PayPal Class Action Lawsuit – A Hoax or Real – You Decide

Posted on by

Out of the Blue Comes Barristers Bearing Money

This morning, in my email came this interesting piece of news - or hoax - hmmm lets look at it...

It seems that a legal firm in Dublin, Ohio (of all places) is contacting little ole me about suing PayPal.

The notice is informing PayPal users of a class action law suit (A lawsuit brought by one or more plaintiffs on behalf of a large group of others who have a common interest).  In these days of phishing schemes and email hoaxes I became a bit skeptical upon reading this information in my inbox.  (The text from the lawsuit email is below)

But after following the links back to the law firm Garden City Group, Inc. and reading the notice it seemed legitimate.  The law firm site appears to be a real established website even though the age of the domain can not be determined (See comments - age determined).  The site has 3400 inbound links, so it is not new to the Internet.

Then I found the case mentioned in SEC filings by eBay with the following text:

In March 2005, eBay, PayPal, and an eBay seller were sued in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Kings (No. 6125/05) in a purported class action alleging that certain disclosures regarding PayPal's Buyer Protection Policy, users' chargeback rights, and the effects of users' choice of funding mechanism are deceptive and/or misleading. The complaint alleged misrepresentation on the part of eBay and PayPal, breach of contract and deceptive trade practices by PayPal, and that PayPal and eBay have jointly violated the civil RICO statute (18 U.S.C. Section 1961(4)). In April 2005, eBay and PayPal removed the case to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint in the U.S. District Court (No. 05-CV-01720) repeating the allegations of the initial complaint but dropping the civil RICO allegations. The complaint sought injunctive relief, compensatory damages, and punitive damages. In September 2006, the parties finalized a preliminary settlement agreement.

If the settlement agreement has been finalized, how can any new parties join the class action suit?

I have repeated the information from the email below, but I suggest to any and all readers to be very careful about sending in any information to this site. It could be an elaborate hoax or phishing scam.  I see several posts in forums from around the country just this morning about this email.  Lets confirm the source before sending in our sensitive information.

Remember - NEVER GIVE ANYONE YOUR PAYPAL OR EBAY PASSWORDS

So what say you? Is it Real or is it Spam?

Update: Caveat Emptor - Buyer Beware

If you proceed directly to the comments section of this article you will find arguments both for an against this being a scam.  Please read the comments, but also follow up with your own investigation before submitting any kind of personal information.  Many comments seem reasonable on both sides of the fence, please do not make a decision to follow up on this (email about a class action Paypal lawsuit) simply on the content found in this article.

I have not verified any comments, nor have I verified the email is legitimate or not. The article is presented as a question and I appreciate everyone weighing in with comments to help answer that question.

We simply do not want to find someone either dismissed this opportunity or followed through with it, solely on the basis of this article or any comments below (from unknown, albeit quite helpful, parties).

Update#2 PayPal "Pink" Confirms on Discussion Forums

amanda@paypal.com  Aug-29-08 11:51 PDT

Hi All,

I can confirm that in September 2006, PayPal reached a settlement agreement with a proposed class of PayPal customers in an action pending in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. The suit was filed in 2005 on behalf of a class alleging that PayPal did not clearly communicate information about its consumer protection programs related to specific types of transactions. And I can confirm that the settlement administrator (Garden City Group) was slated to send email notice to the possible claimants starting August 29, 2008. PayPal settled the case to avoid further costs of litigation and devote resources to more productive aspects of our business.

To get additional information about the settlement and whether or not you are eligible to participate in the settlement, please visit the settlement website at: http://www.steelesettlement.com.

Amanda

Thanks to: Sophie for finding the PayPal Pink Confirmation on the discussion groups!

Steele et al. v. PayPal, Inc. et al., Civil Action No. 1:05-CV-01720 (ILG)(VVP)

Notice from Federal Court. Please Read.

You may be eligible to receive a benefit from a class action settlement if you funded a PayPal transaction using a source other than your credit card between February 1, 2004 and the present.

A federal court has directed that this notice be sent to inform you of a proposed class action settlement. Records show that you may be eligible to receive a benefit under the proposed settlement.

