OK, my friend bought two XBox 360s just to turn around and sell them. They are currently going on eBay in the $600 range, which is double what he paid. Some of the ones that ship overseas go for more and one went the other day for $2500. Granted, that is nuts, but my friend listed his with a $2600 buy-it-now. So, some guy buys-it-now. Sounds cool and fishy at the same time, so he sends an invoice through eBay. and gets this response:
(sorry, it wouldn't format, but it looked a lot better in the email)
[color]>From: mike ferguson <newfergue@yahoo.com>
>To: reresadler@msn.com >Subject: Re: You Won eBay Item: Microsoft
Xbox 360 - SHIPS WORLDWIDE >ASAP!!!! (8240761538) >Date: Wed, 7 Dec 2005
10:12:18 -0800 (PST) > >hello, > How are u doing taday,i want to no
maybe the item is in normal >condition and to hear from you the total cost of
the item okay,My name is >Mike ferguson,am purposely in Korea because of the
general meeting that we >be taking place at (W.H.O) branch office in Pattaya
,A friend of my >introduce me to ebay.com, that i can get a gift for my son
for this >Christmax session, schooling in a College in Africa,at College of
Education >in Lagos,that should require international shipping so you can
calculate >the shpping cost with the total payment of the item okay, the
payment we be >made via paypal,if you are ok with tha method of payment you
can get back >to me with your paypal mail account asap. Name..Adekunle >Lanre,Address.....45
dada st,City...ifako Ijaiye,Agege,State...Lagos >state..Zip
code...23401,Country...Nigeria. > Best Regard.
OK, we have all seen something like this before, but this is a weird one because the buyer made it onto eBay
with a legitimate account and will pay with a supposed legitimate Paypal account.
I'm thinking they set it up with a stolen credit card.
So, my friend emailed him back and said that everything was on the invoice and that since he used buy-it-now, shipping was free.
The he gets an email (supposedly) from Paypal. The scammer obviously swiped a Paypal page for the graphics, but I have only included the relevant text. It looks real:
[color]Dear [color](*name removed to
protect the innocent*)[color],
<a href=" https://www.paypal.com/affil/pal=mdiawstcon@aol.com
" target="_blank">https:/
ATTENTION
You have been sent a PayPal® payment of $2,600.00 from one of our
client, Mrs Susan for a recent Ebay item bought from you.
PayPal® Payment : $2,600.00 USD
Ebay Item : 8240761538
Below is the shippment information as shown in the payment credit card.
Name : Lanre Adekunle
Address : 45 Dada Street
City : Ifako Ijiaye Agege
State : Lagos
Country : Nigeria
Zipcode : 23401
Phone : 2348034401513
This PayPal® payment has been deducted from the buyer's account and has
been "APPROVED" but will not be credited to your account until the
shippment tracking number is send to our customers service for shippment
verification so as to secure both the buyer and the seller. Below are the
necessary information requested before your account will be credited.
1 : Make sure the approved mail contain the total amount for the item
bought.
2 : Make sure you ship the item to the buyer address above immediatley
you recieve this approved confirmation.
3 : Make sure the shippment tracking number is send to our customers
service for shippment verification so as to secure both the buyer and the
seller.
4 : Make sure the shippment tracking number is send to us ONLY through
(paypal_customersaccount@consultant.com)
5: Make sure the shippment tracking number is send to us ONLY and not the
buyer.
You can contact our customer service care at
(paypal_customersaccount@consultant.com)
Thanks for using PayPal®. We look forward in serving your online payment.
Sincerely.
PayPal logo Internet Merchant Accounts - MerchantPlus.com
BUYER SHIPPING OPTION
So, we have the common misspellings and things that don't match like names (and
the Nigeria thing is a dead giveaway), but the tricky thing is that you have to give a
tracking number BEFORE the Paypal goes through. So, you send the item, forward
the tracking number, and never get the Paypal transaction. I wonder how many people this has snagged?? I think most people would trust eBay and Paypal enough to fall for it.
I saw an Xbox BOX go the other day for $600. It said clear in the add Xbox gaming system yadyadyada BOX ONLY.
Dan:
Check this one out? UPS my &(&(&*&(&!!!!! 
WELCOME TO UPS GLOBAL HOME.
FOREST ROAD FELTHAM,
MIDDLSEX, TW13 7DY .
UNITED KINGDOM.
VAT NUMBER:GB 222421710
TRADE REF NUMBER: 1933173
TELL: +08452-877-877
TELL: +447031949266
Your package have been Pick-Up,Time is money! It's as important to us as it is to you. From a parcel to a pallet, by bike or van we have an office close to you to provide an instant response. Whether it's a regular delivery or an unforeseen emergency, we appreciate that prompt collection, safe handling and on-time delivery are critical. Same-day Dispatch Services have the resources available to cope smoothly and efficiently whatever the demand.
