Consumer complaint received 2020-12-02
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: MI
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: International money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
Timeline of Events XX/XX/XXXX I make repeated offers to XXXX seller XXXX for item XXXX for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX White Dial Stainless Steel XXXX. My initial intention is to purchase through XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX writes to me (XX/XX/XXXX user id XX/XX/XXXX ) : Due to my quite new PayPal account can not accept payments other than EUR. If you like I can invoice you XXXX EUR. Thank you. 

Note :XX/XX/XXXX/PayPal automatically converts to base currency so USD or EUR should make no difference. He also says that he will send via XXXX or XXXX depending on the time of day. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX invoices me for XXXX EUR via PayPal. He send me a picture of the XXXX XXXX watch to be purchased. 

XX/XX/XXXX I pay XXXX EUR ( {$9000.00} ) for the XXXX XXXX watch via PayPal invoice. 

XX/XX/XXXX Seller gives me tracking information for a parcel ( XXXX ) sent via XXXX XXXX ( not XXXX  ). No other information such as destination address is provided. 

XX/XX/XXXX I receive the following message from XXXX stating that the account XXXX was accessed by an unauthorized third party. All communication with XXXX and XXXX XXXX are suspect since I had been dealing with him before the message was received through XXXX. 

Note : I contact the seller and tell him that his account is fraudulent and he denies that XXXX  contacted me. I forward him the message I received and he backtracks on XX/XX/XXXX and says that he is getting that message because of fraudulent offers. I ask him to contact me through theXX/XX/XXXX messaging service if he does actually own and is in control of the the account XXXX but he is unable to do so. 

XXXX Account Security Communication Partner Warning - XX/XX/XXXX Hello, Our records show that you recently contacted or received messages from XXXX through XXXX 's messaging system. This account was recently found to have been accessed by an unauthorized third party, who may have used the account in an attempt to defraud other members. 
We've taken action to restore this account to the original owner, but wanted to let you know to be suspicious of any communication you may have received from them. Nothing is wrong with your account at this time this message is just being sent as a precaution. If you have received any messages from XXXX that appears suspicious, please feel free to forward them to us at XXXX for review. 

XX/XX/XXXX I repeatedly ask him why he did not send via XXXX XXXX and request for a receipt showing the delivery address and parcel weight, etc. He ignores the request. 

XX/XX/XXXX I initiate a disputed charge with XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

Note : Upon further investigation on the internet this is a common type of internet fraud through PayPal. PayPal is aware of this scheme ( but there automated system does not allow for in-depth investigation ) since only a tracking number is required to show delivery of the item even though a bogus item is sent to another location. 
The fact that the seller invoiced me through PayPal after contact through an unauthorized XX/XX/XXXX account indicates that the seller wanted to use PayPal for the express use of defrauding me. 

XX/XX/XXXX - PRESENT XXXX XXXX ruled against me using a photocopy of a fake billing receipt and a vague USPS tracking number that says " delivered to recipient '' in my City and ZIP Code yet no such package was ever delivered. USPS has not been able to verify that any package using that tracking number was ever delivered to my address. USPS Informed Delivery also showed no evidence of it ever being delivered or received. I put a lost package notice into the USPS system and they have still not been able to locate it, even up to very recently XX/XX/XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation