eBay Nigeria Scam Exposed
It’s easy to focus on the $6 billion money train that is the eBay “digital marketplace” (or auction site in everyday language – “Internet Marketers, Are you on the eBay Money Train Yet?” But if you’re not careful, you could fall prey to scam artists.
With a worldwide audience, that set of Pez dispensers could evoke a fierce bidding war between collectors in Belgium and Thailand, and the tussle could boost your sale price quite substantially. But again, beware the sharks out there.
Last week, I put up a cell phone for auction on eBay and within 4 hours, a buyer took up the “Buy It Now” option, purchasing the phone at the price I specified. This certainly was a bright prospect for my eBay plans. What’s more I got a PayPal payment notification from the UK buyer, along with an email that read:
Hello,
I just sent the payment for the item. I also included
an estimated cost of shipping to Nigeria for my son
company. Please let me know when you get a
notification from ebay that Slong Girl sent you a
payment. Send me the tracking number via auspost as
soon as you ship the item. I am having difficulties
getting across to my son that manage her father
company over there. I gave his address to paypal for
verification and it has been confirmed so it should be
in the payment notification.
His correct mailing address again is:
Atolagbe Agbede
03 Ijaiye Road
Opp Mobil Filling Station
Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos
Nigeria 23401
Thanks and I hope to read from you as soon as possible
cos I want this to get to him at the shortest period
of time.
Slong,
girl
—
A UK buyer asking for a cell phone to be sent to Nigeria?
Plus the PayPal “payment notification” looked dubious. The payment amounts were all wrong and it came from “Services@Paypal.com” instead of the regular “service@paypal.com” (a hallmark of scam artists = poor spelling).
Even better, the email was sent from: “pp.notification.status@post.com” and “pp.notification1@gmail.com” – pretty poor email spoofing if you ask me.
–
As if these weren’t bad enough, the “bidder” had the audacity to send more fake email:
Dear andrew wee,
We hereby notify you of the transaction that was effected by Slong Girl for the
payment of the item(s) purchased from you on eBayand provide guidelines on how your funds
would be released.
A notification of this transaction on PayPal as been sent to you immediately the payment
was effected, and we are yet to read from you. Please be informed that the money has
been deducted from Slong Girl account and is pending on PayPal database.
This money will be released into your account as soon as the tracking number for the shipment
has been sent to us at pp.notification.status@mail.com for verification. You are adviced
to ship this item and send the tracking number you recieve from the post office to us at the
above email address.
We will send you an email as soon as the funds has been released into your account, until then
we wait for the tracking number for the shipment. Ship the Item to the address included in the
email used to you notify you of the payment for your item(s) ONLY!
Thank you using PayPal.
Chris Campbell
PP Email ID 936
This was sent from the same mail.com and gmail.com emails.
–
So the scam works in this way:
- They do a bait and switch on you: A US or UK eBay buyer will request for the item to be sent to Nigeria.
- They’ll mail you saying the payment is “held” pending shipment of the item and for you to send them the tracking number.
- If you fall for this, you’ll ship the item.
- They’ll disappear.
If you’re unsure, mail eBay’s customer service and get assistance.
Other telltale scam artist signs:
- The account was created a few hours or a few days ago
- Yours is the first item they have bought (they seem to like cell phones, PDAs and small electronic equipment they can presumably offload into the black market easily)
Checking the eBay site a day later, I found the person’s account had been suspended.
They are persistant though, here’s a followup email I received:
Hello,
I just sent the payment for the item. I also included
an estimated cost of shipping to Nigeria for my son
company. Please let me know when you get a
notification from ebay that Slong Girl sent you a
payment. Send me the tracking number via auspost as
soon as you ship the item. I am having difficulties
getting across to my son that manage her father
company over there. I gave his address to paypal for
verification and it has been confirmed so it should be
in the payment notification.
His correct mailing address again is:
Atolagbe Agbede
03 Ijaiye Road
Opp Mobil Filling Station
Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos
Nigeria 23401
Thanks and I hope to read from you as soon as possible
cos I want this to get to him at the shortest period
of time.
Slong,
girl
—
If you’re newer to eBay, do realize that the protocol is to receive payments BEFORE you ship items to the buyer.
PayPal provides some level of consumer protection for buyers, but you need to be savvy if you’re a seller.
–
Update: A buddy who is an eBay powerseller recommends listing items at the Bidz marketplace (which has some similarities to eBay – take note, it’s primarily focused on jewellery auctions).
If you’re interested in checking it out:
- Bidz US and Canada
- Bidz Australia and New Zealand
- Bidz Latin America (Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Puerto Rico, Chile, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Mexico)
- Bidz Spain
- Bidz Middle East (Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates)
Wild
July 21, 2009 at 3:45 am (15 years ago)i got the same scam artist ‘Havidson Good” or email as:
havidson.good@yahoo.com
i was lucky and investigated it..he didnt scam me
NEVER SEND ANYTHING TO NIGERIA or OUT OF THE U.S. Without reasearching first.
Wild.
Jacky Jan Ching
July 24, 2009 at 12:28 pm (15 years ago)I have almost the same issue with the above. The lady from Uk would like to buy the phone that i am selling in ebay and she would like it to be send in Nigeria, of course with some hesitation, i asked her so many questions, since why would she buy an item from Philippines and be send in Nigeria which would double the cost, why not buy a new phone in UK which she could have it in a much lesser price. But i never send the item.
Below was what she emailed me:
Beware:
——————————————————–
From: Melissa Dorothe
To: my email add
Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2009 9:03:32 AM
Subject: Sony Ericsson R306
Hi,
I saw your item pasted for sale on Ebay web site and I’m interested
in buying it.I will need from you the present condition of the item
and do you still have it available for sale.Hope to read from you
soonest.Contact Cell Phone number +(44) 7045748359.
Best regards
Mrs Melissa.
——————————————————
From: Melissa Dorothe
To: (my email)
Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2009 11:18:55 AM
Subject: Re: Sony Ericsson R306
Hello (my name),
Thanks for your reply,i live in United Kingdom i will like to
inform you that I’m interested in buying your item for a friend who
went on religious mission program in Abroad as a Gift.I will
be paying for this item through Online Bank transfer to bank transfer
and also i will be adding 150.00 GBP (British Pounds) for shipment to
send this item to its Destination(Nigeria) through Ems Speed Post or
Dhl.I will be looking forward to read from you soonest with the cost
you are willing to sell this item including the shipping cost to its
Destination,is nice having business doing together with you.
