Hello everyone! I just wanna share my Internet scam experience.
The simple process is that they text me about their inquiry on the availability of the prepaid load that they need and if I confirmed it, they send me the money through paypal and when I received it, I send them the load. I also accept payments via GCASH, bank deposits, and money transfers.
Around 8PM of October 8, 2010 I received a message from cellphone number 09064674503 inquiring if i have globe prepaid card because she will be needing 2 pcs of 500 call card. I said I dont have it but I can give her Globe autoload worth of 1000 if its ok with her. She said ok and told me that she will pay me via paypal. I use "she" though she didnt give me her name yet but when I checked my email, she submitted an order form on my website with her name as "Sarrah Caster" and her cellphone number.
Heres a screenshot of her filled up load form:
When I read this, my first "wrong" move was that I told her about it. I told her, "I received your email mam Sarrah" so she was like "email? what email?" and then I said that she filled up my order form and that I receive an email about it. So she "clarified" that Sarrah Caster was her Maiden name and the Jean Michel Riethuisen was her husband and she is using his paypal to buy anything online.
So I sent her the first 1000 load after she sent me 23USD. Here is the screenshot of the paypal notification email:
She said that my service were very fast and that she wants to buy another 1000 again. so she sent me 26USD this time and then sent her the load again after.
After the second 1000 load, she asked for another 1000 because her kids are asking for some load and that she wants to manage their load so il send the load to her same number and she will be the one to distribute it to her kids through share-a-load. So she sent me 25USD and then send her the 1000 load again. The fourth time she asked again for another 1000 load and this one will be for her husband but i should send it to her same number and she will just send it to her husband because shes after the Globe autoloads rewards system. She sent another 25USD. I sent her the 4th 1000 load again.
I was so stupid to feel happy about the transactions not knowing that I am dealing with the wrong person.
Here are the screenshots of the other payments she made:
After a while, she sent me another text message again asking for another 1000 for her friend but she will pay me the next day. I said no and told her that I only send load after the payment.
Morning of October 9, 2010. I received 4 emails from paypal informing me about the payment that the account holder did not authorize. Here is one of the screenshots:
The other 3 emails also looked like this with different Transaction IDs. My hand were shaking as I received this email. I immediately logged on to my paypal account and saw that the 4000 amount were really held by paypal and that I have 4 disputes that needs my action at the resolution center of paypal. I responded that I am selling intangible goods and that I cannot refund the money. I also stated that I think it is not my fault if someone was able to access the buyers paypal account and that I am just a seller who wants to make a sale. I also explained that the person Im dealing with introduced herself as the wife of the paypal account holder and we only communicated via SMS here in the Philippines. I gave them the cellphone number. I also emailed Mr Jean Michel Riethuisen about this incident but he didnt reply back.
I am praying that paypal would go on to my side and give back the 4000. I patiently waited for their email about this.
October 10, 2010 around 6PM. I got another text from 09179346545 inquiring about globe load and that he will pay me via Paypal also. I told him to fill up my load form on my website and send 1100 to my paypal email. He sent 1000 to my paypal and said that I could sned her 900 load instead of 1000. I have a 10% charge for paypal transactions for fees in case you were asking why I am charging 1100 for a 1000 load. He also said that he have already filled up and submitted the order form.
Here is a copy of his filled up order form.
When I received this load form, I noticed the IP Address of the sender and it is the same IP Address of SARRAH CASTER. My scammer.
Here is also the copy of the paypal email notification that I received from his payment:
His paypal account email is also lataupes@gmail.com so I told him that I sent an email to his paypal account email and he needs to reply to me using this email. He told me to send it to his other email which is hellasroland@hotmail.com. I told him no, I need the email to come from his paypal email for it is part of my verification process before I send him the load. He said he will not be able to send me an email because he is already on his way going somewhere. He also said that he will just drop by on an internet cafe if ever he sees one to send me that email that I am requiring. I waited for an email until the next day but he told me to just revert the 1000 because he wasnt able to find an internet cafe. But I already received another paypal email about unaothorized use of this rolland hellas paypal account. So I just reversed it and gave him a refund since I did not send any load anyways.
October 11, 2010. 9AM. Another text message from 09179962405. introduced himself as "rabia" and spammed my freedback order form. He first wanted a globe prepaid card, but I suggested Globe autoload because I ran out of prepaid cards already, he said he will think about it and then later agreed and asked if he could pay me via paypal. So i said Yes he could but I will require an Email of his order using his paypal email account and an order form.
Here is a copy of his order form:
October 11, 2010. 9AM. Another text message from 09179962405. introduced himself as "rabia" and spammed my freedback order form. He first wanted a globe prepaid card, but I suggested Globe autoload because I ran out of prepaid cards already, he said he will think about it and then later agreed and asked if he could pay me via paypal. So i said Yes he could but I will require an Email of his order using his paypal email account and an order form.
Here is a copy of his order form:
From this order form, I noticed his IP Address as located in US. I know nothing Aabout IP Addresses but then I texted him where is he located and he said he's here in the Philippines but will be leaving for Denmark soon. So I thought, He might be hacking some servers or something. Now heres the best part of this third scammer of mine, His name in the order form is Bienvenue Rabia but look at his paypal payment to me:
A different name from his form and from what he said to me his name was. But this time, he was able to send me an email using that paypal account email address. After 5 minutes an email from paypal came and said that it is another unauthorized transaction. The real owner must have received the payment receipt from paypal so he immediately reversed it. The scammer also sent me a text message saying that he reversed the payment because I am so slow in sending the load. What is so slow in 5 minutes when doing an online transaction??? He also accused me of being a scammer because I dont send the load right away. So I replied to him that he is the one who is the scammer here. He sent me different names, and used somebody's paypal account and that his IP Address is located at the United States.
So theres my story. I just received the paypal email today about the Sarrah Caster transactions and they reversed the 4000 to Mr. Jean Michel Riethuisen. A lesson learned. A super FAIL! I lost 4000 pesos in an hour!
I will never let that happen again and I am really going to be more careful specially in dealing with paypal transactions. If theres anyone of you who have a better suggestions on how to deal with paypal transactions without being scammed please do say so on the comment box. Anyone who also had this experience I'd love to hear them all so we could share experiences and learn from it too. And I am really curious about the IP Address thing. Is it 1 IP Address is to one computer? I really have no idea.
Philippine Prepaids will still live on. It will survive and this is just a part of doing business online. It doesnt make me a failure but rather an experienced one. I did not do anything wrong. I did not hurt anyone. And whoever that "Sarrah Caster" is, God Bless You. I do not know you, you may have reasons why you have to do that. But Im not mad. It is said that in order to rise, you have to fall down. At this moment I am down with 4000Php but I will rise up with 4 Million, and even more. I promise you that...
