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Thread: Mail Fraud FAQ

  1. Mail Fraud FAQ

    :: How To File For Mail Fraud ::

    Are you a victim of online fraud, or think you are a potential victim due to a single person or a company? Well, you have come to the right place to see what you can do to get your item/money back from the thieves.


    :: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ::

    1. I think I have been ripped off. What should I do?
    Go to any of the mail fraud sites listed below to file a complaint. I suggest filing for as many as you can.
    2. When should I file for mail fraud?
    If you have sent out numerous e-mails regarding your payment being received and/or item being sent and never received the item/e-mail within a 15-20 days from the date you shipped the item/payment, send out ONE LAST e-mail informing them that you will take action if they do not respond to your e-mails. If after 2-3 days of no response, start to file for mail fraud. The faster you file the mail fraud, the faster you will get what is owed to you.
    3. The other party responds to my e-mails, but keeps giving me excuses and/or the run around. What should I do?
    It's more than likely they just trying to buy more time. If they reply to your e-mails but keeps telling you that it will be shipped soon, over and over, notify them that you will be filing for mail fraud. File for mail fraud as soon as possible. Especially with PayPal and their 30-day policy (see FAQ #6). If you keep on letting them buy more time, they'll just keep giving you that same answer over and over until either the PayPal 30-day complaint is over, or if you forget about it and give up trying to get the item.
    4. What do I need when I file a complaint?
    Most of the time it's a win-win situation if you have most, if not all of the following..
    You will need the following contact information of the other party:
    • Name
    • Address
    • Phone Number (if available)

    You will need any of the following proof and/or evidence: (the more the better)

    • Email and/or Instant Message conversations
    • Proof of shipment of item
    • Proof of payment (Credit Card Bill, Check Statements, PayPal, Receipts, etc.)

    5. I paid for something online with a credit card, money order, check or cash and I never received the item. What should I do?
    If you paid with credit card, notify the credit card company, and inform them of the situation. Tell them you want to dispute the charge, and they will investigate.
    If you paid with a money order, you can go back to the place you bought the money order from or call the number that is on the receipt stub from the money order and have them do a 'stop payment'. What 'stop payment' does is, it prevents the person from cashing it in. But if the money order has been cashed already, there is nothing that can be done, unless you file for mail fraud. Also, the receipt stub that was on the money order can also be used as proof of payment, as well as proof of them cashing it when they track the money order.
    If you paid with a check, its similiar to a money order. You can do a 'stop payment'. If the check has been cashed, there is nothing that can be done, unless you file for mail fraud. If the check has been cashed, you can ask your bank for a bank statement concerning the check. This will be used as proof that the person cashed your check.
    If you paid in cash, this will be harder as there is no proof/receipt that you sent it. So, send at your own risk.
    6. I ordered something online using PayPal. What should I do?
    PayPal's policy is that, you have 30-days to file a complaint. If after 30-days, you are out of luck. If you have not received a response and/or item within 20-days, file a complaint with PayPal. If by any chance, you do receive the item, you can cancel the complaint with PayPal. If the other party is at fault, PayPal will recover whatever money is owed to you, IF the money is in the other party's account. If there is no money in the account, there is nothing that can be done unless you used your credit card on PayPal to pay for the item (see FAQ #5).
    7. Does there have to be a certain value before I can file for mail fraud?
    No. It's not the cost and/or value of the item, inorder for you to file for mail fraud. It's the principle. You can file for mail fraud whether your lost or the item costs, $5.00, $100.00, or even $1,000.00. Mail fraud is a crime and a federal offense. Legal action can be taken against the the other party if they are found guilty if they do not return what is owed to the respectful ower.
    8. When is it a good time to send out an item once I have received payment from buyer via PayPal? - UPDATED - 08/23/04
    There have been instances where a seller has sold an item (most of the time expensive items) to a buyer, whether it be a hard to find game, cellphone, systems, electronics, etc., and a couple days later, the payment was reversed. Most of the time, the payment is reversed due to stolen credit cards, stolen bank account information or just plain scam.