The settlement will resolve a lawsuit against eBay Inc. and PayPal, Inc. (collectively, "Defendants") involving claims arising out of representations in the PayPal User Agreement regarding PayPal's policies and practices for responding to refund requests from those customers who pay for transactions through PayPal using funds from funding sources other than credit cards. Under the settlement, Defendants have agreed to establish a settlement fund of $3.5 million to pay claims to potential class members. The proposed Class is defined as:

all U.S. based PayPal account holders who funded a PayPal transaction after February 1, 2004, using a source other than a credit card: (i) who subsequently requested a reversal of the transaction through PayPal's prevailing Buyer Complaint Policy and/or Buyer Protection Policy (collectively, "Policies"); (ii) who did not receive a refund equal to 100% of their transaction payment in response to such request from PayPal or their bank; and (iii) who, through the timely submission of a Claim Form under oath, attest to a reasonable and good faith belief that they would have received a full reversal of such payment had they used a valid credit card in their possession at the time of the subject transaction to fund the payment and filed a timely chargeback request with their credit card issuing bank. Excluded from the Class are any judicial officer to whom this Litigation is assigned; PayPal, eBay and any of its affiliates; any current or former employees, officers, or directors of PayPal or eBay; any Persons currently residing outside of the United States; and, all Persons who timely and validly request exclusion from the Class pursuant to the Notice.

To see if you are a Class Member and to obtain full notice of the Settlement, the required procedures, the deadlines, your obligations, and your options, you must visit www.steelesettlement.com. This email is only a brief summary of the full notice that is posted on the website.

If you are an eligible Settlement Class Member, you have rights, obligations, and options under the proposed settlement. You have until December 14, 2008 to file your Claim Form and Certification Form. Your legal rights are affected whether you act or not.

1.     Submit The Claim Form And The Certification Form By Mail

This is the only way to get a settlement payment. You must: (1) print and fill out the Claim Form and return it by mail to the address provided on the Claim Form; and (2) print the Certification Page of your Claim Form, sign it, and return it by mail to the address provided on the Claim Form. Your Claim Form and signed Certification Page must be mailed and postmarked no later than December 14, 2008. For more information on these deadlines, the Effective Date of the settlement, the Claim Form procedures, and the settlement benefit, you must visit www.steelesettlement.com.

2.     Exclude Yourself – Opt Out of the Settlement

If you do not want to remain a member of the Class and participate in the Amended Settlement, then you may exclude yourself (opt-out) from the Class by mailing or delivering (email is not permitted) your written request. Your original, signed request for exclusion must be RECEIVED on or before October 31, 2008 and mailed to the following address:

PayPal/Steele Class Action Settlement
c/o The Garden City Group, Inc.
P.O. Box 9309
Dublin, OH 43017-4209

Your request for exclusion must contain your name and address, be signed by you, and include the reference "Steele et al. v. PayPal, Inc. et al., Civil Action No. 1:05-CV-01720." If you exclude yourself from the Class, you will not participate in the Amended Settlement and will not receive any payment from the Amended Settlement.

3.     Object

Write to the Court about why you do not like the settlement. Your objection must be filed with the Clerk of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Brooklyn Main Office, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York 11201, no later than October 31, 2008. Pursuant to the Court's Order, you may not be heard on or entitled to contest the Court's decision unless you have filed written objections no later than October 31, 2008. A hearing ("Settlement Hearing") shall be held before Hon. I Leo Glasser on November 17, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Courtroom 8B South, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York 11201.

4.     Do Nothing

You will automatically be included in the Settlement Class and give up your right to be part of any other lawsuit about the claims in this case, but you will not be eligible to receive a settlement benefit unless you submit a Claim Form.

To get complete information about the proposed Settlement, the required procedures, the deadlines, your obligations, and your options, you must visit www.steelesettlement.com.

Please do not contact PayPal, or PayPal's customer support about this Notice, or the Settlement. Instead, you must visit www.steelesettlement.com for complete information about the proposed Settlement, the required procedures, the deadlines, your obligations, and your options.

Please do not reply to this message. We are unable to respond to inquiries sent in reply to this email. To contact us, please access the official settlement website at www.steelesettlement.com.

Read More Here: Steele Settlement

72 thoughts on “PayPal Class Action Lawsuit – A Hoax or Real – You Decide”

  1. If you go to the Garden City Group website,(the http://www.gardencitygroup.com site, not http://www.steelesettlement.com) and do a search in the cases section, there is not mention of this case or anything similar. The whole thing is a phishing scam.

    Good try, but you can’t outsmart a quick Google Search and some practical thinking.

