Real life story.
1. Started with suspecious charge to my credit card.
Message: I never authorize Paypal to buy a phone for which I did not order. it was charged 474.00 by the chang. I want to cancel
all my a/c with Paypal and e-bay a/c. I can not trust internet
transaction. find out the frault and the people who commit crime,
Please. I will report to FBI if necessary.
Michael

Dear Michael Han,

Thank you for contacting PayPal.

Hello my name is Renee and it is my pleasure to assist you. I understand
that you received notification informing you that payment was sent from your PayPal account without your authorization. I would like to apologize
for the inconvenience this has caused you but I would be more than willing
to help you on this. Let me review your account further.

Based on your account information, I can assure you that it is in good standing and I do not see any indication of any unauthorized payment in your PayPal account for $474.99 USD for a Nokia Cell Phone. Moreover, I
do not see any email sent by PayPal informing you of such.

After review, we can confirm that the email you received was not sent by PayPal.

The terms 'spoofing' and 'phishing' are industry phrases used to describe the act of collecting personal information by using a fake email, website,or phone calls to entice victims into entering personal information such as
your birthday, credit card numbers, bank accounts, passwords, etc. This sensitive information allows perpetrators to commit identity theft,
credit card, and Internet fraud. These emails and sites appear identical to real
ones, however, they are not. Unfortunately, some people fall prey to such
scams and unknowingly surrender their password, credit card number, and a wide array of other personal information.

As such, please remember these steps to help protect your PayPal account.These will help you identify valid PayPal emails.

Emails - Make sure they are sent from PayPal

   1.  If you receive an email and are unsure whether it is from PayPal,
open a new web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer or Netscape) and type in
the following: https://www.paypal.com/ Do not click on any link in an email
which seems suspicious to you.

   2.  Some spoof websites will send emails that pretend to come from PayPal to entice you to log in at the spoof URL. Be extremely cautious ofemails that direct you to a website that asks for sensitive information.

   3.  Stay safe; don't respond to emails asking for any of the following:

      ?  Your password and email address combination
      ?  Credit card numbers
      ?  Bank account numbers
      ?  Social security number
      ?  Drivers license number
      ?  First and Last Names

If you have surrendered financial or password information to a suspicious email or website, promptly report this to the issuing institution as well
as change your password and security answers on your PayPal account.
This can be completed in the Profile section of your account.

Email Greeting -

   ?  PayPal will never send you an email with the greeting "Dear
PayPal User" or "Dear PayPal Member." Emails initiated by PayPal will address
you
by your first and last name, or the business name associated with your PayPal account.

   ?  Please note that the automatic response you get from us may not address you by name.

Always log into the PayPal site

   ?  PayPal will only ask for information after you have securely logged in

   ?  For your security, PayPal will never ask you to re-enter your full bank account, credit, or debit card number without providing you at least
the last two digits of the number. These digits let you know that we already know the full number and are asking you for the rest of it. Beware of any website or email asking for these numbers for "verification" that does not prove that it knows the number by providing at least the last
two digits

   ?  Use Account Guard on the eBay toolbar. If you use Internet Explorer,download the eBay toolbar. Account Guard helps ensure you are on PayPal or eBay Website pages - make sure that they are hosted by PayPal

   1.  When using the PayPal service, always ensure that the URL address
listed at the top of the browser is
https://www.paypal.com/ This ensures that the website is secure. Even if the URL contains the word 'PayPal', it may not be a PayPal webpage.

   2.  Look for the "lock" symbol that appears in the lower right hand corner of the browser. This symbol indicates that it is a secure site.

Do not download attachments, software updates, or any application to your computer via a link you received in an email. PayPal will never send you an
attachment or software update to install on your computer.

Passwords - keep it on PayPal

   1.  Use a unique password for the PayPal account and change it every
30-60 days.
   2.  The password should be one that is not used on any other site,service, or login.