UPS Package Tracking Number:...............1Z4GT8766691120886
Package Information :......1 Package
Procedures for shipping are stated below(require for international destinations and next day air early A.M. service.). Customer`s Western Union Money Transfer Control Number {M.T.C.N}. Required for an exchange with the UPS Shipping Package Tracking Number, Before Will Can Proceed With The Shipping Of Your Package.
Shipment Information
Service:................................. UPS Express
Package Type:....................... UPS Express Pak
Number of Packages:.................. 1
Shipment ID:..............................4GT876SYJHY
UPS Package Tracking Number:...............1Z4GT8766691120886
Shipment Declared Value:.............$550.00
Actual Weight:............................15.Lb
Billable Weight:......................10.5 kg(Dimensional Weight)
Description of Goods: official winning package
*******************************************************************************
Payment Contact:
DISPTACH DYNMAIC SERVICE REQUIERED COST FOR SHIPPING BY MONEY GRAM/WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER TO FASILITATE THE CONFIRMATION OF PAYMENT.
**************************************************************************
YOU ARE TO MAKE THE PAYMENT BY USING WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER /MONEY GRAM. MONEY TRANSFER TO OUR ACCOUNT DEPARTMENT. NAME OF RECIEVER: (ACCOUNT OFFICER): FRANCIS LAUREN
SHIPMENT CHARGES : $550.00 .
BRANCH ADDRESS :51 BECMEAD AVENUE,
STREATHAM SW16 1UJ, UNITED KINGDOM.
**************************************************************************
After payment, send the information below:
NAME OF SENDER:
ADDRESS OF SENDER:
AMOUNT:
WESTERN UNION MONEY/MONEY GRAM MONEY TRANSFER CONTROL NUMBER.(M.T.C.N):
THE TEST QUESTION AND ANSWER IF ANY REQUIRED:
NOTE: AFTER CONFIRMATION OF PAYMENT YOUR PACKAGE WILL ARRIVED YOUR DESTINATION WITH UPS EXPRESS DELIVERY.
******************************************************************************
Verify The Status Of YourTracking Number;
Visit our website:
http:/
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FOREST ROAD FELTHAM,
MIDDLSEX, TW13 7DY .
UNITED KINGDOM.
© 2005 UPS GLOBAL HOME.
TERMS AND CONDITION
Note: After The Release Of The Package Tracking Number.
Any amount unpaid within 3{three}working days of the invoice date shall be Increase/Void Shpment as of right and without prior notice of remedy by 15% as liquidated damages for administrative cost and shall bear a yearly interest of 6% above the European Central Bank Rate, to be calculated per commenced month or the maximum allowed interest rate under the applicable registration, if lower.
Duties and taxes may be assessed on the content of shipment. For currency conversion, UPS may apply a conversion fee.
UPS may , as its option on upon the request of the competent authorities, open and inspect and shipment at anytime, and shall incurred no liability of any kind therefore in accordance with applicable regulations in various jurisdiction UPS is required to undertake (random) x-ray screening .
UPS may elect to advance on behalf of the party responsible for payment there of ("the pay") any duties and taxes as assessed by customer any shipment may be delayed if UPS is not able to obtain satisfactory. Confirmation of rrangement to reimburse it for amount to be advanced for duties and taxes. If advanced duties and taxes it reserves the right to assess a surcharge. Notwithstanding that UPS reserve the right to auction or otherwise dispose to goods to recover charges not reimbursed. UPS money back guarantee policy.
These conditions shall not exclude any liability where there exclusion of that liability is prohibited by law. the invalidity or un-enforceability of any provision shall not affect other part of these conditions.
Not all service and options are available to all destinations, dangerous goods cannot be shipped.
* For delivery and guarantee information,
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Unless governed by the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to International
Transportation by Air (Warsaw Convention), the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR Convention) or other mandatory national law, UPS's liability for damage, loss or delay of this shipment is limited to a maximum of US$100 (or local currency equivalent) or as otherwise limited by the UPS Terms and Conditions of Carriage/Service for the country of origin of this shipment. No protection for loss or damage of this shipment in excess of the amount pursuant to the previous sentence is provided unless the shipper declares a higher value for carriage and pays an additional charge. If the shipper declares a higher value for carriage and pays the applicable charge, then liability shall be limited to proven damages of not more than the sum so declared. If C.O.D. is available for this shipment, the entry of a C.O.D. amount is not a declaration of value for carriage, and all checks or other negotiable instruments tendered in payment of C.O.D. amounts will be accepted by UPS at sender's risk. UPS does not accept for transportation parcels with a value of more than US$50,000 (or the local currency equivalent) if payment is made with (or guaranteed by) a UPS account number, US$5,000 (or the local currency equivalent) if payment for this shipment is made with a credit card (and not guaranteed by a UPS account number), US$999 (or the local currency equivalent) for shipments having an origin in the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Guatemala, New Zealand or Panama or as otherwise limited by the UPS Terms and Conditions of Carriage/Service for the country of origin of this shipment. Claims not made within the time limits set forth in the applicable Terms and Conditions of Carriage/Service shall be deemed waived. UPS shall not be liable for any special, incidental, or consequential damages. There are no stopping places which are agreed upon at the time of tender of the shipment, and UPS reserves the right to route the shipment in any way UPS deems appropriate. Where allowed by law, the sender authorises UPS to act as forwarding agent for export control and customs purposes. The sender states this shipment complies with all laws, including applicable provisions of US Export Administration Regulations. Diversion contrary to U.S. law prohibited. All shipments are subject to the Terms and Conditions of Carriage/Service for the country of origin.
