Link to scammer's Sythe profile: http://www.sythe.org/members/387012-akihabara.html
Briefly explain the trade: $50 for a virtual pet on Neopets.com
How they scammed: Took my money and did not send the virtual pet over as promised. Requested that I send the Paypal amount as a friends/family gift "for tax purposes"; actually this just prevents me from filing a dispute with Paypal later (Paypal only allows disputes to be opened on transactions that were specified as purchases of goods/services).
Proof that you were not talking to an impostor: Not sure how I can prove this.
Trade screenshots:
Original thread (cached by Google): Image link
This screenshot album includes all PM correspondence between myself and Akihabara, as well as proof that I sent the payment via Paypal.
http://imgur.com/a/2h3dr
I edited one screenshot very minimally (and obviously), to remove my credit card details.
Note that in the PMs, the user confirms she has received the payment. She keeps promising to do things "right away", but apparently the time she was spending "on another customer" was actually spent wiping her tracks on Sythe.
I did some more digging through her past threads, thanks to Google cache. The thread advertising real life items for sale (linked via Google cache here) lists her Skype address, which I have attempted to use to contact her, although my friend request has not yet been accepted. I have also sent emails to both her Paypal address and the alternate email address associated with her account, which Paypal informed me of on the finalising screen.
The name 'Angela Li' on Paypal makes me think Akihabara is a girl, although the Skype name belongs to a 19-year-old male from Canada (or so Skype tells me).
I get the feeling this user may well ditch the Akihabara account for good after his/her successful scam, so please just be on your guard for anyone who associates themselves with the following details:
Paypal: [email protected]
Email address: [email protected]
Skype name: kamisama.no.memochou
Further digging around in this user's past threads informs me that he/she is also active on Clraik and potentially other sites too. So users reading this thread, please be on your guard!
Briefly explain the trade: $50 for a virtual pet on Neopets.com
How they scammed: Took my money and did not send the virtual pet over as promised. Requested that I send the Paypal amount as a friends/family gift "for tax purposes"; actually this just prevents me from filing a dispute with Paypal later (Paypal only allows disputes to be opened on transactions that were specified as purchases of goods/services).
Proof that you were not talking to an impostor: Not sure how I can prove this.
Trade screenshots:
Original thread (cached by Google): Image link
This screenshot album includes all PM correspondence between myself and Akihabara, as well as proof that I sent the payment via Paypal.
http://imgur.com/a/2h3dr
I edited one screenshot very minimally (and obviously), to remove my credit card details.
Note that in the PMs, the user confirms she has received the payment. She keeps promising to do things "right away", but apparently the time she was spending "on another customer" was actually spent wiping her tracks on Sythe.
I did some more digging through her past threads, thanks to Google cache. The thread advertising real life items for sale (linked via Google cache here) lists her Skype address, which I have attempted to use to contact her, although my friend request has not yet been accepted. I have also sent emails to both her Paypal address and the alternate email address associated with her account, which Paypal informed me of on the finalising screen.
The name 'Angela Li' on Paypal makes me think Akihabara is a girl, although the Skype name belongs to a 19-year-old male from Canada (or so Skype tells me).
I get the feeling this user may well ditch the Akihabara account for good after his/her successful scam, so please just be on your guard for anyone who associates themselves with the following details:
Paypal: [email protected]
Email address: [email protected]
Skype name: kamisama.no.memochou
Further digging around in this user's past threads informs me that he/she is also active on Clraik and potentially other sites too. So users reading this thread, please be on your guard!