NB:I will be so much happy if you can end up this auction for me to
buy this item from you.
Warm Regards
Mrs Melissa.
——————————————–
From: Melissa Dorothe
To: Jacky Ching
Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2009 8:43:00 PM
Subject: Re: Sony Ericsson R306
Hi Jacky,
I will like you to know that i cant bid for the item on Ebay just because am using one of my relative in ebay account.Please since i know the overall cost of the item including the shipment cost now,kindly provide me your bank account information so that i can proceed with the payment deposit into your bank account.I will be sending you the shipping address in other for you to know the city if its remote area.Please do help calculate the money to British Pounds.
I will be looking forward to read from you soon.Is my pleasure once again having business doing together with you.Please kindly go end up the auction for me on ebay website in other for me to proceed with me with the payment.
Regards
————————————————–
Hello Jacky Ching,
Here is the shipping address below in order for you to determine the cost of the shipment through Dhl as you said.
NAME :Nelson Joseph
ADDRESS: No 4 kudeti road Onireke
CITY:IBADAN
STATE:OYO
COUNTRY:NIGERIA
ZIP CODE.234002
Tele:2348079121315
I will be looking forward to read from you soon.Is my pleasure once again having business doing together with you.
Best regards
———————————————-
Good day
Chris
August 5, 2009 at 1:46 am (15 years ago)The same guy tried ripping me of by saying he wanted to buy my xbox through pay-pal and he sent me a fake email of pay-pal transaction number which didn’t even register on the real website and i searched the address and found this website now tell me its not a scam.
Cathy H
August 22, 2009 at 3:34 am (15 years ago)A similar scam happened to me when selling my cell phone on ebay…I did not have a buy it now option but the scammer wasthe high bidder, just seconds before the cell phone sold. I am fairly new to selling on ebay…just 3 items. I thought about it for a few minutes and then said now way, emailed him back and said I only ship to USA. Shortly after that his ebay account was gone and I was able to do the second offer thing which I was too turned off to do. Ebay did inform me that it was indeed a scam when I sent them the email. Here is the email I recieved:
hello
i will like to have ur paypal email address so i can make ur payment asap. and i will to let u know that am buying this item for my wife who is presently in west african country nigeria for missionary program and i will be adding $100 to the shiping and handing fees. so i will glad if u can do this for me.
– 09lisa1113
I guess these scammers are all over the place since I now have it listed on Craigslist and with in one hour of the listing I recieved the following email from keanjenny@gmail:
Hi Mate,
I’m interested in buying your item which you display
onCraigslist, ….I will like to buy your item and pay you through
PayPal,do send me your PayPal account email address for the instant
payment also the total cost of the item in USD and also i will be
adding 100$ for the shipping fee through USPS Global Express Mail
Service to my house in LONDON..I’m buying the item for my personal
assistant which is handling on of my company branch in WEST AFRICA for his Birthday Gift coming up in few weeks and here is the Delivery
Information:
Address: Mellanby hall
University of Ibadan
city: Ibadan
state: Oyo State
zip code: 23402
country: Nigeria.
Do get back to me as soon as you can so i can proceed with the instant
payment….hope to hear back from you.
Thanks
Thank you and God Bless you
Michelle S Satuito
August 30, 2009 at 11:00 pm (15 years ago)Thanks to this site. I also had the same experianced. I posted a blackberry unit in my ebay account for local buyers in the Phippines. Then, after the bidding I got a buyer from the USA.
The buyer is asking me for shipping cost to Lagos, Nigeria because he intends to send the blackberry unit to his friend who is working there. So, I inquired on the shipping cost from our country and offered Fedex since the cost is cheaper than DHL. Wow, the buyer chooses DHL and had sent USD $ 512.00 from Barclay bank in London, UK.
I got suspicious when the bank told me that the transfer is on HOLD pending my shipment of the item.The bank wants me to ship the item first, give them the tracking number and the related receipt. So, I used google and found this site. I reported the case to ebay and got a reply in 15 minutes.
Ebay said that the account the buyer used was compromised and confirmed that the transaction is fraudalent. I emailed the buyer and told him that I found out that the transaction was fraudalent and even included the email from ebay. Then, he stops sending emails.
Thanks to this site and the site like this.
Dan
September 2, 2009 at 7:59 am (15 years ago)I myself have only just fell for this scam today
I was promised £250 for my Nintendo DS
After receiving the “paypal” notification they almost shoved it upon me that I was to send it to them
Having only sent it in the morning and finding out now I feel really quite ridiculous and what’s worse is that you can not complain to anyone as the transaction is technically out of ebay and paypal
It’s awful
I urge anyone reading
DO NOT LEAVE EBAY WHEN SELLING SOMETHING
ebay will secure you, if they ask you to end the auction early for a large sum of money DO NOT DO IT!
Steven Bailey
September 2, 2009 at 7:22 pm (15 years ago)Looks like we have been taken for a ride as well. Lucky I haven’t sent the item yet especially since its an solid gold chain worth $3500USD. They made contact and wanted to purchase the item and have it sent to her husband in West Africa. As soon as I found out it was Nigeria I was suspicious but thought you never know. I sent all my account details etc and she replied (see below). I also received a e-mail from Colony Bank (excatly same time which is sus) confirming the transfer has been approved and that I needed to email a tracking number + the scanned way bill receipt to colony-bt-online@accountant.com so payment can be completed. After this i was fairly sure this was a scam and thankfully for this site im not going to wast any more time on it. Ive emailed Colony Bank (security@colonybank.com) in the US but haven’t received a reply yet. The email she/he/it used was roscoll001@gmail.com. Dont sell anything to these fools as your just waiting your time. Also dont send anything till the moneys in your account and cashed out into your hand. Thank you all for this site and comments as this has confirmed my suspicions 🙂
—————————————-
Hello,
The transfer as been made,check your email and Other folders very well for the transfer confirmation,please make sure you make the shipment today via (EMS) because this is needed urgently next week.
Name : Lanre Collins.
Address : 45 Major Salawu Agbowo U.I,
City : Ibadan,
State : Oyo,
Zip code : 200001.
Country : Nigeria.
Tel : 2347029794104.