    Most sellers ship the item the next day after receiving the payment. Its good to be quick on shipping, but its also bad. If the payment was a scam/reversed, it takes PayPal 1-day to find out, email you and reverse the payment (2 days max..but rarely). Once payment is reversed, PayPal will do an investigation to see if it indeed was a fraudulent payment. If you're lucky to read the email before it is sent out, than you've saved yourself from losing an item. If not, and the package is already on the way to the scammer, go back to the place where you shipped the package and request it back do to an investigation and fraudulent payment.
    Best suggestion is to:

    • Ship item 2-3 business days after you have received the payment. This will give you enough time to see if there is problems with the payment.
    • Overseas countries are places to watch out for. Those are where most scammers are located and are hard to get back your item once its shipped. Some countries are:
      • Singapore
      • Lithuania
      • Malaysia
    • Send package with Delivery Confirmation. This will show the tracking of the package, proof of shipment and proof of arrival to buyer. This is a major factor when it comes to providing proof of shipment.

    9. I have a question but its not mentioned above. Can you help me?
    Sure. Just post your question and I will gladly try to help you answer any of your questions you might have.
    :: Domestic ::

    The following sites are places to file for mail fraud. I suggest filing as many as you can. This will not only help you, but will make the process quicker and notify the authorities of what the person is doing.

    Contact your nearest local law enforcement agency and inform them of the situation.

    U.S. Postal Inspection Service
    USPS Mail Fraud Complaint Form
    Mail-in Mail Fraud Complaint Form (.PDF) -- Adobe Acrobat is needed to view.
    USPS Online Feedback Form
    Postal Inspector Office Locator
    Mail: Inspection Service Support Group
    Attn: Fraud Section
    Ste 1250
    222 S Riverside Plaza
    Chicago, IL 60606-6100

    Internet Fraud Complaint Center for the FBI

    Federal Trade Commission

    National Fraud Information
    National Fraud Complaint Form
    Fraud Hotline
    1-800-876-7060
    Monday-Friday
    9am - 5pm Eastern Time

    Better Business Bureau
    :: International ::

    Contact your nearest local law enforcement agency and inform them of the situation.

    International Fraud -- econsumer.gov

    http://www.web-police.org/]International Web Police
    Phonebusters
    P.O. Box 686
    North Bay, Ontario
    P1B 8J8
    Canada

    Toll Free Phone:
    (888) 495-8501
    Toll Free Fax: (888) 654-9426
    Email: info@phonebusters.com


    Council of Better Business Bureaus
    220 - 44 Byward Market Square
    Ottawa, Ontario
    K1N 7A2
    Canada

    Phone: (613) 789-5151
    Fax: (613) 789-7044
    Email: ccbbb@canadiancouncilbbb.ca


    :: Miscellaneous ::

    SquareTrade -- File a dispute. SquareTrade will be the mediator.

    PayPal Email Help Form - UPDATED - 09/27/04
    PayPal Service Center: - UPDATED - 09/27/04
    PayPal Customer Service Agents are available to help you during the following times:
    • 4:00 AM PDT to 10:00 PM PDT Monday through Friday
    • 6:00 AM PDT to 8:00 PM PDT on Saturday
    • 8:00 AM PDT to 6:00 PM PDT on Sunday

    Call us at: 402-935-2050

    We may only discuss an account with the account-holder. Please have the following information available when you call:
    • Your telephone number
    • Your email address
    • The last 4 digits of your credit card or bank account registered with PayPal
    Last edited by bandit; 27 Sep 2004 at 03:39 PM.

  2. I've stickied (is that even a word?) the thread for all to use. Great resource Bandit. Thanks for posting it.

  3. FAQ #8 Added -

    #8 has to do with fraudulent payments, payment reversals, when to ship packages and where most scammers are located.

  4. I sold a guy a laptop recently that was in perfect shape.

    The guy said at the last moment that he needed it asap as he was leaving the country so I did so.

    He paid $10.00 for shipping, I upped it to 2 day shipping for $40.00 and insured it even though he didnt ask or pay for it.

    He gets the laptop, says it doesnt work... so I say that strange but lemme file a claim with Fed Ex....

    Instead he does a reverse of the charges through Pay Pal...

    They are investigating but in the meantime have deducted that amount from my Pay Pal account.

    I got the e-mail asking for info, I explained that we were dealing through Fed Ex and that I would not send him out a check UNTILL I got the laptop back and got reimbursed by Fed Ex.

    4-5 days have gone buy with no reply from Pay Pal and my money is still unavailable to me.