    I wonder if GCG knows that their name is being used to try and scam however many people received this email.

  2. Yep, I got this email too! I don’t know what to do. I liv ein the UK so maybe the laws are different here or whatever.

    I think it’s a big hoax as a legal firm should know better than to send emails to people in OTHER countries……

  4. got this email today too, if its a hoax or not it didn’t get my attention…ignored! and it went straight to my junk email too!lolzz

  6. I forwarded the email to spoof@paypal.com, they replied:

    Dear ,

    Thanks for taking an active role by reporting suspicious-looking emails.
    The email you forwarded to us is a phishing email, and our security team is working to disable it.

    There you have it.

  7. Hehehehe, I too received the exact same email today, thinking mmmm this has happened to me on about 3 purchases through ebay, paid through paypal, been fake, sent back at my own cost each at about 60 australian dollars each and received almost nothing back, I did manage to get 1/2 of one back. So I had no items, no money really, refunded to me, totaled about 40 dollars and it cost me 45 to return the FAKE items. I had won all the 3 disputes. So I am very interested to know preferable before 14th december if this is real or not, if its real I want to get my money back as I am rightfully due and perhaps the possible interest lost, it has been over a year now. If its fake, it has to be one of the more well thought out ones, using a proper firm name etc.

    Please anyone find out for sure

  8. this is the bottom bit from thesteelesettlement website

    The Court will hold a hearing on November 17, 2008 at 10:00 a.m., before the Honorable I. Leo Glasser, Senior United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of New York, Courtroom 8B South, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York 11201.

    The purpose of the hearing will be to determine: (a) whether the proposed Amended Settlement should be approved as fair, reasonable and adequate; (b) whether the Class should be certified for purposes of the Amended Settlement; (c) whether Class Counsel’s Fee Application should be granted and in what amount; and (d) whether the lawsuit and Class Members’ claims should be dismissed with prejudice pursuant to the Amended Settlement.
    Please note the following important dates: Date

    Case-Related Event
    October 31, 2008 Request for Exclusion Deadline (received)

    October 31, 2008 Objection Filing Deadline

    November 17, 2008
    at 10:00 a.m. Fairness Hearing

    December 14, 2008 Claim Form Deadline (postmarked)

    Prepared by The Garden City Group, Inc.
    © 2008 The Garden City Group, Inc. – All Rights Reserved

  10. I did a little calling and Internet research on this one myself. According to the InterNIC Who Is service, the website has been in existence since 1998 and was just renewed and updated this year.

    There is a page for PayPal Settlement on the web site; however, there is no data attached to the page as yet.

    According to a document I found on Justia.com there was a lawsuit filed in NY entitled Steele et al v. Paypal, Inc. et al. I didn’t find the final disposition of the case but the case does exist.

    And, finally, I called the Garden City Group and their receptionist referred me to their Seattle office. I only got voice mail.

    I would call PayPal to see if anyone there knows anything about it but by the time I’d get off the “push number __ and hold” merry go round over there, I could have earned more money than I’m likely to see from any settlement.

    Sounds legit to me.
    Michele

  12. That bottom bit appears to be a ploy to get people to hurry up and submit their information on the website so they can get as many as possible and the disappear.

    What gives it away is that you MUST enter your info on the site to “automatically fill out” the claim form. Almost ALWAYS you have the option to simply download the blank form to fill out and FAX or MAIL. You don’t fill out legally binding, official court documents on a website.

    First of all, many people that may be in the “class” may not have the same email address any longer, or a computer for that matter. In a class action lawsuit, potential members of the class will receive an official letter in the US Mail.

    If you still believe it is real (even though the lawyers representing Mr. Steele were from a New York Lawfirm named Trubitzky & Assoc.) then you should call the courthouse in Eastern New York to verify the case.

    You can also go to the link below and sign up for “PACER” to view official court documents (8 cents per page).

    http://www.nyed.uscourts.gov/

  13. This from Yellow Pages:

    The Garden City Group

    5151 Blazer Pkwy Ste A
    Dublin, OH 43017 Map

    * (614) 289-5400

    I just spoke to the firm and they confirm that they are in fact a third-part claims office appointed by the court.

    All you do is enter your information on the website and it fills in the pdf file that you then print and mail to their office.

    They apologize that it has the appearance of a phishing scam but assures that it is not.

  14. PP is going to say it is a phishing email because it did not originate from PP. It (supposedly?) came from a law firm.