Declare the item as a gift at the post or Put a $100 NZD Value on the custom declaration of item value form to reduce the terminal charges.I will be waiting to hear from you after the shipment as done with the shipment tracking number today.
Thanks
—
http://www.fastmail.fm – Same, same, but different…
—————————————-
F.U.O
September 4, 2009 at 7:17 am (15 years ago)I have read so many of these scams and it saddens me no small deal. I was the subject of a successful scam like this about 4 years ago, when I was still at Uni (in the UK). I had a contract phone that had come to the end of its contract period. I, being a student, thought I’d sell it off on eBay and get me some much needed funds. I consequently proceeded to list the item (a nokia 3650) and within hours, someone had bought it for “their uncle” who lived in Nigeria. They claimed to have sent payment through western union and emailed me what apeared then to be a genuine confirmation of the transfer from Western Union. The email claimed that the payment would clear in 3 to 6 days. Have in mind that I had never been scammed nor heard about the numerous scam cases, plus I was an ebay newbie. I got suspicious when I noticed the numerous grammar errors in the buyer’s correspondences to me, but put it down to it probably being a non-english speaking person trying their best to communicate. I further got reassured when the buyer told me that they had an account with UPS (or FedEx, can’t recall now) and actually sent a UPS (or FedEx) courier to pick up the item, with proper tracking info and so on.
All the while, the buyer kept nagging for the tracking number, which I eventually emailed to them. That was the last time I heard anything from them. Of course, I never got the confirmation email from Western Union and later found out that Western Union did not operate that way. To make matters worse, the courier company sent me a £98 charge for the delivery of the phone, saying that the person I sent it to closed their account and could not be traced. I was referred to the small prints, where it apparently said that in such an event, the sender shall be liable for all charges. So, I lost my phone and paid to get it sent to a scammer in Nigeria.
You would think that was bad enough. No. Hear this: I am a Nigerian. I was in the UK then for my masters degree and was not entitled to any state benefits, education wise. So, any and every funds mattered to me. I, a full Nigerian, got scammed by a fellow Nigerian 6000 miles away.
I just want all to know that NOT every Nigerian is a scammer or of dubious character. I quite understand the premise on which people make this assumption and think it is a fair one, considering the never ending scam stories I have heard. But, there still are decent people who struggle daily to earn an honest living like everyone else. I am now fully settled and working in the UK, and believe it or not, I am a hobby seller on eBay with a 100% feedback on about 723 sold items. (I sell because I get a kick from doing so) I NEVER, EVER SEND TO NIGERIA OR ANY AFRICAN COUNTRY (AND SOME ASIAN COUNTRIES). You can check my feedback yourself here:
http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=fosugo&ftab=AllFeedback
Email me from my profile if you don’t believe me. Sad, but it is usually the uneducated, lazy, low life criminals tha perpetrate these acts and thus blemish all honest working ones like myself.
Sindy Duran
September 4, 2009 at 1:54 pm (15 years ago)Hello,
i was selling my PSP pn craigslist and some guy named roger mosher (roger.mosher05@gmail.com) said that he was introduced to the site by afrend and that he would like to buy my PSP. I was selling it for $150 but he wahts to buy it for $240 including the shipping. He said that he needed it urgently and that hie niece had been asking for it, so he sent me an e-mail that said to make a payppal account and i did. I emailed him and his ‘wife’ responded and told me to ‘kindly go to paypal.com and make an account’ and that her husband ‘roger’ put the money in her account so she could pay me. Well, im not dumb but i just thought that his niece really needed it, however, i was not going to sent anything anywhere until $240 was deposited into my bank account. I emailed him today saying that i needed the mailing information so i could do it tomorrow after work and for some other questions. When he replied, he said that his nieces address was: 28 isale-agbowa,makun
Sagamu.
Ogun-State.
Nigeria
+2348067379493
Well, i wanted to make an estimate n the ups web site and i needed a zip code, so… i looked up the adress and this site came up so it looked interesting and i went to it. Now i am ifffy about wether i should mail it or not but like i said i woudnt mail anything anyways until $240 were deposited into my bank account. I just want some advice and help and make sure that im not eing set up. Thanks
Sindy Duran
September 4, 2009 at 2:03 pm (15 years ago)Hey,
About four days ago i put
28 isale-agbowa,makun
Sagamu.
Ogun-State.
Nigeria
+2348067379493 28
Sindy Duran
September 4, 2009 at 2:46 pm (15 years ago)OMG,
I was just trying to find a zip code 4 nigeria to mail to this guy and i happened to see this site. I am so so so so so so so so so glad i didnt fall for it. About 4 days ago i posted my ad on craigslist for my PSP for $150 and this guy (roger.mosher@gmail.com) wants to giv me $240 and sas that his ‘niece’ is out of STATE so im thining california, colorado or something. Even from the begining i thought soemthing was funny.
. This i think the second email that he sent me
GET BACK SOON!!!! PSP (Multiple Accesories Included)! – $150 (Accokeek, MD)?
From: Roger Mosher (roger.mosher05@gmail.com)
Sent: Tue 9/01/09 5:37 AM
To: Sindy Duran (sid_dw@live.com)
Hi,
Thanks for the mail…i was introduced to this site by a friend at work and i will like immediate purchase of this item for my Niece ‘Bella’ who is away of the state and been requesting for this item…i will offer you $240 including the shipping charges to her.. there because she is in need of it as a matter of urgency and due to my work i don’t have time to handle the shipping..i will want you to help me handle the shipping very well to her..Get back to me with your confirmed PayPal email address so that i can send the payment..