Doug Snell 
Hobie 17
Looks pretty similar, but it is so long and wordy that they expect you to give up reading the legal mumbo jumbo and just pay them!
Another one to keep a heads up is:
You will recieve an email "aparently" from ebay. Its really good, but NOT quite good enough. Something doesnt look right.
It says
"Where is my package?, please advice or I will report you to ebay" Then when you click the reply button in the body of the email, (not the reply button in the email program). It will take you a entirely different website. IT IS NOT EBAY. Looks like ebay, it asks you for your username password.
I fell victim to this. Day to day rush, it totally flew over my head. After thinking about it, I inmediatly changed all my information, username/password and reported it to ebay.
Low and behold they reply that the website is phishing. You put your username password into the boxes and that information is then stored on there behalf and can wreck havoc on your account.
Lesson learned?
Dont ever EVER reply to a ebay message within the body of the email. Go directly to ebay and reply from there.
I got one today exactly like you describe. I am including it in its entirity so you see the clues. BEWARE because the link takes you into phishing hell, NOT to EBay. Not dangerous to visit but it lures you to give up your net identity. All of their EBay logos look PERFECT. Lucky for me, some virus protection or pop-up blocker I have on board jumped up and warned me that the link would take me somewhere other than to the one named.
Dear eBay Member,
During our regularly scheduled account maintenance and verification procedures, we have detected a slight error in your billing information.
This might be due to either of the following reasons:
1. A recent change in your personal information ( i.e.change of address).
2. Submiting invalid information during the initial sign up process.
3. An inability to accurately verify your selected option of payment due to an internal error within our processors.
Go to your account page and verify your informations:
https:/
If your account information is not updated within 48 hours then your ability to use eBay will become restricted.
Sincerely,
Member Services
eBay, Inc.
i]
I've been hearing more and more about this kind of thing on ebay lately. I get about 1 email a day saying there is a problem with my ebay account....and I don't even have one. Hopefully ebay will start cracking down on all these scams.
Simple advice is not never follow the links in the e-mail.
Log on via your Web Favorites and check it that way.
A couple of months back, I started getting so many scams, that I finally defined "Dear ebay member" and "Dear * Cardholder" as conditions for sending email to the dangerous junk mail file. I have been a lot happier since.
Dan:
Is this the same Pay Pal scam? Just got it. 
Doug
From: service@paypal.com
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 3:48 PM
Subject: Activate your PayPal Account
Information Regarding Your account:
Dear PayPal Member!
Attention! Your PayPal account has been violated! Someone with ip address 80.97.171.22 tried to access your personal account! Please click the link below and enter your account information to confirm that you are not currently away. You have 3 days to confirm account information or your account will be locked. Click here to activate your account
You can also confirm your email address by logging into your PayPal account at http://www.paypal.com/. Click on the "Confirm email" link in the Activate Account box and then enter this confirmation number: 1091-8871-4911-9803-3995
Thank you for using PayPal!
The PayPal Team
Please do not reply to this e-mail. Mail sent to this address cannot be answered. For assistance, log in to your PayPal account and choose the "Help" link in the footer of any page.
PayPal Email ID PP087
Protect Your Account Info
Make sure you never provide your password to fraudulent websites.
To safely and securely access the PayPal website or your account, open a new web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer or Netscape) and type in the PayPal login page ( http://paypal.com/ ) to be sure you are on the real PayPal site.
PayPal will never ask you to enter your password in an email. For more information on protecting yourself from fraud, please review our Security Tips at https:/
Protect Your Password You should never give your PayPal password to anyone.
You know... you just got to worry about pay pal!
I never have a warm and fuzzy with that system.
Mark
The system is fine - it's all the phishing that goes on. Never, ever click a link from an email for any official business (account oriented) and you'll be fine.
This is all you have to see to know it's a scam. PayPal (and most other legitimate institutions. NEVER sends email without using your actual username they have on record.
Doug,
There are several Paypal scams--looks like there are a few good examples on this board. You will probably see 20 different ones like the example you showed.
On a different note, I read about a guy in (I think)Australia that was scammed and he gets the idiot award. The scammers came to him with some maps and official looking documents and told him that he had buried treasure on his land. They then told him to put some money in a bag and leave it on his property to "bless" the find. Of course, they took it and dissapeared. I think he lost like 17,000 bucks.