  15. The so-called “form” they ask you to fill out has a place — near the bottom — that states they will need your bank information! Are you serious! No way.

    Be careful. No one should ever ask for your bank information, nor should you provide it . . .

    If this is real then you should be able to go through the court and ask for an official form.

    From what I understand these are sent via USPS mail . . . sending legal documentation through email is not valid- EVER!

    Be very careful people.

    Call the courthouse for an official document (if this is a legit case).

  16. I called Garden City Group, Inc. myself – their toll-free number is listed at their website. They confirmed that it is real.

    I’ll bet they’re going to be swamped with calls today!

  17. I’m kind of hoping it’s a scam – because wow, utter genius! Imagine what these people could do if we could persuade them to work for the forces of good!

    In favour of its being genuine: they got my paypal-related email address correct. As far as I recall, no other phish has ever done that. [Interested to hear other's experiences, particularly if you use multiple email addresses.]

    I’m in the UK, so I’m pretty sure that if it’s genuine it wouldn’t apply to me anyway. (On the other hand, I haven’t consulted my Paypal licence agreement and AFAIK they might / might be allowed to specify that the agreement’s governed by US law.) Annoying of course that the website / email makes no mention of non-US, but the genuine is often guilty of being overly US-centric too – and I doubt it’s simple / possible to filter country-wise based on email addresses.

    I put some semi-junk data into the steele-website and very quickly got back a personalised and fairly professional looking PDF. This is fairly elaborate functionality for a scam, I would have thought – and can’t you just buy lists of the name/address data that it’s asking for anyway?
    The way they’ve put the “don’t contact paypal” stuff is pretty suspect – but I’d expect to see the essence of that in a real notice.

    As to your comment about “If the settlement agreement has been finalized, how can any new parties join the class action suit”, I think the text actually says that you’re already a part of the suit and that you either need to opt-out, or claim a portion of the pot.

    Anyway, interested to see where this ends up!

  18. I received one of these too. I filled out dummy information to get the form to download. It appears totally legit to me. Unlike all the phishing scams I’ve run across, every word appears to be genuine “legalese”. Not to mention, NO WHERE do they ask for passwords, bank account info, credit card info, etc. If this were a phishing scam, the best they’d get out of you is your address, phone number, email and PayPal email address! Either it’s legit or these are the dumbest phishers around.

  19. Just got it myself, and first clue to this being a scam is typo’s in the text. such as the following taken for the Benefits to the Class section.. “using a source other than a credit car and ” I am sure a legal department can afford a proofreader. Credit Car.. Yea.. Better Luck next time..

  21. I have been involved in class action settlements in the past.
    Always, always I received the documents by US mail.
    This one just seems strange, “email?”

    I have a few questions. How did they get our transaction info from paypal? Did paypal disclose this info? Really, how did they find out who had disputes, opened or otherwise?

    Then, I just feel if it is a hoax, any phone number listed would be answered by someone in on the hoax. And, they’re going to tell you it’s legit.

  23. I don’t really have a good feeling about this either. The Steele Settlement website looks similar to the Garden City Group, Inc., but there are minor differences. They did not use the same font or used the R symbol at the bottom where they mention their copyright and stated “All Rights Reserved.”
    It is a very elaborate design though.

    However, if you weigh the benefits versus risks, you will realize that the amount of money that could be potentially split will maybe get you a few dollars, but having your identity or information stolen and used is a ridiculous headache and could cost you more money in the long run. Cleaning up your credit report takes forever, believe me, I am still disputing items on mine! So beware, caution, and plain just don’t get yourself into that kind of situation.

    Just trying to look out for the everyday person,
    Jeni

  24. I also received this email… and only to 1 of 2 paypal email account addresses I use. The one I received it to I actually have transactions as described… the other that didn’t receive the email didn’t have the described transactions. It seemed legit due to that fact… until I read the do not contact Paypal “clause” in there… which makes it seem totally fake. I did email spoof@paypal.com as another did… but I also received the automated canned response.

    I’m leaning towards real at this point… but I will wait until it’s confirmed before making the decision to send in the information.

  25. The PDF form DOES NOT state that they will need your bank information! I’m looking right at it and it does not ask for any info that could someway compromise your identity.