Get back to me asap…
WOW, i was just looking at the UPS thing to calculate the shipping but im not dumb, i wasnt about to ship anything anywhereb4 having the money in my accoint. I did think this offer was alittle funny but i am so so so so glad i didnt do it and i wont, i made my paypal account and everything. Just to see what he does i will play along with his game, i guess just to see what he says. But if he isnt and my $240 are in my bank account i am shipping my PSP, nut if not, its goin nowhere. He said that the money would be deposited into my account tomorrow and if it is is sending i to my bank and shipping my PSP but like i said i’m not dumb:NO MOMEY, NO PSP! 🙂
Anonymous
September 22, 2009 at 7:20 pm (15 years ago)hello it just happened to me on 21/09/09
i will tell the story in french for all my compatriotes and thank you for your blog
j’ai mis en vente une montre omega sur ebay aux encheres a 500 euros et une femme us rose collins des etats unis veut me l acheter pour 1000 euros car c est soit disant la montre que veut son mari pour son anniversaire
elle me demande si j ai un compte pay pal et je lui dit que je prefere un transfert bancaire
3h apres elle m envoi un mail de colony bank comme qoi le transfert a ete fait et elle me demande de l envoyer tout de suite au nigeria
et la je tape le nom de larry collins sur google et je tombe ici
becareful
ty
david
Z
September 28, 2009 at 10:43 am (15 years ago)i almost got into a scammed case.. sold a gadget on ebay, the buyer will to pay a price which he can easily get a new one in the market.
here’s the email which i received:
Subject: **BANK OF AMERICA **(IT NOW SAVE TO SHIP OUT)**TRACKING
NUMBER NEEDED FOR VERIFICATION**
To: nuxue.b@gmail.com
[image: http://www.bizzia.com/files/2009/05/bank-of-america-wall.jpg%5D
Dear Esteemed Customer,
We hereby informing you that the Payment Confirmation which
you received Today is now approved and is ready to be released to your bank
once you comply with this process.We will like you to know that we are
expecting the shipment tracking number from you today.We advise you to go
and make the shipment now.
Go ahead with the Shipment of the item being ordered from you by
our client (BUYER’S NAME) and send us the Shipment Tracking Number for
the Shipment Verification.
Once the shipment has been confirmed the total amount of
($X) will
be remitted to your bank, from Bank of America straight into your XXXXXXX
BANK (ACCT
No# XXXXXX)
The process which you will have to follow so that you can get your
money are being stated below:
[1]. Go ahead and Ship out the item ordered from you by our client.
[2]. Send the Shipment Tracking Number to our us for the Shipment
verification.
[3]. You will have to be patient till when the Shipment Verification Process
will be over which will take up to 3-4Hours.
So as soon as you follow up these process you have no problem with the
Management and you will get your fund in your bank account easily and
quickly. Faithfully get back to us soonest with the Shipment Tracking
Number.
****ATTENTION***
The transfer order has been APPROVED, you can now go ahead and ship the
merchandise to the buyer’s shipping address. You are expected to make the
shipment with 48 hours of receiving this Transfer Payment
ApprovalNotificationand get to our Transfer department/Technical Dept.
with the tracking number
for Shipment Verification.*
Thanks for using Bank of America
————————
i smell fish here and wonder if this is even true..
well, i guess i will not send out anything until i received the payment…
Anonymous
September 28, 2009 at 3:28 pm (15 years ago)I have the same buyer. What should I do then??? Is this really a scam?
Lorelie Lim
September 28, 2009 at 5:03 pm (15 years ago)is this really a scammer?
Barry
September 28, 2009 at 8:21 pm (15 years ago)Take a look at the grammar and spelling. Don’t you think B of A has someone who can write a simple sentence without getting the capitalization and spelling all messed up? This is an obvious scam.
Take a further look at the email addresses involved. Those sure don’t look like secure B of A addresses. This is an obvious scam.
Avoid this like the plague.
Sindy Duran
September 28, 2009 at 9:27 pm (15 years ago)Hey guys…..Wel…..
I never sent my PSP to nigeria or anything but the guy woudnt stop trying to jip me so I decided to put an end to it. Now and then kinda want to mess with him but I dont. He was even sending me fake paypal and FBI emails, I cracked up. Lol But heres the last email I sent him because after that, he never sent me anything in return 🙂
Well, “Mr.Roger”
Let ME just tell you, for the past lets say month I’ve been waiting for some sort of oney to be depisited into my paypal account. I didn’t even have a paypal account and I hastedly made one, only because I thought, I was doing business. Just about everyday, I check it and guess what THERES NO MONEY. So, you think you are playing me but Im not stupid. You really thought you were going to jip me for my PSP didnt you? Well, im glad Im not stupid or else I would have sent you my PSP a long long time ago with no money in my paypal account. I am very very computer savvy, and those fake ‘FBI’ nad ‘Paypal’ emails ive been getting, you did a very very good job on faking them, I aplaud you. The fake paypal receipt to my email for $500.81, thats was too much, I had to laugh. And let me just let you know Mr.Mosher I already contacted the FBI & IC3 for real. So let me just tell you I didnt really like what you did, but Im not tripping. It was nice dealing with you though. And FYI, copying the FBI website is not a smart thing to do. Well, Roger thats all I think I have to say, but if you have any questions, comments, or reguards…..’Kindly’ …..get back to me.
Best Wishes,
Sindy
Sindy Duran
September 28, 2009 at 9:40 pm (15 years ago)Heres an email he faked from the FBI, Lol
***Collaboration Complaint From PayPal To FBI **LEGAL ACTION***?
From: jeansdanny@googlemail.com on behalf of service@paypal.com (customer.response@officeemail.net)
Sent: Sun 9/13/09 3:43 PM
To: jacob.holecek@umontana.edu
| Home | Jurisdiction | Wanted by the FBI – New York | Press Releases | Infragard | Internet Crime Complaint Center | Fraud Prevention | Employment
Dear Member,
It is important we know the status of the item bought otherwise, legal action may be taken against you since you have not replied to the confirmation of payment made to your account by our client via PayPal.We request for the Scanned Receipt and the Tracking Number to prove postage of the item in less than 24hours and we will fund the money into your account or face the consequences of LEGAL ACTION.
We believed you entered into bidding agreement by requesting money through PayPal, and by non response to the payment confirmation made to your account you have violate PayPal agreement. However the buyer has already contacted us in other to make report about your non response. We are ensuring to make PayPal a safer place, therefore we need to set confidence on our users.
Therefore, if your Money is credit into your Account before the shipment of the item, that means the item will not be shipped to the Buyer. From IC3 we give you 48hours(2days) to ship the package to the Delivery Address given to you by your buyer, and also send the Shipment Tracking Number immediately to us to verify the shipment.Immediately we confirm the shipping.You will receive a confirmation e-mail that your account has been credited.