If you think you have received a fraudulent email, forward the entire email, including the header information to spoof@paypal.com and then delete
the email from your mailbox. Never click any links or attachments in a suspicious email.

To view more information on PayPal's "Security Tips",

Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the U.S. today. The sooner you discover it, the sooner you can act... before serious damage
is done.

That is what Equifax Credit Alerts for PayPal Users are all about. They are an early warning detection system that monitors your credit file and alerts
you to potentially fraudulent activities - for example, if someone tries to obtain credit in your name.

This program is completely free for all U.S. PayPal users. For detailed information, please go to https://www.paypal.com/idprotection

I would like to let you know that you are valuable to us. If you have further concerns and you would like to contact PayPal by phone, kindly
call our Customer Service agents at 1-402-935-2050. We would be more than happy to help you.

I appreciate the opportunity to assist you. We are committed to making your
experiences at PayPal pleasant and rewarding.

Sincerely,
Renee
PayPal Community Support
PayPal, an eBay Company


Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Dear Kathy,
  Thank you for your quick response.
  The following is the copy to ask me to pay and I have not placed
order:
                              Dear PayPal Member,

This email confirms that you have paid
$474.99 USD using PayPal.

This credit card transaction will appear on your bill as "PAYPAL
LWPELECTRONICS*".


---------------------------------
                  PayPal Shopping Cart Contents        Item Name:
BRAND NEW NOKIA 8800 CELL PHONE    Quantity:    1        Total:
$474.99 USD
        Cart Subtotal:    $454.99 USD    Shipping Charge:    $20.00 USD
Cart Total:    $474.99 USD

---------------------------------
          Shipping Information
        Shipping Info:    Bill Chang(on-line thief)
202 N Magnolia Dr.
Saco, ME 04072
United States
 
---------------------------------
 3.My letter to e-bay. and then their reply.

 If you haven't authorized this charge, click the link below to cancel the payment and get a full refund.
        Dispute Transaction   I was trying to settle with Paypal and again they asked my private credcard and SSN and I do not feel safe and refuse to give it on internet.  That is the reason I canceled my sale of my selling commercial property. Please understand this
situation and help remove the fake charge on my credit card. Meantime,I really hope E-bay will reenforce the security on on-line shopping, otherwise, it would kill your busisness.
  thank you again.
  Michael

_____________________________________________

Internet scam artists story:
(1)

internet scam artists are alround you.Here they come! 瀏覽49｜回應0｜推薦0 2006/01/30 09:04:26 The followings are all from my e-mail actual story. I am going to publish as memoir in order of dates:   Yiwu Menglei Import & Export Co., Ltd. 132 Wuai Road, Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province. China zhanghsu@myway.com Dear Friend,   Compliments of the day, and my best wishes to you. I am Mrs. Yei Wan, The Public Relation Officer (PRO.) of the above company. This company is into the supply of home Textiles,Toys, China wares, and  Stationeries.This company was established in 2004.underthe Company and Allied Matter with the Corporate Affairs Commissions of China.     Having gone through a methodical search, I decided to contact you hoping that you will find this proposal interesting. we are interested in employing your services to work with us as a private payment agent that can help us establish a medium of receiving payment for goods that was supplied to our customers in your location,as the company is already experiencing difficulties in receiving payments from them.      Most of our customers pay out in cheques and money orders and we do not have an account in your country that will clear this money. It is upon this note that we seek your assistance to stand in as our representative in your country. It is important to let you know that, as our representative, you will receive 10% of whatever amount you clear for the company and the balance will be for the company.   Please if you are interested to work with us in good faith and honesty, Contact Mr. Zhang Hsu the Chief Executive Officer (CEO.) of this company whom is presently in the UK. Through this email address: zhanghsu@myway.com    Endeavor to let him know that I directed you to him; Please let him know your decision rather than keeping him waiting because I will inform him about my contacting you. The CEO. Will tell you more on receipt of your response. If you are not interested, kindly pardon me for contacting you. Thanks for your time and remain blessed.    Very Respectfully,    Mrs. Yei Wan.  PRO.  Yiwu Menglei Import  & Export Co., Ltd.  Goods for Import,  Freight Fwdg. Svcs. 瀏覽34｜回應0｜推薦0

