The Resolution Center will show you a list of transactions that you can dispute. You can only dispute transactions that occurred in the last 180 days. [2] X Research source
You’ll have options to tell PayPal the type of dispute you want to create. For example, if you had an unauthorized transaction on your PayPal account, you would select “I want to report unauthorized activity. " Once you’ve found the most accurate description, click “Continue. "
If you have a link to an eBay listing, include that along with your dispute. Copy any emails or messages you received or sent to the other person. For example, if a teenager used a credit card or PayPal account without the owner’s permission to commit fraud, you might have emails with the true owner of the account.
You may have to wait 7 days before you can claim fraud on PayPal.
If you get an email that you suspect is a spoof, forward it to spoof@paypal. com. Never follow any links in an email. PayPal itself won’t require you to follow a link or provide your account information, and PayPal will never ask you for your password.
If you exchanged emails with the fraudster, keep the original emails. There is information in the headers that law enforcement can use to track the person who sent the email.
Bring any information you have about the transaction to show to the police when you file your report. If the transaction was online, the police may claim that there’s nothing they can do about it. However, you still have the right to file a police report. If an officer won’t take your report, speak to another officer.
Go to https://www. ic3. gov/default. aspx to start your complaint. You will have the opportunity to provide information about the transaction, as well as attach any digital files related to the scam. The FBI doesn’t investigate individual complaints. However, it may forward your complaint to an appropriate law enforcement agency. The FBI also maintains a database of complaints that detectives can use to identify patterns and repeated fraud.
For example, in the US, you can file a complaint online using the Complaint Assistant of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In the UK, you can report to Action Fraud at 0300 123 2040. Action Fraud also has an online reporting tool.
PayPal will never send you an email with a link or ask for your password. Any email that does is probably trying to scam you. Some scam emails can look very convincing. However, you’ll likely see typos or odd grammatical errors that you wouldn’t see in a real PayPal email.
If you wire money, you’ll lose the money you wired. If you’ve already mailed the item the fraudster “purchased,” you’ll lose the item as well. The only way to avoid this scam is to cancel the order. Don’t send an item to a customer until their payment has cleared your PayPal account.
You can also set up notifications to alert you if your PayPal account is accessed from an unknown device.
If they claim they’re going to pay you on PayPal and want you to ship a Craigslist item, they might be trying to defraud you. Avoid dealing with anyone who isn’t local or can’t travel to meet you.
