ATTENTION:  Alert PayPal - 

Below is a letter I received from another Higbee victim who wanted to share this in an effort to alert PayPal of the potential fraud this company is committing through their merchant service.  Consider dropping a note to PayPal with a copy of the threats you have received!!

To Whom It Concerns, PayPal Inc.:

I am writing to formally report fraudulent activity being conducted by Higbee and Associates, which is using PayPal’s payment system to collect immediate payments from unsuspecting individuals through misleading and legally dubious demand letters.

Nature of the Fraudulent Activity - Higbee and Associates has sent at least 10,000+ demand letters to individuals, falsely claiming that they are entitled to statutory damages for alleged copyright infringement.
However, statutory damages under U.S. copyright law (17 U.S.C. § 412) are only available for registered copyrights, and in many cases, no such registration exists.
The firm pressures recipients into making immediate payments via PayPal, often before they have a chance to verify the claim’s legitimacy or consult legal counsel.
These actions may constitute fraud, deceptive practices, and extortion, as they exploit PayPal’s payment system to collect funds under false pretenses.

How PayPal Is Being Used for Fraud - PayPal is the primary method of payment for these misleading legal demands.  The demand letters urge recipients to pay immediately via PayPal to avoid further legal action.  Many victims, believing the threats to be legitimate, pay under duress, unaware that the claims lack legal merit.
PayPal’s instant payment structure enables the firm to collect money before victims can dispute the charges or seek legal advice.

Request for Investigation & Immediate Action - Given the clear evidence of fraudulent use of PayPal’s platform, I respectfully request that PayPal:

1) Investigate Higbee's account(s) and transactions to determine whether deceptive or fraudulent practices are occurring.
2) Freeze or suspend any accounts involved in collecting payments from these misleading demand letters.
3) Review chargeback/refund policies to allow victims to dispute and recover funds.
Consider banning Higbee from using PayPal’s services to prevent further fraudulent activity.

I am happy to or have provided copies of demand letters and payment requests, and contact information for additional victims who have fallen prey to this scheme. Please let me know the appropriate next steps to assist in your investigation.

Thank you for your time and immediate attention to this serious matter.

Sincerely, ______________________________________________

Phone: _________________________________________________

Email: __________________________________________________