2006/01/30 09:07:15

I replied the e-mail as follows: Mrs. Wang, Very surprised at your letter sending to me about this offer. You know this is a very risky business that you think you could find some one you can trust about your offering the job. I am doing motel business for over 15 years in Yosemite. I used to run business of import and export both in Taiwan Japan and the States. Not very smooth and successful and I ended wrapping up the business for the motel. I remember one time one of my friends,because of my honesty, sent his $100,000 commission to my account. After two years, he needed the money and I sent it back to him together with bank interests after tax deduction. Frankly, I am not interested in monkey business or illegal activity. What you offered if it is legal and can earn legal profit I may give a consideration. You know I am American citizen and only want to do thing in accordance with the law. Thanks for writing e-mail to me. Michael Han

(2)Started with scam...

The story goes on 瀏覽38｜回應0｜推薦0

2006/01/30 09:16:42

Dear Mrs. Wang, Just received phone call from e-trade about possible your fund being wired to me. As a result, I ordered e-trade to clear the fund first and open A/C in the e-trade bank under my name. NO one will touch the fund until further instruction from your office. It may take one week to have clearence and I will keep you informed. Regards, Michael  (3) Showing the fox tail! 瀏覽41｜回應0｜推薦0 2006/01/30 09:32:13 the 7th of December 2005 Dear Yei, Just finished opening 2 accounts: 1. Money market a/c in amount of $100,000.00 (special interest rate 4.1%) 2. Checking a/c In amount of $100,100.00.(including my personal cash $100.00). You can always add to money market a/c later. As rule, when you want to wire and/or send some one money, I need all information of recipient. Michael (4) You must be prepared for this, or you do not how to repond 瀏覽36｜回應0｜推薦0 2006/01/30 09:36:13 Wonder what actually is going on? Here it is. Dear Yei, Checked with e-trade, the fund is still on brokerage's a/c. It takes 2 days for the 2 a/c activated. I talked to the person in charge and was told that they will send me a package in 7~14 business days. As for when I would be allowed to transfer the fund or write a check. I guess it requires my signature to do the 1st transfer. As for on line fund transfer, it may take a little more time ( I don't really know). In the meantime, you may make a list of transfer recipient name address and desired schedule so that I can follow ASAP. I guess I will receive from e-trade monthly electronic a/c statement.Accordingly, I will send the copy to you for your assurance of tracking the records. Thanks for letting me handle your payment matter. Michael Yei Wan wrote: Dear Michael, I need to know if the money have cleared so i will send information on how to wire. Thank you very much for your effort so far. Regards   Mrs Yei Wan. (5) Started suspicious! 瀏覽36｜回應0｜推薦0 2006/01/30 09:42:59 It does not smell right. I can not just wire without knowing the purpose of wiring I used to do import and export. Every time you wire the money, you have to indicate to whom and what relationship or for what nature. On 9th of December 2005.... Dear Yei, Received mail from  e-trade bank. here is copy and paste: Fri Dec  9 18:59:04 2005           Your Check and Deposit Slip Order We have received your request for checks. Requests received before 2 p.m. ET are processed the same business day. Requests received after 2 p.m. ET are processed the next business day. Michael Yei Wan wrote: Dear Michael,   Am very glad at the mail you sent to know the position of things presently due to the fact that I have always counted on you right from the inception of this transaction.    Please use this bank details to wire the money:   Account Name:Francis Lauren Account Number:57936975 Sort Code:60-92-04 Swift Code:nwbkgb21 Bank Name:Yorkshire Building Society London,United Kingdom.   Make the transfer immediately also send the details of transfer to me as attachment. Hope to hear from you soon.   