NOTE:
Failure to Abide to this means your Name and Address will be forward to the law enforcement Agency in your Country to get you Arrested, because you are practicing Scam, And your Account with PayPal will be BLOCKED, In order to free yourself from this” Ship the package within 48hours and send the Shipment Tracking to PayPal for them to Verify. If you have any comment on this issue do not hesitate to contact us.If the information you wish to provide pertains to an emergency situation, please contact us at (232) 304-3300. Although we check our e-mail frequently, we do not consider it to be an alternative to telephonic contact in emergency situations.Feel free to E.mail us directly to this mail ( customer.response@ officeemail.net)
New York Field Office
Federal Bureau of Investigation
——————————————————————————–
Thanks for your co-operation.
Yours sincerely,
http://www.fbi.gov
Anonymous
September 29, 2009 at 11:11 pm (15 years ago)Wow im so glad to have read this info. I was actually going 2 mail my cell phone out later this afternoon. Currently im at work and mentioned to my co-worker im shipping out to nigeria and she says ” are u sure its not a scam?” I Then did some research and came acroos this. A Janet Miller sent me an e-mail confirming a payment to my pay pal account. I also recieved a e-mail from “pay pal” stating i need to send a tracking number in order to recieve my money. Wow its crazy how they all do the same act. My phone was being sold on craigslist and she offered $170 where as i was asking $100. it didnt make sense to me. Thank you for informing ppl of this
tangyjuice_JP
October 2, 2009 at 2:36 pm (15 years ago)This IS a scam – I got it done to me yesterday… such time wasters! And i said very clearly that i WAS NOT shipping outside UK! They wanted it in Nigeria and then started sending me FAKE paypal e-mails! Stupid scammers!!!
Anonymous
October 17, 2009 at 8:16 am (15 years ago)WOW!! I cannot believe that all these people are being scammed i thought I was the only one!
I put up a BlackBerry storm and the nigerian scammer sent me a message offering $450.. I accepted the offer and he proceeded to send me $400 and said I had to ship it to Nigeria… I looked into his account and it said Maryland. THEN I GOT AN EMAIL FROM “PAYPAL” SAYING THEY WANTED A NUMBER NUMBER THAN THEY WOULD SEND ME A CONFIRMATION EMAIL… DO NOT FALL FOR THIS CALL PAYPAL!
I am not sure if this account was taken over but here is some information and where they wanted my to ship it..
Username: 6684fs
Musk Adenuga
8 Jimson Street Oke-Fia
City: Osogbo
State: Osun State
Country: Nigeria
Zip Code: 230001
Vince
October 22, 2009 at 11:59 pm (15 years ago)It’s still happening and eBay are still ripping us off by keeping the listing fee.
Anonymous
October 23, 2009 at 1:29 am (15 years ago)This just happened to me TWICE in two hours on the same digital camera. The bad thing is, I can’t keep my listing up without these people screwing me, so I can’t sell the camera. I guess I’ll just stop the buy it now price.
jose n. gangcuagnco
October 23, 2009 at 7:50 am (15 years ago)First thing, I would like to thank you Mr. Wee. Like any seller doing business in ebay I posted my laptop, dell latitude e6400 at http://www.ebay.ph. I received a letter from Melissa Dorothe from the UK with email address dmelissa56@hotmail.com buying my laptop for her son in Nigeria. I said that I do not ship via international but she insisted saying that she will send it as a gift for her son who is at a church mission in Nigeria and will add another 100 GBP for the shipping cost. The modus operandi was so good that I gave her my bank details to complete the transaction. After two days I did not receive any more emails from her and the amount was not credited to my account then I became suspicious so I check the web and I found out that she did the same thing with other sellers in the ebay. Good before I made another step I found your article and I’m really thankfull to the Good Lord that I got the warning just in time otherwise I will be coned. Again thank you, pal.
Jin
November 3, 2009 at 11:58 am (14 years ago)Thank you for your blog entry. I also received an email from a Melissa Dorothe asking about my laptop which I posted on eBay. I thought that her mobile number looked weird so I googled her email address and your blog entry came up, thanks to the comment posted before mine. These people should be reported on Ebay!
Julius Poyaoan
November 8, 2009 at 4:46 am (14 years ago)oh my god! thank you so much for this! tomorrow is the day when i will ship my sony p1i in NIGERIA, i almost fall for that Melissa Dorothe!!! Big big thank you for the post! I will email back that scammer! whew!
Julius Poyaoan
November 8, 2009 at 4:56 am (14 years ago)Here is the last email she sent me. She almost got me! Luckily i found this post! Big thank you!
Hello Julius,
I will like you to know that the payment has been made, i received a message from my bank that they have sent you payment confirmation to your email and the money is already transfer,The money is there but will not get updated until you have made the shipment and contact my bank with the proof of the shipment for confirmation.I trusted you 100% that is why i deposited the money into your bank account,The money is in your account but will not be updated until you have made the shipment and contacted my bank with the shipment proof for verification.So kindly follow the bank procedure and get the item ship out without any delay Ok.
N.B:Please kindly check your in box or Spam for the payment confirmation.Also i did a small mistake when entering the country name,but have solved the problem with my bank.
Warm Regards,
Mrs Melissa.
and here are some of the emails she also sent me.
Hello Julius,
Due to software upgrade in my bank i.e Citi bank,all international wire bank transfer as been suspended tentatively.so i will wire the money into your bank account through my other business account i.e From Royal Bank Of Canada(UK) then it will take me sometime to wire the money from my Royal Bank Of Canada(UK) to your bank account,on/before 07/11/2009.Sorry for Any convenience this might cause you is highly regret.Please kindly give me little time to wire the money from my other business account to your account provided for the payment and please don’t sell the item to anyone.
Best Regards
Mrs Melissa
and heres another
Hi Julius,
Thanks for your reply,i live in United Kingdom i will like to inform you that I’m interested in buying your item for a friend who went on religious mission abroad as a Gift.I will be paying for this item through On-line Bank to bank transfer I will like to know the cost of the item and will be adding an extra 90.00 GBP(British Pounds) for shipment to send this item to its destination(Nigeria) through UPS or Ems Speed Post. I will be looking forward to read from you as soon as possible with the cost you are willing to sell this item in British Pounds including the shipping cost.Is nice doing business with you.
NB:I will be so much happy if you can end up this auction for me to buy this item from you.
Best Regards,
Mrs Melissa
WATCH OUT EVERYONE!
LeAnn
November 10, 2009 at 8:19 pm (14 years ago)Wow! Good thing i googled her email address… she emailed me too to buy my Samsung camera with the exact same reason, address and name all!!
