Post Script: This cyber criminal is now using the name Kimberly Locke.
In my previous post I told the story of how a cybercriminal posed as a handicapped person in an attempt to either steal money from me or commit identity theft, or both, while I was trying to sell the used wheelchair depicted on the right. Now I have the rest of the story.
The last email I told you about was this one:
Dear Mitchell Sturgeon,
My name is Richard Wilson. I’m a PayPal representative in charge of your transaction with Tracy Grubbs.
Kindly reply to this message if you have any question regarding this transaction and I will be happy to help you.
We thank you for being an asset to PayPal and we hope to serve you better in the nearest future.
Sincerely,
Scott Thompson
President
PayPal Inc.
Soon after I received this email:
Image via CrunchBaseDear Mitchell Sturgeon,
You have an Instant Payment of $2,230.00 USD from Tracy Grubbs (quitmincy001@gmail.com).
Payment Details
Purchased From:Mitchell Sturgeon
Transaction ID:8S380593UR606674N
Item #Item TitleQuantityPriceSubtotal
Not Available
Power Wheelchair- Invacare
1$1,730.00USD $1,730.00USD
Shipping & Handling via World Wide Speed Post to 03276
(includes any seller handling fees)$500.00USD
Shipping Insurance (not offered):–
Sales Tax :$00.00 USD
Total:$2,230.00USD
Additional note:
I have made the payment, so I have forwarded your details to the Shipping Company who will pick up the item, please send the pick up cost to them as we discussed and arrange with them the pick up date and time. Thanks.
Shipping Information
Address:Tracy Grubbs
20 Dearborn Rd. Apt. 1.
Northfield,
NH
03276.
USA
Shipping Method:The item will be picked up from the seller’s Location by World Wide Speed Post Agent.
Address Status:Confirmed
If you have any question regarding the pick up, please contact the Delivery Company speeddelivery@deliveryman.com or your buyer.
Thank you for using PayPal!
The PayPal Team.
PayPal Email ID PP1268.
And then this one:
PayPal Safety Measures Against Online Fraud!
Dear Mitchell Sturgeon,
We have received an order from one of our customer to make an instant payment of $2,230.00USD to your PayPal account. The payment has been made successfully and the money has been credited to your PayPal account but you will not have access to it. However, since this money is meant for a purchase or a service that involve a Shipping Company.We have to receive a confirmation that you have sent the pick up cost to World Wide Speed Post before the money will be available for spending. This is due to the large increase in the rate of the online scams recorded last year (2009). We have changed some of our rules and regulation to make sure our clients, are safe from scam, PayPal in conjunction with The FBI and The IFCC has invented certain preventive measure to ensure the safety of our customers.
Such measure are:
1. Once a payment is made,A confirmation Email will be sent to the seller that the payment has been made to state the transaction details which has been sent to you. Also a confirmation is sent to the buyer that the money has been deducted from his or her account. So once you get this mail,You should take necessary action and get back to us with the confirmation that you have sent the pick up cost to the shipping company. Once we have confirmed the information provided with the shipping company, the money will be available instantly.
2. Once a payment is made and it has been approved by PayPal, such transaction is Sealed (because both seller and buyer must have come to a conclusion before payment is made by the buyer) so therefore neither the buyer or seller can cancel this transaction or ask for the returned to the buyer’s account. Also, this is where we generate our income, because the more transaction made through PayPal, the more we generate our Income.
3. Failure to abide by these laid down safety measures by PayPal may leads to suspension from PayPal and further more invitation to an interrogation with the F.B.I
So can you see we are very considerate about the safety of both buyer and seller.
Note: that the pick up cost has been included in the payment.
Thank you for using PayPal
Isn’t it ironic that the cybercriminals were using fear of fraud as a tool to attempt to commit fraud. So if you see these types of sham PayPal emails, know that they are fraud.
I also, supposedly, received direct emails from Tracy, like this one:
Hi,
I wondered why I have not heard from you regarding the pick up cost. I will like you to update me if you have sent the pick up cost to the shipping company and schedule pick up date and time? and if you have not I need to understand what is still delaying you. Get back to me ASAP. Thanks.
I was tempted to respond with either a scathing email, trying to shame them, or some email that would string them along just for fun. However, I decided instead to just ignore their emails…they’ll figure it out soon enough.
The good news is that today I sold the wheelchair to a live human being who was clearly disabled and will make great use of the chair. She paid in cash. End of story.
Be careful out there.
Dennie said:
That rat Tracy Grubbs tried to do the same to me and my Permobil wheelchair for sale. Bastard!
hafertepedennie@att.net
Hi,
Thank you very much for the details. So Sad im buying this for myself(im an handicapped and I need this to make my life more better again), for this reason, I will not be able to come and see it, but I will take your word that its in good condition. Just to let you know that you will not be responsible for shipping and handling. I have made an arrangement with a shipping company who will come to your location for pick up. Kindly provide me your full address, so i can forward it to the shipping company to calculate the cost of pick up for me. Please get back to me as soon as possible.
This scammer is so lazy he has to cut and paste his scams for a living, what i dont understand is why havent is seen anyone here try to aid in the arrest of this furture inmate.calling the fbi tomorrow morning, we had a different scam on comp repair add too we strung them along for a month next thing we see in the news a couple in ohio was arrested for these scams -patsying a nigerian and laundring money, well we reported the local sherrifs office here and gave them all the info we could, i hope that our stinging gave them the time to catch em, and i sure as hell am gonna try the same thing with this prick!!
Nice post. Thank you for your warning. I was contacted by Tracy Grubbs about a wheelchair that I am selling on craigslist.
I was speaking to my brother about all these scammers on craigslist and asked him why they still persist when it's pretty clear – don't deal with someone unless they provide a solid payment method. The cashier's check offer is really old.
He replied that if scammers get only 1 percent of people to bite, its worth it for them. Kinda like spammers I guess.
tracy grubbs is still at it how can we stop him. I received the same e-mails can come in the air alot air hostess in my e-mail and wanting to buy my cycle. Thank you for this sight or i would of continued with this gave him my paypal address then thought this was a little to weird so googled his name. He needs stopped how many people has he does this to.
I am still getting emails from this jerk. Now he is using the name "Kimberly Locke", but it's still the same M.O. I wish there was a way to stop him. He's ajerk for trying to take advantage of us.
Thanks, I've now noted the name Kimberly Locke in these posts.
Hello Mitch,
Thank you for helping me confirm that I was trying to be scammed a few months back. I have reported this to PayPal and also to a government agency, and , still, I see this email address, jlknsscty2@gmail.com, listed as both World Wide Speed Post and as Tracy Grubbs in my contacts list, appear as available, as recently as five minutes ago!!! I cannot believe it! That no one has been able to track him or her or them down with all the info I and probably others have sent those who are supposedly investigating these cases.
i just ran into the same problem selling a mandolin. it was kimberly locke and she claimed she was in an air force training camp and needed ME to pay the shipping costs. found it suspicious when she paid me more than my asking price. fu$kin' phishers… i would like to see this person do some time.
After receiving a simular email responding to a craigslist listing.
20 Dearborn Rd. Apt. 1.
Northfield,
NH
03276.
Was used as well. WE also recieved the fraud emails as the orginial poster recieved. I contacted paypal and you can forward the fraud emails to spoof@paypal.com
but the gentleman there said they try to catch them and shut down there emails but are unsuccessful most of the time. Everyone keep your eyes open.