  26. Funnily enough I got this same email lie 10 minutes ago. As avid an ebay and paypal fan I am I haven’t had any problems like the one Russel mentioned above.
    However reporting it to Paypal if it is serious then of course Paypal will say it is spoof.
    I did not download the forms I am so dubious about downloading things like that and getting a trojan horse virus or something, so i decided to look into it using a site checker and http://www.steelesettlement.com is a site that has a big question mark..in otherwrods it is a new site and has never been tested I wouldn’t it in any case so I have not looked at it.
    That brings me to a final pointer in my eyes that makes me beleive it is fake. I live in the UK and do all transactions through ebay UK and paypal UK if this whole court case is for ebay US users then why has my email shown up on the list. It was this that made me think in the first place and after reading this page I believe that this is a super elaborate hoax very well made up to get peoples details dishonestly.

  27. It doesn’t ask for your bank account number but says that submitting a bank statement that verifies your transaction if applicable may be helpful. Of course supplying evidence in a legal case is helpful. It also states that you may send your own attorney to appear on your behalf who assumedly could present your evidence in person if you are that worried.

    Bar coding the forms to your name/address is not suspicious as it is highly beneficial for data entry.

    It appears to be a real class action, but then aren’t class actions just scams designed to pay attorneys? It says that the attorneys fees may be up to 28%.

    I have completed the form but will wait for more verification before sending.

  29. I use 2 addresses for paypal and got the email to the right one. Spoof@paypal only states that the email did not come from them. (It didn’t). It came from the law office. I think it is the real deal but will wait at least a month or two. No rush!! You should get something in the mail if you didn’t change addresses….

  31. I used to work in the legal field, and specifically for a firm that specialized in class action suits. This is definitely legit. I am a total skeptic (which is why I googled it when I got it in my e-mail box today). Having received numerous PayPal phishing e-mails, this was naturally suspect – but the fact that I only received it in the mailbox associated with my PayPal account (and none of my 10 or so other accounts) was my first clue it might be real.

    The second clue is that they do NOT ask you for your banking information. The only information they ask for is the transaction/dispute dates and monetary value, and the e-mail address associated with your account. If you are due any monies, they will be deposited into your PayPal account.

    I believe that e-mails were received before any written notices, because e-mails are instant. I have no doubt that those without valid e-mail addresses any long will definitely receive a snail-mail notice. And possibly the rest of us – however, you may not because the costs associated with such a mass mailing would eat up the settlement funds.

    I have already printed out my forms, filled them out and stuck it all in the mail. I still want my $200 back!!!

    Truth be told, I’ll bet the law firm HOPES people will think it’s a scam and not file their claim – because everything left over after all payouts go to the firm.

    Get your money while you can!

  32. Civl class action law suits AUTOMATICALLY include you unless you “opt out” in writing. There is never a requirement to out your info to secure your place in a class action. One exception, if you have to “prove” your transactions to obtain max benefit (anyone remember the microsoft windows settlement?).

    I got this email too BUT TO AN EMAIL PAYPAL/EBAY KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT!

    I won’t be filling anything out, won’t even go to the site – just in case!

  33. Pingback: Strange (spam) e-mail - eBay Suspension & Paypal Limited Forums

  34. Response from Paypal on the ebay PP discussion board:

    Hi All,

    I can confirm that in September 2006, PayPal reached a settlement agreement with a proposed class of PayPal customers in an action pending in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. The suit was filed in 2005 on behalf of a class alleging that PayPal did not clearly communicate information about its consumer protection programs related to specific types of transactions. And I can confirm that the settlement administrator (Garden City Group) was slated to send email notice to the possible claimants starting August 29, 2008. PayPal settled the case to avoid further costs of litigation and devote resources to more productive aspects of our business.

    To get additional information about the settlement and whether or not you are eligible to participate in the settlement, please visit the settlement website at: http://www.steelesettlement.com.

    Amanda

    See for yourself:
    http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=520006442&tstart=0&mod=1220035892410

  35. Response from Paypal on the ebay PP discussion board:

    http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=520006442&tstart=0&mod=1220035892410

    Hi All,

    I can confirm that in September 2006, PayPal reached a settlement agreement with a proposed class of PayPal customers in an action pending in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. The suit was filed in 2005 on behalf of a class alleging that PayPal did not clearly communicate information about its consumer protection programs related to specific types of transactions. And I can confirm that the settlement administrator (Garden City Group) was slated to send email notice to the possible claimants starting August 29, 2008. PayPal settled the case to avoid further costs of litigation and devote resources to more productive aspects of our business.