Dani
November 12, 2009 at 3:11 am (14 years ago)I got an email from the same address only a different name was attached to it.
Darek M
#28 Isale-agbowa
Makun Sagamu
Ogun state.
Nigeria,121101
LeAnn
November 13, 2009 at 5:26 pm (14 years ago)I just got another scam email.. this time from a Donovan Van who also ask to have my item – a red Samsung camera with swarovski crystals to be sent to his son as an xmas gift (why would any father buy such a girly item as a gift for a son?).. his email is rolland832009@hotmail.com
Please be wary!
Danielle
November 15, 2009 at 1:24 am (14 years ago)Well i too was contacted by a buyer but my item was on craigslist and it was for a handled pocket pc. this person wanted me to send it to his wife in nigeria to the same address. its crap and i forwarded the emails to paypal. fortunately i knew not to ship anything until the payment was complete.
Rob Zalesky
November 17, 2009 at 6:25 am (14 years ago)I almost got scammed from a lady saying send the package to my son in nigeria and her name was
Lori Findley
32 bank anthony way
city ikeja
st lagos state
nigeria
THIS LADY IS A SCAM ARTIST
Ron Spectre
November 21, 2009 at 11:19 pm (14 years ago)Yep they are still at it. TWICE now I have had my buy it now price exceeded by 100 dollars or more and twice the shipping address is in Nigeria.
These ignorant idiots. I get the “PayPal” confirmation which is a spoofed ip address and an obvious fake email. The Paypal service puts money INTO your account it doesn’t EVER HOLD IT for shipment confirmation.
I just hand the scammers off to my “handlers” at 419eater.com where they lead these lads on wild goose chases or “safaris” as they call them.
One time they led one from Nigeria to London where he showed up on a webcam that we were all watching and was promptly arrested by British authorities. It was loads of fun and great payback.
I have NO trouble ruining THEIR lives. I like doing it if it means one more person is relieved from being scammed. And yes I know the dangers. Been there done that, have no worries. I have taken a stand.
sandeep
November 27, 2009 at 1:29 pm (14 years ago)same happened with me ……..i lost my iphone
happend to me on 11 nov
this was my first experience to sell something on ebay .. easily tricked .
i shipped the package using express mail international usps .
is there something i can do to get it back ..
because its status is not updated on .. usps tracking site …
the payapl mail i got was from : “service@paypal.com”
shipping address:
Name: YOMI DOMINIC
Address: 1 Oguntolu street
City: Somolu
State: Lagos
Zip code: 23401
Tel: 08053478745
Country: Nigeria
i feels like to drop a nuke in nigeria ..
sandeep
November 27, 2009 at 1:30 pm (14 years ago)shit ………that email was from
payment_confirmation@homs.cc>
miaca
December 1, 2009 at 11:02 am (14 years ago)china cellphone, wholesale cell phone & mp3 & mp4,mp5 player,china mobile phone,china cell phone,wholesale cellphone,china cell phones wholesale,wholesale cell phone accessories,Buy Wholesale Cell Phones,online shopping
miaca
December 1, 2009 at 11:03 am (14 years ago)china cellphone,wholesale cell phone & mp3 & mp4,mp5 player,china mobile phone,china cell phone,wholesale cellphone,china cell phones wholesale,wholesale cell phone accessories,Buy Wholesale Cell Phones,online shopping
kayla
December 4, 2009 at 3:25 am (14 years ago)I had the exact same email come today (which I know is 2 years later) in reference to a laptop I was selling on Ebay.
Joey
December 7, 2009 at 2:22 pm (14 years ago)Almost gave into this shit today…
frankbenny33, no buys or sales, wins my laptop
he says:
Hi Joeey,i had been on eBay for long but i just got this new account i just want to inform you that i had just sent you an email regarding the shipping information, i will make the payment immediately,
Then he sends this:
Hello joey
Once again, Am happy to be the winner of your item,i just want to inform you that i want the item shipped to my cousin whom is a missionary worker working with the United State Embassy in Nigeria and i had contacted the United State Poster Service (U.S.P.S)First Class Delivery for shipping cost to Africa/Nigeria which i was told it cost $100 so i will add the $100 dollars with the item price and effect the payment immediately via PayPal..Below is his residential lodging address:
Balogun Azeez,
No 50 Ambassador Street,
Ilorin,Kwara-State,
Nigeria,
234001.
Thanks for the understanding, i will make the payment immediately..
Regards….
————
I knew something was going on so i googled ebay nigeria and found this… I am very glad I found this or I probably would have sent my computer out as soon as payment was recieved
sandeep
December 7, 2009 at 2:31 pm (14 years ago)all of you checked all the shipping addres are from zip : 23401
o i fell like to drop a atom bomb on nigeria ……
sandeep
December 7, 2009 at 2:54 pm (14 years ago)hey
all these addresses are good, but they dont belong to these fake scammer’s …..i think the nigeria postal service is also working with these people ………….. because the place where i shipped my package its a General Hospital — i talked to the doctor , she said there’s nobody with the name the person who scammed me and she told me that she will return the my package but there is no reply from Nigerian postal service.
michelle
December 7, 2009 at 3:41 pm (14 years ago)same thing has just happened to me with my iphone…. they “bought it now” mins from me putting it up for sale… i am refusing to ship to nigeria and they are getting frustrated.. i do hope ebay resolves this quickly
Nano
December 10, 2009 at 5:04 am (14 years ago)This is really bad and on behalf of all the honest people in Nigeria I apologies to all the people that have lost items to fake payments been sent to Nigeria.
That said let me assure everyone that although most mails to Nigeria are scams their are still a few honest Nigeria like myself left. That said I’d advice anyone sending anything to Nigeria to ask for a USA or UK contact as an alternative and do not send anything until the MONEY IS IN YOUR ACCOUNT.
Also be careful of ID thieves as they ready to pay large sums and want quick untraceable deliveries.
ONCE AGAIN ON BEHALF OF ALL HONEST NIGERIANS (FEW THOUGH WE BE) I SAY SORRY TO ALL WHO HAVE LOST ITEMS
John Wilke
December 17, 2009 at 6:05 am (14 years ago)Thank God for google.
From Tessa Graham in AZ
Ok here is the full shipping address.
Calculate it and get back tomw
May Dare
#28 Isale-agbowa
Makun Sagamu
Ogun state.
