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Paypal members are constantly targeted by scammers and phishing emails attempting to gain account and password information. They send out emails referencing problems with your account such as limited access because of attempted withdrawals from a foreign country or fraudulent charges.
Some of these are fairly sophisticated with accurate Paypal logos and links to full-blown, look-alike scammers and websites set up to gain your information.
Personal information that Paypal will never ask for in an email:
Credit card or debit card numbers
Bank account numbers
Driver’s license numbers
Email addresses
Passwords
Your full name
Whenever you get an email from Paypal, don’t panic. DO NOT click on any link in the email! If you want to check your account, close the email, open a new browser window and type in Paypal’s web address. If you ever suspect a phishing email, forward it to spoof@paypal.com and delete it. The email will go to their security department for investigation. If you do click on a link and enter information before you realize that you were on a phishing site, Paypal recommends that you immediately change your password and check your transaction history for inaccuracies.
Don’t get phished or scammed! Report these attempts and keep your personal information and your account safe.
The following is a copy of an actual phishing email I received. (All the phishing links have been disabled and the entire message is linked to an unaffiliated website.)
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As part of our efforts to provide a safe and secure environment for the online community, we regularly screen account activity. While reviewing your PayPal accounts, we observed activity that we would like to further verify. For this reason, limitations have been placed on your account until your will review your registered intormation. In order to resolve the account limitations, complete our online form by clicking on the following link :
Log into your PayPal account
After we have gathered the necessary information, your account will be reviewed for reinstatement and you will be notified by e-mail of our decision.
We thank you for your prompt attention to this matter and apologize for any inconvenience.
Sincerely,
Account Review Department
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Reply from Spoof@Paypal
Here is the reply I received from Paypal when I forwarded the phishing email from my post above.
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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.
————————————-
What is a phishing email?
————————————-
Phishing emails attempt to steal your identity and will often ask you to
reveal your password or other personal or financial information. PayPal
will never ask for your password over the phone or in an email and will
always address you by your first and last name.
Take our Fight Phishing Challenge at
https://www.paypal.com/fightphishing to learn 5 things you should know
about phishing. You’ll also see what we’re doing to help fight fraud
every day.
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You’ve made a difference.
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Every email counts. By forwarding a suspicious-looking email to
spoof@paypal.com, you’ve helped keep yourself and others safe from
identity theft.
Thanks,
The PayPal Team
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