[SpamCop-List] PayPal oddities...

[Pete Stephenson]

Ok, so I get a random email from PayPal today requesting money ($10 USD, 
in fact).

After some checking, it turns out it's actually from PayPal's systems 
and is an actual money request.

However, it's from some random guy in Germany with an email address of 
"spamki at nurfuerspam.de".

I replied and inquired why, precisely, he was requesting money for no 
reason that I could perceive. I rarely use PayPal, and then only for 
transactions on eBay -- certainly never with anyone in Germany[1].

His response is as follows:
> please give me some money paypal is realy cool
> if you pay 10 cent i change my e-mail name OK?
> or i programm a little java programm for you if you pay 50 cent ok?

I reply and indicate that although I think that PayPal is useful, I 
would hardly classify it as "really cool". I also express a lack of 
interest in paying him to change his email address, even for 10 cents. I 
additionally indicate that I have no interest in any programs he may 
offer, let alone java programs...and certainly not any for 50 cents.

I conclude by asking where, precisely, he got my email address and the 
idea that I would be willing to pay money to a random German individual 
for no good reason.

He then sent me another money request from PayPal for the amount of 10 
cents, with the following attached note:
>  i think i have found your e-mail address at goolge

I've reported the message to PayPal abuse, though I have no idea if 
they'll actually do anything.

This seem to be extremely odd. The individual is quite willing to reply, 
though he does not seem to have a good command of the English language. 
I'm extremely puzzled by this -- not many people would randomly pay an 
individual for no apparent reason, so I can't imagine he's doing it for 
fraudulent purposes.

Any ideas?

[1] Not that I have anything against the Germans, it's just that I don't 
conduct business there.

-- 
Pete Stephenson
HeyPete.com