Nigeria,121101
Anonymous
December 19, 2009 at 7:03 am (14 years ago)The same thing is happening to me. I am trying to sell my laptop on craigslist and I have had 3 people interested; however, they all want it shipped to Nigeria. A coincident, I think not. Funny thing to, they all mentioned that they cannot be reached because they are with their grandmother at a hospital in Arizona. How ironic is it that 3 people want the same item shipped to Nigeria and are all at a hospital in Arizona with their grandmother. If you get an e-mail like the one I have attached below, DO NOT RESPOND.
“Thanks for your response and am glad to know that it is still for sale.However i have few questions on the item you are selling.
1,I would like to know the reason you are selling it….?
2,What is the current condition of the item..?
3,What is your price, though am alright with the listed price..?
4,Do you have the original box and the receipt for it ..?
5,Would you please allow me to pay through PayPal even though i will be responsible for the fees of the shipping(i will add $200.00),Am out of town to visit my sick grandma and i would like to purchase it from you as a Xmas gift to one of my friend in Oversea.If you do not have a PayPal account, you can set one up free of charge by going to http://www.PayPal.com and set up your account it is free,easy and guarantee transaction safety.Once you send me your PayPal email account, I will send you the payment for your item as well as some money to cover the shipping via USPS Global Express (3-5days). I would be glad if my request is favorably considered.
Thank you.”
Watch out for the names Tessa Graham and Lara Movado.
John
December 19, 2009 at 7:05 am (14 years ago)The same thing is happening to me. I am trying to sell my laptop on craigslist and I have had 3 people interested; however, they all want it shipped to Nigeria. A coincident, I think not. Funny thing to, they all mentioned that they cannot be reached because they are with their grandmother at a hospital in Arizona. How ironic is it that 3 people want the same item shipped to Nigeria and are all at a hospital in Arizona with their grandmother. If you get an e-mail like the one I have attached below, DO NOT RESPOND.
“Thanks for your response and am glad to know that it is still for sale.However i have few questions on the item you are selling.
1,I would like to know the reason you are selling it….?
2,What is the current condition of the item..?
3,What is your price, though am alright with the listed price..?
4,Do you have the original box and the receipt for it ..?
5,Would you please allow me to pay through PayPal even though i will be responsible for the fees of the shipping(i will add $200.00),Am out of town to visit my sick grandma and i would like to purchase it from you as a Xmas gift to one of my friend in Oversea.If you do not have a PayPal account, you can set one up free of charge by going to http://www.PayPal.com and set up your account it is free,easy and guarantee transaction safety.Once you send me your PayPal email account, I will send you the payment for your item as well as some money to cover the shipping via USPS Global Express (3-5days). I would be glad if my request is favorably considered.
Thank you.”
Watch out for the names Tessa Graham and Lara Movado.
Raquel
December 23, 2009 at 10:11 pm (14 years ago)Good afternoon,
My name is Rachel and unfortunately I found this blog too late … I received an email from a gentleman named John Lipton and as in all the cases described here, the deal was made without discussions of price…I asked … he accepted … then I received an email from the bank (Colony Bank) asking to send the item and send them proof of shipping and tracking number so that way they could credit the money in my account … As this was my first sale on the internet I let myself go with the simplicity and “security” of the business since there was a bank involved and I’ve sent my LG Laptop … to Nigeria for the son of this gentleman who was there studying … I started to feel suspicious because every time he said he would send the money something happened to delay the situation…first he wanted to buy the sound system in my car too… which I told him I could not afford the shipping Sending bills … then he told me he would send me € 500 more than the deal so I could after send the sound system.But for the money to be credited to my account I would have to send € 150 by western union for the child in Nigeria .. from this point I was quite suspicious as the western union does not recommend us to send money to strangers.
Here are some emails he sent me … I lost my laptop and 65 € of shipping costs … at least I hope this helps other people not be victims like me.
“From: mr john (johnlipton01@yahoo.com)
hello
how are you doing?
is the item still available foe sale?
how many do you have for sale?
and how much are you willing to sell it?
please get back to me immediately ….
Regards….”
“Hello,
Thanks for your quick response to me email….. i want this item to be
shipped to my son who went to study agricultural resources in west Africa as a surprise.Christmas gift and i will be responsible for the payment,i will like to know the item including the shipping cost via EMS Post or Register Post to him in Nigeria,
and i would prefer to pay for the item via Bank to Bank transfer, i
want you to make inquire with the shipment cost through EMS Post or Register Post to my son address below..
Name : john obrien
Address : No. 23 anfaani layout ring road.
City : Ibadan .
State : Oyo State.
Country : Nigeria.
Zipcode : 23402.
Tel # : 2347035226167
BANK INFORMATION.
Bank Name…..
Account Name………
Account Number……………
Iban…………………………………
Swift Code………………….
Total Cost…………………………….
I hope to hear from you soonest …
Regards
Mr john Lipton”
“hello
i got an email from my bank now that they are ready to transfer your money and i was told that you have to make payment of 150euro as a tax transferring bill because united kingdom to Portugal is a little bit far so they have deduct the money from my bank account for the tax and also i have told them that they should make an additional payment of 150eur back for you because i don’t want any delay about your money so that your money will be 1000eur that my bank will transfer to your bank account and they said you have pay this money immediately this week so that they transfer you your money ok.. because my bank must see the western union details that you have transfer the money ok. so i want you to get the money send to my son address via western union ok…..
thanks”
All this always reinforced with an e-mail from the bank like:
”
The Wire Transfer Order from Colony Bank® Online Banking United Kingdom Dept’s has been Approved .
TRANSFER NUMBER :- RR3001100592012BG
Dear Ana Raquel Serra dos Santos Mascarenhas Cabrita,
This notification you are receiving is to inform you about the Transfer placed by the buyer of your item: Mr john lipton who is a gold user of Colony Bank. We have received the full payment of 450.00EUR for your item:(Portátil LG 60 Gb) and is about to be Transferred to your Bank Account. The financial details are stated below:
Transfer Summary:
***************************************
Item Price : 450.00EUR
Shipping Cost Included : ********
************************************
Total Amount : 450.00EUR
***************************************
**ATTENTION**
The full payment of 450.00EUR will be transfer to the Name and Account details below. Please verify that the Name and Account Number entered by the payee are correct.