    What might you suggest?

  5. Quote Originally Posted by JMET
    I sold a guy a laptop recently that was in perfect shape.

    The guy said at the last moment that he needed it asap as he was leaving the country so I did so.

    He paid $10.00 for shipping, I upped it to 2 day shipping for $40.00 and insured it even though he didnt ask or pay for it.

    He gets the laptop, says it doesnt work... so I say that strange but lemme file a claim with Fed Ex....

    Instead he does a reverse of the charges through Pay Pal...

    They are investigating but in the meantime have deducted that amount from my Pay Pal account.

    I got the e-mail asking for info, I explained that we were dealing through Fed Ex and that I would not send him out a check UNTILL I got the laptop back and got reimbursed by Fed Ex.

    4-5 days have gone buy with no reply from Pay Pal and my money is still unavailable to me.

    What might you suggest?
    OK..so he paid via PayPal and they reversed it. You filed a claim with FedEx and is waiting for a response as well as from PP. I suggest calling PP Customer Service and explain your situation. Via email will take longer as to talking to someone over the phone and can help you out quicker.

    Do you still have the proof of shipment and proof of payment reversal? If so, print it out or make a copy of it. If after 3-7 days has gone by and nothing has happened, file for mail fraud. Proof of shipment and proof of reversal is your solid proof that you delivered the item as promised but the payment was reversed. If he said he sent it, he would have to provide proof that he sent it out. Since it was sent via FedEx, it comes with tracking so he cant say he never got it. Make sure you also keep copies of any conversations between you two whether its via email or instant message. These may come in handy when needed.

    If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask. I'll do my best to answer them and help you out. Thats what this FAQ is for. No one likes to get ripped off, especially me, so I wouldnt want to see anyone else go through it.

    I have also included the web mail complaint and customer service number for PayPal under the Misc section of the FAQ.
    Last edited by bandit; 27 Sep 2004 at 03:40 PM.

  6. Thanx Bandit. I had called Paypal, filled a complaint with TradeSquare and notified ebay but have yet to hear anything of substance from any of them including the buyer.

    Update:http://www.the-nextlevel.com/board/s...8&postcount=31


    Update: Nothing was done by any of this except I got the guy kicked out of ebay. Paypal is coming after me for the money I lost. But fuck them I refuse to pay for that shit.
    Last edited by x2y; 30 Jun 2005 at 01:59 AM.

  7. I suspect that I am a victim of mail fraud. I won a auction on Ebay one month later I still have not received what I payed for when I email the seller he tells me that the game has been sent out or he does not know what happened.

    I want to file for mail fraud but I realized I do not have his address. I used PayPal to pay for the item. I checked the receipt but only his name and email address are included. Is there any way for me to get the seller's address so that I can file mail fraud charges?

    BTW, great FAQ.

  8. To get contact information regarding bidder/seller, go to this link

    http://search.ebay.com/ws/search/AdvSearch?sofindtype=8

    They will send your the address that the other party has registered with. Once you receive it, proceed with filing mail fraud.

    I think its kind of late to file a complaint with PayPal since its over 30 days. Ask him to provide tracking number/delivery confirmation if he claims it was sent out.

  9. Quote Originally Posted by bandit
    To get contact information regarding bidder/seller, go to this link

    http://search.ebay.com/ws/search/AdvSearch?sofindtype=8

    They will send your the address that the other party has registered with. Once you receive it, proceed with filing mail fraud.

    I think its kind of late to file a complaint with PayPal since its over 30 days. Ask him to provide tracking number/delivery confirmation if he claims it was sent out.

    Thanks for the link. I filed a complaint with PayPal last week I did email the seller asking him for the tracking number/delivery confirmation I did not get a reply when I emailed him again all he said was he was going to ask the post office what happened of course I did not hear back from him. It is only $15.00 but it bothers me that he stole my money.

    I still see people leaving him positive feedback for auctions that ended on the same day. I left him a negative on Ebay.
    Last edited by GameFreak; 22 Nov 2005 at 08:15 AM.

  10. A

    I was doing an online pokemon trade and we had agreed on cards to trade, so i sent my cards with delivery notification, and he received them, he told me he sent me his cards but i didnt receive anything! I know he didnt send them and im wondering if theres anything i can do, and if so what would be the reprecussions of his actions?

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