Scammed using PayPal gift, what to do next?

Hello everyone,

I recently ended up getting scammed out of around $1,000 by sending payment via PayPal gift on Collectors Universe. I thought about posting on that site but I already know I made a mistake and don't want to be criticized for it many times over. I have had plenty of good transactions that way, but this one went bad and now I am out of luck and wondering what I can do to recoup my money.
So I bought a lot of coins off BST on CU and the "seller" was extremely nice with quick responses so I wasn't too worried. He said he was searching through old jars of coins from his family and finding these coins and they were mostly junk silver and common date wheat cents, so I did believe it. I messaged him a few times and he responded back that he would get them out Monday and so I messaged them Monday and he said he shipped them out, but left the tracking number in his car and would send it to me later. Since then I haven't heard anything at all! It has been almost three weeks since I paid for them and 11 days since he said he shipped them out.
Is there anything I can do?

 

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I don't think so. I accidentally sent a payment like that one time. The seller a fellow member brought it to my attention what I did. If he didn't it may have slipped past me. I make freakin sure how I send payments. I guess I got lucky, was the only time I've done that & it was purely an oversight on my part.
I'd advise you to NEVER send payment for goods by way of family & friends.

 

Do you have his confirmed PayPal address? If so, I'd send him a registered letter stating that if you did not hear back from him soon, you would turn the matter over to the local authorities for criminal charges. Take screen shot's of your PM's and any other conversations that you have had with this person, so that you have evidence of a promised transaction. PayPal will not do anything as in their eye's you gave a gift to the person.

 

This is exactly why I use a credit card through PayPal. If you used a credit card you can always dispute the transaction with the bank/credit card company and get your money back.

 

You could always just contact Paypal and say you had intended to send the payment to a friend, but your friend never confirmed receipt, so you're pretty sure it went to the wrong person. Paypal will do an investigation. If the seller then tries to "prove" they know you, you'll have evidence for filing a postal fraud case against the seller.

 

For the record, Paypal reversed an $800 "gift" for me once, two weeks after the transaction. My friend (apparently his account had been hacked, so it wasn't actually him) asked me to send him some money, as his kid needed to go for a trip with her school. Since it was for his kid, I figured I'd help out, but when I followed up with him, he said he never asked for money and his account had been hacked. So, I contacted Paypal, and three days later, they refunded me. So, yes, while they say they have no recourse, if you have an account in good standing, Paypal will do what they can to help. It never hurts to ask.

 

Why not post on the other site as well? It couldn't hurt to warn other potential victims.

 

I think I will be posting on Collectors Universe as a warning, I am guessing the guy has quit selling and left the site alltogether but it never hurts to warn people.

UPDATE:
I called PayPal and they were willing to give me his name but they didn't have an address on file. They did tell me he lived in Sharon, PA so now it is just up to me tracking him down and sending him certified mail. Thanks for that idea, I never would have thought of that!
I had two of the nicest ladies that work at PayPal who were willing to file a dispute for me, which allows me to upload screenshots of all our conversations. With him being a new member and not giving PayPal much information I am betting he still has at least part of the money in his account.

 

Out the guy on CU and also here.

 

Darn right. After warning him. One last shot at actually getting what you bought.

The miscreant's only trying to screw the government out of their lawful share of taxes, anyway. Probably too lazy to have developed the cost basis for his stuff, which would do that for him.

 

I am talking to someone else on CU who purchased from, I messaged him after I saw him post that payment was sent in his B/S/T and he is in the same situation I am. Got the run around for awhile and now hasn't heard anything or gotten anything. His name is Kevin Peterson, and he was selling on the forum as KPcoins.

 

Now that you know his name and city/state, best to call the local & State Police departments there followed by documentation via certified mail/return signature required to them to bolster your case. This same person might be on file for other types/similar fraud. Best of luck to you and keep us posted.

 

The police will most likely call this a civil matter and do nothing unfortunately

 

Ouch! The only thing you can really do is get all the information you can on him, like where he works, who he's married to etc. Then start by calling him and telling him you want him to make things right. See what he says, if he's the dirt bag I think he is he won't do anything until you tell him your going to make life hard for him if he don't make things right. You gotta realize one thing, you will only get him to make things right if he fears the consequences. Legally, you gave him a gift, so the law will do nothing. good luck!

 

The whole point of PayPal Gift is that you are giving a gift.

You gave a gift.
He choose not to give you a gift in return.

Oh well...


Unethical - sure.
Criminal - no.
Fraud - no.

 

Looks like three people have stepped up with having the same problem with the guy. Hope the guy gets his head on straight and takes care of everyone.

 

You can send a message to the FBI's active internet fraud division if you write to spam@uce.gov - you can also forward as an attachment any skeevy-looking email "offers" (from Nigerian "princes" and such) etc, to an email you send to this same address (so they receive the full header info associated with the email) where it will at least be going to the right agency. There's no guarantee they will act on it and they won't be involved in any recovery efforts, however it will at very least add useful evidence to any cases they might happen already to be looking into and/or suggest new investigations.

 

Depending on what the IRS thinks of undeclared business income.

 

Lately you'll invite a bannification over there for doing that.