It has only been a few days since I warned you about the latest PayPal scam, but today I must warn you about yet another PayPal scam. If you are wondering why there are so many PayPal scams, it is for the same reason that the bank robber robbed banks – because that is where the money is. Many people use PayPal and are too often likely to respond to an email such as the relatively unsophisticated one, copied below, that I received in my email box. As you can see the theme is pretty much the same as many similar scams. Access to my PayPal account will be halted until I provide them with account information necessary for them to verify that no fraudulent activity is going on. Of course, if I respond to this email and provide the information requested, fraudulent activity will occur because you will be providing the information to a scammer.
TIPS
This phony email, like so many does not include your name, but instead is entirely generic. You can never be sure when you receive an email that the person or entity is who it purports to be. The risk of providing information, clicking on links or downloading material is too great. You may well be providing information to an identity thief or downloading a keystroke logging malware program that will steal all of the information from your computer. If you have any concerns about your PayPal account, use this secure link to go directly to the real PayPal with any questions you may have. : https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/helpscr?cmd=_help&t=escalateTab
Here is a copy of the fake email that I received.
Identity Issue PP-658-119-347 |
Secure Transaction |
Please complete the attached form to verify your Profile information and restore your account access. |
Make sure you enter the information accurately, and according to the formats required. Fill in all the required fields. |
Dear customer , |
As part of our efforts to provide a safe and secure environment for the online community, we regularly screen account activity. Our review of your account has identified an issue regarding its safe use. We have placed a restriction on your account as a precaution. |
To lift the restriction we will require some further information from you. |
If, once we review your further information and we’re confident that the use of your account does not present a safety risk to our service and customers, we’ll be happy to reinstate your account. |
We have sent you an attachment which contains all the necessary steps in order to restore your account access. Download and open it in your browser. After we have gathered the necessary information, you will regain full access to your account. |
We thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. |
Very sincerely, PayPal Review Department