New Paypal Hoax- Please read!

[guildedwolf]

I got an email this morning that looked and acted JUST LIKE a paypal-  except that it had a message about my account being locked up due to an unlinked credit card that I needed to link to my paypal account!

So, I used my own link to get to paypal, nothing posted there on my account...
Then I used their link to get to paypal, looked JUST LIKE the log-in screen on the other page, except that it had a lot more information needed-
Just as I was getting ready to start typing, my Firefox flashed that this was a known phishing site!!!

PLEASE DO NOT USE ANY LINK PROVIDED IN ANY PAYPAL EMAIL TO GET TO PAYPAL----   ALWAYS, ALWAYS USE YOUR OWN!!!!!

[sms0922]

Thanks for the Head's up!  I have seen these before.
You must always check your browser to insure it says   "www    .    paypal.com"   before typing in any password or other info.

[guildedwolf]

It DID say paypal.com when I first looked, then it must have re-directed as soon as I started typing-  I'm STILL trying to figure this one out!!

I have AVG, Spybot, Spyware Dr (which is kinda like a virus in itself!), Spycatcher, and Hijack This-  not one of them caught it- only Foxfire, AFTER I had started typing!

I sent a detailed report to paypal, which included RE-doing the entire thing, so I could take notes!

[sms0922]

yeah but they are tricky...sometimes they put "paypal.service.blah blah blah.com" or something like that.  I agree you should always use your own link to sites like that.

[DCMerkle]

I was hit by a PayPal hoax. I had gotten an email one night asking to update my info. That I knew was a hoax, but just opening it was all that was needed to be hacked into. The next morning I get a call from PP telling me that my account had suspicious activity. At this point I figured something was up, but being the person on the phone had no way of really id'ing themselves as an agent of PP, I hung up.

I went into my account and sure enough there was a deduction from my bank account that put me in an overdraft to my bank. I tried calling the CSV number, but it wasn't working. I emailed them 3 or 4 times and was left hanging. I called my bank and told them that the deduction from PP was not authorized by me and I was told that unless I had a letter from PP verifying that there wasn't anything that they could do.

I just decided to eat that loss and cancel my account. When I was going through the process I was given another number to call CSV with. I tried that more time. Long story short, not only did I get the original amount refunded to me, but they covered my overdraft as well.

Am I satisfied, yes, but I still do not trust PP now. In the 7 years that I have been a customer/member of theirs I have NEVER had that much trouble with them. I am really disappointed in them now.

DCMerkle

[jazzy3098]

I have seen things like this befor and every time i get an email like that I forward it to paypal security so that they can get the person who sends out emails like that. Oh and by the way it is against the law for people to send out phishing emails.

[LendaL]

I was hit by a PayPal hoax. I had gotten an email one night asking to update my info. That I knew was a hoax, but just opening it was all that was needed to be hacked into. The next morning I get a call from PP telling me that my account had suspicious activity. At this point I figured something was up, but being the person on the phone had no way of really id'ing themselves as an agent of PP, I hung up.

DCMerkle

If You knew it was a hoax before you opened it.....why would you open it???
...everyone should know that a real paypal email will address you by name which is something a hacker would not know....Im used to those phishing scams...i get them from banks all the time..banks i have never even heard of...so how can 'my' account possibly be in jeopardy...i wonder how many people have gotten burned by those scams...paypal talks about phishing scams on their site in their security center area..so if you click on links..enter your info..and get robbed...its not paypals fault..they have millions of members, an those members will have to be responsible for their own accounts...

[sms0922]

I have seen things like this befor and every time i get an email like that I forward it to paypal security so that they can get the person who sends out emails like that. Oh and by the way it is against the law for people to send out phishing emails.

That's the best thing to do.  I do that too. 
When I get one of those emails I usually end up changing my password as well. . . just for extra security.

I do the same thing with the fake ebay emails.  I used to get alot of those. 

[Acain1017]

You know, it's quite sad how many people try these phishing scams..  Even more upsetting though is how many people fall for them. If I may recommend--the paypal security key offers a resolution to this problem with just a push of a button.

If you're interested log in to paypal and click "Paypal security key" on the left hand side.  It offers a sigh of relief to everyone who uses it.

[guildedwolf]

They DID address me by name. But the email they used has my name in it, so that part would be really easy for anyone with half a brain to figure out!

The part that got me scared was that the url said paypal before I started typing, and then after I started typing it didn't!

[sms0922]

They DID address me by name. But the email they used has my name in it, so that part would be really easy for anyone with half a brain to figure out!

The part that got me scared was that the url said paypal before I started typing, and then after I started typing it didn't!

That's pretty scary! 
Scammers can get alot of personal info from your paypal acc.
Good thing you figured it out before they got ya!

[jetskimax]

Thanks for a very useful post! 

[clint08]

Yes this is a very useful post.

[thejoe2k8]

Whenever I get those emails and click the link I can usually tell, because when I go type the actual url or go through a legit link my address bar turns dark green and it's only when I go through a legit warp.