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:
Soon after I received this email: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.
Image via CrunchBaseDear Mitchell Sturgeon,And then this one:
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.
PayPal Safety Measures Against Online Fraud!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.
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
I also, supposedly, received direct emails from Tracy, like this one:
Hi,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.
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.
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.
Posts
Ugh. Just reading those emails is intimidating to me even though I know they are false. Thanks so much for sharing this with the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteIs there any point in forwarding these other emails to PayPal fraud?
I'm glad a good person, got a good chair, and paid with good hard cash.
Mitch,
ReplyDeleteI ran into similar such scams during my search for my iBOT, but nothing so diabolical. If it wasn't for all of the gramatical errors I think I might have fallen for this one. Thanks for opening my eyes. I will certainly be more cautious in the future.
I'm also happy that everything worked out well for you and your buyer.
Charlie
Please stop over to my blog and pick up your award.
ReplyDeletePeace,
Muff
Real sad that there are so many scammers out there-- you've done a service in posting your experience here and maybe preventing someone who sees this from getting taken in by a similar scam. There is so much identity theft out there-- thanks for sharing this and giving people a reminder to be wary.
ReplyDeleteprairiegirl
Got those emails too. JUst deleted. Been a year or more, no problems.
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to sell furniture on craigslist and got an email from tracygrubbs101@gmail.com that I thought could be a scam. He stated that he wanted the item I had posted and wanted my address phone number so he could send me the payment. He said in 1 business day I will receive payment via postal service and that he would send someone to pick up the item. After searching the internet and used tracy grubbs as the search I found your post. Thanks for sharing and I hope that people see this post about craigslist and it makes them more aware of scams like this. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, you just made my day!
ReplyDeleteMitch, we also have a power chair for sale on Craigs List and got the same email story from "Tracy" as you. We decided to check and came across your posting. Thank you for the warning and thus saving us tons of hassle.
ReplyDeleteBob
I'm so pleased with this post. I can tell how it is that people arrive at this blog, and so many people have come here by googling different aspects of this scam email, and I can only assume they have benefitted, like Bob (above comment).
ReplyDeleteI'm disgusted that some piece of garbage would prey on someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one. There has to be a special place in Hades for them.
ReplyDeleteGot an email from this guy and decided to google search his name. Thanks to you for saving me a lot of heartache and trouble. I was also selling a motorized wheelchair on craig's list. My God have mercy on Tracy Grubb's pitiful soul.
ReplyDeleteI just got an email from Tracy (Tracy Grubbs [mm060936@gmail.com]) about my handicap van for sale. It didn't "smell" right so I Googled the name. Thanks for your posting!
ReplyDeleteJerry
I googled Tracy Grubbs and Here I am too!! Obviously another scammer. I think I am going to add a comment to my post that I will not ship out of my state.
ReplyDeleteYes - thanks kindly for your posting. I was selling my dad's powerchair and had a couple of emails from this scammer. My dad passed away recently from end stage Parkinson's Disease so I guess that made me an even more attractive target. I was asked for my physical address (for shipping) which made me a bit suspicious - googled and read some postings including this one - so Thanks! (You'd think the idiot would use a different name lol)
ReplyDeleteI,too, almost fell for this scam. How could he be so ignorant that he didn't even change his name!
ReplyDeleteSAME TRACEY GRUBBS out of newhamshire, AND ECARGOEXPRESS out of Maryland, and paypal notices out of the UK . attempted to scam me last week for a wheel chair van in COLORADO, thank god I did'nt have STUPID STAMPED ON MY FOREHEAD
ReplyDeleteI was trying to sell a power wheelchair when I cyber-met Tracy:
ReplyDeleteHi,
I'm interested in buying this item, and I'd like to know if its still available for sale?I will like to ask you some questions about it, like how long you have been using it? Did you bought it new?(are you the first owner, did you get it from someone trustworthy) Is it still in good condition? what's your reason for selling it?Not trying to be rude here, but there are tons of crappy items out there and don't want to be stuck with something in bad condition. Can you provide me more pictures of it? Finally what's your last price? Get back ASAP.
Thankx.
I replied with the answers. And Tracy Grubbs (jlknsscty2@gmail.com)said:
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.
I'm offering to deliver the chair myself as soon as I have cash IN MY HAND. Let's see how far this goes...(Yeah, I need a diversion.)
Thanks so much for these postings. Tracy's first email felt a little suspicious, but the second one sent me to the internet looking for scma warnings. Good looking out guys!
APRIL 13 2011 TRACY GRUBBS ,EMAIL ME ABOUT MY NEW POWER CHAIR SO THANKS FOR LETING ME KNOW.I KEPT ASKING FOR HER OR HIM TOO CALL ME KNOW ONE WOULD ,SOOO THAT IS A SCAMMER THAIR ,THEN THEY WANTED TOO DEP THE MONEY IN MY PAYPAL. I TOLD HIM OR HER I DONT HAVE ONE.THEN THIS MORING A LISA XAVIER FROM ECARGOXPRESS@POST.COM WANTED TOO SEND SOMEONE TO PICK IT UP I TOLD HER IT WAS ON HOLD ,SO HEY TRACY WHY DONT YOU PICK YOUR BIBLE UP AND READ JOHN 3;16 AND STOP SCAMMING PEOPLE .I WOULD HATE TOO BE IN YOUR SHOES ON JUDGEMENT DAY PS. YOU ASK AND YOU WILL RECEIVE ,THEN YOU MAY BE IN A WHELLCHAIR GOD BLESS YOU. ]
ReplyDeleteWell look at that, they tried the same scam on me too. Tracy Grubbs jlknsscty2@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI just recieved an e-mail from this Traci Grubbs regarding an Invacare electric wheelchair and a wheelchair lift equiped van I have on Craig's list. It was the same e-mails verbatim that you guys have recieved. Thank you for posting this information, as now I will not waste my time with this scammer! And the e-mail address was jlknsscty2@gmail.com.
ReplyDeleteDennie said:
ReplyDeleteThat rat Tracy Grubbs tried to do the same to me and my Permobil wheelchair for sale. Bastard!
hafertepedennie@att.net
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThank 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I've now noted the name Kimberly Locke in these posts.
ReplyDeleteHello Mitch,
ReplyDeleteThank 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.
ReplyDeleteAfter receiving a simular email responding to a craigslist listing.
ReplyDelete20 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.