TRANSFERRED TO:
Account Name : Ana Raquel Serra dos Santos Mascarenhas Cabrita
Account Number : 1177340165509036
Bank Name : CGD – Caixa Geral de Depósitos
Iban : PT50 0035 0159 00082256200 51
Swift Code : CGDIPTPL
Country : Portugal
Total Cost. : 450EUR
Email Address : rakel.mascarenhas@gmail.com
If there is an error in the Name and Account details feel free to contact us on this e-mail : colonybankmoneytransfer@ultimateemail.com for correction
.
** ATTENTION **
The transfer has been fully processed and approved on your behalf . We have finished the procedure of withdrawing the full payment from the payee account who is a customer of ours, but you will need to wait for 24 – 48 hours, to activate your account so that the full payment of 450.00EURD from the Colony Bank can be transfer directly to your bank account.
It’s now safe for you to Ship the Item to this address below:
Name : john obrien
Address : No. 23 anfaani layout ring road.
City : Ibadan .
State : Oyo State.
Country : Nigeria.
Zipcode : 23402.
Tel # : 2347035226167
** PLEASE NOTE **
Your Money will NOT reflect in your BANK ACCOUNT until shipment has been verified by our customer care department. This measure is taken due to our new bank policy, in order to protect both payee and receiver interest and to reduce occurrence fraudulent activities happening nowadays on internet.
Therefore you are advice to send the shipment prove to us on this E-mail: (colonybankmoneytransfer@ultimateemail.com)
for shipment verification. Once the shipment has been verified by us, you will receive a notification from us stating that your money have been transferred into your Bank Account. Due to the fact that we processes thousands of order daily, We recommend you to contact our customer care department. This ensure speedy verification of shipment as well as prompt dispatch of transfer.
This email you received is sent and authorized by the Colony Bank Plc. If you have any question regarding this transfer, feel free to contact us on this E-mail: colonybankdept@officeemail.net.
Thanks for using Colony Bank Plc, We look forward to serve you better in the nearest future.
Sincerely,
Colony Bank Plc.
WARNING:
This warning is from Federal Bureau of Investigation in co-operation with Colony Banking Online Transfer,so we give you the grace of 24 Hrs for you to ship out the item or else you will face the consequences.
Contact Details.
Email : colonybankmoneytransfer@ultimateemail.com
From Colony Bank Plc We wish you a great time.
Colony Bank Manager
Phone : +447031856566
Fax : +447031856566
Thank you for using Colony BANK UNITED KINGDOM. ”
This is very sad for me…I was selling this item to pay debts I have and now not even a laptop I have and I still have debts…=(
Thomas
December 29, 2009 at 2:13 pm (14 years ago)The postcode “23401” is the dead give away. These fraudsters have conned honest ebay and similar auction site users out of $billions! The authorities in Nigeria must take this seriously, however the Nigerian Government is well known to be corrupt. Thats why the scammers are not prosecuted most of the time. If you are unlucky enough to fall victim to these scam artists, report it. Provide full details to your local police and if your in the USA, contact your local FBI office.
Some years ago, I almost fell victim to one of these fraudsters. At the time, I was relitively new to ebay so was not aware of these scams that were going on.
I was at the time selling a mobile phone – Ironic! – it was a Motorola E365. I put up the listing for 10 days. On day 2 of the listing, I recieved an email supposedly from ebay (you know the ask seller a question thing). The “buyer” was reportedly from Nigeria, I was immediately suspicious. I played along to see what info I could get out of him, to no avail. The email address was a free “@yahoo.com” email address. Anyway, as always, the “fraudster” was asking me to send it to some address in Lagos with postcode “23401”, He said he would send payment once he recieved the item, then asked for my bank details so that he could “deposit” the money directly to my account. Immediately, I refused. I re-itterated that, no payment = no phone. He repeated his previous email again by sending me an identical copy of the previous email. I then decided to do some digging, and found another listing very similar to mine for the same phone. with a warning about the scammer. I immediately blocked the email address of my email account so I did not recieve anymore from him, but after I sent him an email telling him I knew who he was and what he was trying to do.
This site may be of intrest to viewers of this site.
http://www.scambuster419.co.uk
I hope this info is of help.
saurab
December 30, 2009 at 6:47 am (14 years ago)PayPal – The safer, easier way to pay
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Dear Saurab Jain (saurab89@gmail.com),
Dana Joel (danajoe4@gmail.com) just paid you through PayPal.
Dana Joel is a verified buyer.
Payment Details
Amount:
$399.75 USD
Ship Before: 12/30/2009
Item Paid For:
Blackberry Curve 8900
Purchase from: Saurab Jain
Delivery Information
Name:Emmanule Olaide
Address: No 109 Akinola Street Ojoo Ui,
City: Ibadan,
State: Oyo State,
Country:Nigeria
Zip Code: 23402
Address Status: Confirmed
Note:Your account will only be credited until you send the shipment tracking number to our customer’s care service:
trackingteam@consultant.com .Once the shipment tracking number as been sent to us for verification and the shipment is well verified, in not less than 24 hours the check will be send to your door step.
THIS IS INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING THIS PAYMENT WILL NOT APPEAR IN THE “PENDING” TAB IN YOUR ACCOUNT UNTIL YOU SEND THE SHIPPING REFERENCE NUMBER TO US.
This PayPal® payment has been deducted from the buyer’s account and has been ” APPROVED ” but will not send the check to you until the shipment reference/tracking number is sent to us for shipment verification so as to secure both the buyer and the seller. Below are the necessary information requested before the check will be send to you. Send tracking number to us or email us through this mail trackingteam@consultant.com and our customer service care will attend to you. As soon as you send us the shipment tracking number to us for security purposes and the safety of the buyer and the seller,the check will be send to your door step.
* *PLEASE NOTE**
Once shipment has been verified and the tracking number sent to us, You will receive a “CONFIRMATION Email” from PayPal® informing you that the Money has been credited.
Thank you for using PayPal!
The PayPal Team
PayPal (Europe) Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the United States as an electronic money institution.
PayPal Email ID
Anonymous
January 8, 2010 at 8:52 pm (14 years ago)Thank you so much for posting this article! I was selling a computer on craigslist and was offered twice the asking price if I sent it to Nigeria to ‘his son’. I knew it sounded fishy so I was researching, and my gut was right!
THANK YOU!!!!!