Friday, February 27, 2015

PayPal Email Scam


I just wanted to quickly let you know about an email scam that is out where someone is masquerading as PayPal, asking you to click on a link and update your account and credit card information. I clicked on the link and filled out my name and address before I realized that it wasn't coming from a PayPal address. dumb. But I didn't continue, and I immediately went over to PayPal and changed my password and called their security line. They assured me they would never send out email links to change security information. They said I did the right thing and that my account and info would be secure, but it still leaves me queasy.

OK, just wanted to let you know, they looked just like PayPal and very legitimate. If you've clicked on this site and given any information, then please go to PayPal immediately, change your password, and call their security to report it.




see you later,

25 comments:

  1. Thanks for giving the heads up. Hope you have a great weekend!

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  2. Thanks Debra! Who are these people!?!!!!

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  3. I almost got caught in a similar scam myself - so exactly like PayPal in every way except when I noticed the name on the account wasn't mine but the email was! I reported it to their phishing dept immediately and changed my password too.

    Glad you didn't lose anything!

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  4. Hi Debra... I should have posted about this long ago... I get an email like that every month, even though I block them, they get through. I knew Paypal never asks for things that way, so I have never even opened them. I also get "Final Notice" from Century Link saying my email will be deleted if I don't click on their link and update my info... so much spam and garbage these days!!!... Glad you reported it to Paypal!... xoxo... Me PS Been looking all over today for a little conservatory like yours!!!

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  5. Thanks Debra for the warning! Have a blessed weekend, HUGS!

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  6. Thanks for letting us know. I never fill out any info online like that. Because I know they'd never ask us to do that.
    Brenda

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  7. Thanks for the heads up Debra. It is scary all the things bad people think up to do to good people. Have a great week end.
    Kris

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  8. I get lots of these 'warnings' - from Amazon, Paypal, banks, you name it. I've sent copies of a couple of them to Paypal - they're phishing emails, trying to get your personal information. My advice to everyone is don't ever click on any links. Ever. Contact the company itself - or just got to their website. If they truly want you to update something you'll see it indicated in your account information. But no companies ask for any of that information in an email.

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    1. I KNEW better! I was in a hurry today and just going through email. I hope I've learned my lesson, ha ha!!

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  9. Thanks for the heads up!! I've gotten these before... I've never opened one.

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  10. Hi Debra,
    Thanks for alerting us. I received an email similar to yours but it was placed in my spam file with a warning that it wasn't legit. It's getting scary.

    hugs
    Sissie

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  11. I've gotten so many of these and clicked over a few times, but something told me to "get out of there" and I did. I wondered is I was being silly...now I know I wasn't!

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  12. I get these all the time. I know any financial institution will not send an email asking for personal information or account updating, NOW. However, I did not know this the first few times I received such a request. I did not get caught, because like you, it dawned on me after I entered my name; this did not look legit. I have learned to always go directly to the homepage of the entity and check with them. Report every attempt such as this. These low life, bottom feeders think we are too slow witted to figure them out.Watch out for calls from those pretending to be your search engine IT dept. telling you that their records show your computer is having problems with nonworking programs. Seems to be the latest scam.
    Thanks for sharing this.

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  13. I, too, regularly get the phishing emails supposedly from PayPal and I just forward them onto PayPal's spoof email department, then delete the email. I also get them from other institutions, including banks etc that I don't even have accounts with! Thankfully, these scams usually get dumped into my spam email folder but it is extremely annoying nevertheless *sigh*

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    1. I guess I've been lucky, this is the first one like this Ive received.

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  14. I received a scam letter from "e-bay member" statin they paid me $500 dollars for an item and were going to report me to the FBI. I knew it to be a scam because I don't currently and never have sold anything on eBay. It looked so authentic it was weird. Thanks for the warning!

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  15. I got this email too. Mine said that my card was about to expire and I needed to update my info to get a new one. I knew it was crap right away because I had just received my new card but the email looked legit. Thanks for sharing this info!

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  16. so much of this going on. The ones I worry about are our elderly parents. My father in law got one from Chase bank, and even tho we had told him it was a scam since he didn't even bank with Chase he actually answered the email saying "I don't believe we have any accounts with you". Thank goodness he didn't give any info out. We are at a point where we are monitoring his email acct from our home to make sure these emails get deleted before he even sees them. Eventually we will have to shut his email acct down. Very sad :(

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  17. This is good info to put out there Debbie! I have almost fallen victim myself but like you called them right away. My poor son who is only 17 and works has been cleaned out twice now on his own personal paycheck credit card. Makes me ill! Thanks for sharing.

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  18. Grrrr...these scammers make my blood boil. There is another scam going around where they call you and say a loved one has been in an accident and then want you to send money. Saw it on the news and one of my friends actually got such a call. Luckily, her husband was fine. Be careful out there!

    Jeanine

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  19. Paypal will also address you by your name and not something like dear customer etc. Also anything that Paypal sends to you via email can be taken care of directly from your account. Even if I know the email is from Paypal I do not click on any links. I go directly to my account to take care of it. If in doubt always call. That is what they are there for. :)

    Cathy <3

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  20. With all of these scams..I always delete these sort of messages with a link to reset passwords or information....so sad that this happens...when in doubt, I call the companies to verify it...Glad you realized it was a scam just in time!

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