As of 2023, PayPal shipping scams continue to be a real threat for unsuspecting buyers and sellers. These scams involve a seller claiming to have a product for sale, but instead of shipping it, they take the buyer’s money and never deliver the product. The scammer often uses a fake PayPal account or a fake address, making it difficult for PayPal to investigate and take action.
One type of PayPal shipping scam is known as “overpayment”—the scammer sends the seller more money than what is due for the item, and then requests a refund of the difference. The seller may think they are getting a good deal, but the scammer is actually taking advantage of the seller’s trust. In addition, the scammer may also ask the seller to return the money via wire transfer, which can be difficult to trace and is often irreversible.
Another popular type of PayPal shipping scam involves “buyer protection”—the scammer claims to be a representative of PayPal and offers to protect the buyer’s transaction from fraud. In reality, the scammer is just collecting the buyer’s money and never delivering the product.
Fortunately, PayPal has implemented more measures to protect buyers and sellers over the past few years, such as requiring sellers to ship items with tracking numbers and mandating buyers and sellers to use PayPal’s secure payment method. It is important to always be aware of the risks of online transactions and to remain vigilant when dealing with suspicious individuals.