    To get additional information about the settlement and whether or not you are eligible to participate in the settlement, please visit the settlement website at: http://www.steelesettlement.com.

    Amanda

  37. The last response and link pretty much sells me on this being legit. I am going to wait a bit before filing, though, just in case I’m wrong.

    I wanted to comment on the couple of people that said that class action suits aren’t handled electronically. I recently got a settlement from Netflix that was a part of a class action suit. I got an e-mail from Netflix saying that they were forced by the courts to send out an e-mail and link as a part of the settlement. Turned out to be completely legit. I even called Netflix (from a number listed on their website, not the e-mail) and they confirmed it. Just because it’s electronic doesn’t mean it’s phishing. It just most likely is, which is why I’m researching before responding to the e-mail I got.

  38. To the smart ones who keep sending this to spoof@pay-pal you should just get it over with and jump off a bridge. I love EBAY but they and pay pal both suck they will auto respnd bullshit like that anytime you ask them a question. You don’t get any help from them when you ask something important why would they care about this. I guess they would say yes we are being sued please join immediately. Later genius

  39. true or not,c how did they get hold of the email addresses? paypal have said it is not true yet i guess if there really was a lawsuit paypal would have to release the info on the people concerned…

    i received one today but wont be doing it, i really dont know if its a scam or not, if it is it has to be one of the best ever. the way i see it is if its a scam i would have to renew my bank details, email address, ebay account, paypal account and if it isnt and i lose out, i lose out on about £20…. not really worth it is it?

  40. How did they get our email address? I do not use the one they sent it to for PayPal and I am not going to respond. I’m thinking they are tracking people who hit their site too.

    This can’t be for real . . . I have never seen anything like it. Has a crime been committed by those people, or what? Can we report these emails somewhere?

    HELP!!

  42. Because I qualified, I downloaded the claim form.
    Then I carefully filled it in.

    I was amazed at how little personal information was requested … nothing that could not be easily taken from a local telephone book (of course they already had my e-Mail).

    If these folks are scammers, they are truly stupid for not even asking for ANY information that would be useful to scammers or crooks. Just get the form and see for yourself. Even the pages of material I printed out from the PayPal site to verify my claim contained nothing of interest to scammers, not my bank name, not my E-Bay ID nor password … nothing.

    I say don’t pass up a chance to get your money back from PayPal if they refused to honor a valid claim.

  43. I received this email today too but on a private email address that I only use in Paypal and that nobody else than my customers know.

    How did they had this address? Through Paypal files, obviously.

    So, if it’s phishing, they’re hackers, if it’s not phishing, that’s Paypal that gave them our addresses.

    Anyway… I’m gonna change the main mail address of my Paypal as I don’t want to receive unwanted emails like these – moreover, I live in Belgium and I’ve never bought or sold anything on eBay through Paypal, so there was no reason to send me this email.

  44. I checked the courts electronic system (PACER) and was able to pull up the case by searching for Marina Trubitsky’s open cases. Don’t believe much of what you hear on the Internet. Check things out for yourself.

    Viewed through the Eastern District of New York PACER site.
    http://ecf.nyed.uscourts.gov

    1:05-cv-01720-ILG-VVP Steele et al v. Paypal, Inc. et al
    I. Leo Glasser, presiding
    Viktor V. Pohorelsky, referral
    Date filed: 04/05/2005
    Date of last filing: 08/21/2008

  45. Here is 1 (of MANY) similar websites for other cases posted on the Garden City Group website:

    http://www.halclaims.com/

    Does anyone purport that GCG is an “elaborate phishing scam operation” that builds false websites that are FULL of documentation and many pages of information on 100′s of cases? And that GCG “made up” all of these cases and websites, and no authoritative entity went to any trouble to investigate them or have them shut down?

    I’m still not convinced of anything until some official statements are made on something such as Fox News or CNN… but if they are scammers, wowser….my hat goes off to them for an INCREDIBLE job and an unbelievable amount of work!

  50. Received the e-mail and it looks legit to me. I had a dispute with a seller and complained to paypal and they told me the transaction was not covered by their protection agreement. The agreement is silent to what kinds of transactions are actually covered. Sued the seller and won since the seller never responded to the lawsuit. Haven’t tried to collect since the seller lives in another state.

    This gives me an idea though. I should sue paypal and I think I could easily win.

Leave a Reply