days after you receive payment before you commence name transfer....If there's going to be a charge-back, it should be within those 4 days, or its too late for them to get the money back... At best you keep the money - at worst, you flush out the scammer... . __________________ NewMediaFrontiers.com® - ChatBox.com - Movie.info - Phone.me M.biz - Hypnotherapist.com - AJ.net - YT.net - iFlyDrive.com - iSofa.com

04-30-2009, 09:08 AM	#7 (permalink)
Spade NameBio.com Founder Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Carlsbad, CA Posts: 7,855	You did the right thing. Its always smart to be cautious, especially if things dont look right. Scams are rampant, and frankly I would recommend using Escrow as your payment method in the future. Its more of a hastle, but worth it to protect yourself. __________________ Read my Blog! NameBio.com - Search The Domain Sales Index Buying LLLL.com's ending in "CA"

04-30-2009, 08:08 AM	#4 (permalink)
Len dot TV'er Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Central Ontario, Canada Posts: 3,757	Too many red flags...... I think the full price for the domain without negotiation is the one for me. When I was new to this game I was scammed by someone who offered the full price for a bunch of domains I was selling. No haggling just full price, payment via paypal....I was thinking... Yahoooo!! This is easy money......Well I soon discovered there is no such thing when the chargeback came due to a stolen paypal account and I never recovered the 26 domains.

05-01-2009, 11:54 PM	#9 (permalink)
ecigs.net BionicHead.com Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Rancho Mirage, California Posts: 1,454	Why don't you contact Paypal and find out if the account has been hacked? Paypal's security people should be able to tell you if the seller is legitimate or not. __________________ 140+ Aged COMs on Auction at eBay. New Domains are listed daily. A complete list is available at: Domainable Auctions

05-02-2009, 03:41 AM	THREAD STARTER #10 (permalink)
Domainace Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Japan Posts: 1,881	Thanks for the comments. Yes, Paypal token is a good idea - I should act on it myself! Again, the guy did pay with a stolen account. I have no idea how Paypal spotted it so quickly, as they don't seem very interested in fraud. I pushed the name immediately, though I shouldn't have. But I pushed it to the address information that came with the Paypal account. For reasons I can't understand, this guy stole the paypal account but didn't change the contact info. When I received an Ebay message from the buyer requesting a transfer to indodj I went straight back and cancelled the push. ????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=579521 What gets me is Paypal (and Ebay). Credit card companies all have 24 hour numbers you can call to report fraud or stolen cards. Paypal does not. In fact, they go through great effort to avoid telephone contact with customers. With this and other PP problems, it's just a matter of time before they're facing a massive class action lawsuit. __________________ Mini Trucks from Japan **Potassium Rich Foods Air Duct Cleaning

05-02-2009, 07:53 AM	#11 (permalink)
shockie Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 4,702	good call on cancelling the push and i'm glad you still have your domain. __________________ - shockie

05-02-2009, 07:06 PM	#12 (permalink)
vlad74 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Vienna, Austria Posts: 2,544	Looks like the same Tom O... paypal account was used in my case as well. User "asyenk" wanted to buy 10 LLLL.com fom me for $200 (see my thread "50 LLLL.com for sale"). He paid with Paypal from Tom.... account although his english was terrible. ????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=579521 I asked for his phone number in order to make a phone call for verification purposes, he told me he is in Thailand on vacation (nice way to spend vacation purchasing LLLL.com) and his cellphone is not working. This was the last red flag (I already suspected this starting from his first PM). I aksed PP if I shall return the money, they confirmed that the owner was not aware of this transaction. Of course domains were not pushed, thus lost some time but got experience how the conflict cases are dealt at PP. __________________ mermaid

05-02-2009, 10:23 PM	#13 (permalink)
Hearthrobz New Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 8	It smells stinky.Better you stop the sale.

05-03-2009, 05:11 AM	THREAD STARTER #14 (permalink)
Domainace Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Japan Posts: 1,881	"Looks like the same Tom O... paypal account was used in my case as well. " Yep, that's the one. Different user name. I was unable to reach anyone at Paypal, though. I hope he didn't snag anyone. __________________ Mini Trucks from Japan **Potassium Rich Foods Air Duct Cleaning

08-27-2009, 07:26 AM	#15 (permalink)
Emily Yee NamePros Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Malaysia Posts: 25	>.< Good lesson over here. I just knew about the token, I will find out how to get it for my own account safety.

09-12-2009, 02:06 PM	#16 (permalink)
riks.rocks NamePros Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 108	can anyone tell me how to get a paypal securty token!!

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