Warm Regards,   Mrs Yei Wan. (6) I told E-trade to freeze my brkerage a/c for 3 month 瀏覽27｜回應0｜推薦0 2006/01/30 09:59:20 If they know my a/c without security code. I might loss my brokarage stock and money. I started taking eargent measures including including consulting law enforement and DA office. I did not tell Wan what did I Do. The law officer told me "You have good business  and I don't think you need the extra money. Just send back the $100,000 and tell them this is end of game." Dear Yei, It is very unfortunate that your side of wiring the fund with a unhappy results. According to e-trade, your bank claimed that wiring was a mistake. As results, $100,000 of $200,000 were canceled and returned to the sending bank. Yet, among the left over $100,000.00 you told me to transfer 35,000 65,000 and $10,000 equal to $110,000. The total does not add up the money you wired. This transaction has bad influence in my final decision. I told e-trade to reject the whole money and forget the whole things. I am not happy that your company does not follow the rule of business. Being the representative of FETL before, I think it only proper that you have all legal procedures taken care of; such as Power of Attorney, Certificate of employment stating the terms and condition of the relationship and signed by the CEO. Only until after all is completed,then I can open account on your company's behalf and conduct the business accordingly. Sorry, I have to follow the rules and law in this country. You and company CEO must understand. If that is the way your CEO is still interested in my representing, kindly follow through. Haste makes waste. Regards Michael  Yei Wan wrote: Dear Michael, How are you doing? I saw your mail that you sent to us about the sales invoice. I went to the auditing office and asked them for this invoice; I have attached it to this mail. As for you employment letter that will also be send to you ASAP. Please print it and take it to your bank as a proved of what we supplied so that the funds can be transfer ASAP. The next mail that I will send to you will follow your employment letter. Thanks for your effort so far, Mrs Yei Wan. (7) Not the end of the game yet. 瀏覽32｜回應0｜推薦0 2006/01/30 10:02:55 This is to let you know that my previous opend personal account on behalf of your company has been closed. The reason is your company is not registered in U.S. Legally I can not represent you. End of the game. Michael Yei Wan wrote: Dear Michael,    So how do I go about my money? Please respond.   Mrs Yei Wan. (8) Wrote to e-trade and cc to SEC 瀏覽36｜回應0｜推薦0 2006/01/30 10:09:05 To warn e-trade security system might be attacked. They  should take special measure to protect the customers. To e-trade supervisor, Since my account has been free-zed on my request since December, I found that you still did not activate my account and I was told that Account is still under review. Please pay attention to the following points: 1. I presume that my E-trade account was not protected and pass word  was invaded by Scam Artists. 2. I did not tell outsider that I have a E-trade brokerage account and just wander why the Scam Artist could wire me money and cancel half the amount through E-trade.It ended that I had to consult the law enforcement for proper action to protect my interests. 3. The security system of your company is under attack of Internet SA. Therefore it is very important that you make public announcement to all E-trade customer to obtain your new RSA digital security system. 4. Further, I deem it necessary that our incidence be reported to SEC for corrective action to warn other brokerage firm for avoiding the recurrence. Please let me know when I can activate my account. Sincerely Yours Michael Han (9) Reply from SEC 瀏覽38｜回應0｜推薦1 2006/01/30 14:52:26 Dear Mr. Han: Thank you for sending us a courtesy copy of your e-mail to E*Trade.  We welcome hearing from you because we keep a database of information about the complaints and inquiries we receive.  This database allows us to track whether a troubling situation may be developing about a particular issue, company, broker, stock, or other securities product.  The information you have provided will be reflected in our database. If your e-mail raises issues that others at the SEC should see, we will pass it along to them. We will not do anything more with your e-mail unless you contact us again.  I hope you receive the answers you are seeking. Once again, thank you for sending us a copy of your e-mail. Leslie M. Garner Attorney Office of Investor Education and Assistance U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission This ends the whole story of internet Scam Artits.