This time of year, we might use our paypal accounts to purchase things on line. Well, (Jaws music if you please), they are out "phishing again". Yep, the spammers and spoofers got me this morning.
I have resolved it and didn't lose any money, but boy did it take some time and worry. They wouldn't have stolen much, but when you are not working and selling your things on ebay, $35.67 is a lot!
So, what I learned I am passing onto my TF family!
If you get an email, check the from address. If "PayPall" is spelled with two "L"s, you have to just forward it to "spoof@paypal.com" and they will take it from there.
The headings might say something like "Someone has fraudulently used your account" or "Your funds are not available," or anything to strike fear and urgency into your heart! Then, they will ask you to verify your account. When that happens, you will be giving them everything they need to clean you out. If you get that far, it's already too late.
Also, if you want to use your card, be careful. If someone in a store holds your card long enough while the transaction is going through, they could write it down and your next move will be to get one of these spoofs.
If you get one, look at it carefully. If it ends up in your spam account to begin with, there is your first clue. Paypal's address should be in your address list if you have an account with them, so that legitimate emails get through. When they are not the exact same email address, then they will go to spam. Most start out by saying "Dear Paypal User" or "Dear Paypal Account Holder". Paypal always uses your name and they never, EVER ask for a password.
So, word to the wise dear friends, read it carefully and don't believe it if you know there is nothing wrong. These sharks can smell blood, so don't give them any of your hard earned money. My belief in karma says these people will get theirs. Let's not let them get ours! I hope this helps even one person. They look something like this.
Flag this messageNotification of Limited Account Access RXI-112Sunday, November 7, 2010 8:25 AM
From: "PayPal" <service@paypall.com>Add sender to Contacts
Source: Just happened to me an hour ago!
By Sandi/Poor But Proud from Sweet Home, OR
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A very important note: if you recieve any email that asks you to click on a supplied link (a link in the email) to either confirm your account or anything don't use the link. I repeat "don't use the link". It is very likely that it is a redirect and you might end up on a webpage that looks like the intended page but it probably is not.
Say you get an email from Paypal and they say there is an issue and you need to click the link below and follow the online instructions. Simply close the email (don't delete it), open a new browser window or tab and go to the Paypal website yourself. In your account should be a way to verify the email was sent to you. Paypal might have a window pop up that says "We have an issue". Anything like that would mean the email may have been true but you are safe because you went to the site on your own accord. If it turns out nothing theer, then the email was a phishing attempt, go back to your emails and forward it to Paypal as Poor But Proud stated above.
Phishing can also happen with EBay and Amazon and anybody else that does business on the web. Just remember to never use the supplied link, go to the website on your own power, if you're still not certain find the contact info for the site and send them a message asking if the email really came from them.
The only thing you waste is time, the only thing you save is money.
I have gotten emails supposedly from Paypal, eBay, Wells Fargo, and different banks that I do not have accounts with and not ones I recognize, even one claiming to be from my own bank. You name it, we all get them. I will go to the real website, get their fraud e mail to forward these e mails to them. I also send them to spam@uce.gov and phishing-report@us-cert.gov as well as my own ISP fraud department. I never, ever clink on any links or open any attachments. Now there are emails claiming to be from FedEx and UPS, even from the FBI, all are bogus. Just be diligent in looking at these fraudulent e mails and forward them constantly to the correct fraud departments. The more they get, the more they can track them.
I was going to say the same thing as the others. Don't click on any link you get an email for, open another page & go straight to their website.If there's a problem with your account, you'll find out there. I get lots of emails from Paypal & several "banks" & "credit card" companies & also forward them to the government spam site.
One thing that makes it easier for them to track where it is coming from, is if you can send them the link with the email source-also a good way for you to find out where it really came from! I don't know how other email services work, but with Hotmail, while you are in your 'inbox', point to the email like you are going to open it, but right-click on it instead & it gives you the choice to "view message source", choose that option & it will open the email with a big, long list of computer jargon that is actually the trail the email has taken. The email address of whoever REALLY sent it to you is usually at the bottom of the list! Highlight the whole email, right click & copy, then open a new email & paste the other email into the page. Send that one to the spam@uce.gov, the fraud dept. of whatever place they are pretending to be, & the spam/fraud dept of whatever source the email actually comes from (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.).
I don't know how other email services operate to get the actual source of the email. Hotmail USED to have the option under 'my account' for you to set your email up to automatically show the email source whenever you get an email. Play around with your email account & see if you can find it, check the FAQ area, or email your service & ask them!
It is usually better to send a copy of the email to the ISP of whatever service they are using, rather than YOUR ISP, because they can't do anything about shutting them down, whereas their ISP can shut them down. Hotmail will just send you a standard reply telling you that they won't do anything & suggesting you send the email to the ISP from where it came.
I have also gotten of lot of e-mails wanting me to check my account for various reasons. The address often does not have my e-mail address but says to undisclosed recipients. This is the tip off "Undisclosed Recipients". I never open those e-mails. Those are the ones that want your account info.
An extra word of warning; I recently got an email from "paypal" and everything looked authentic - address, spelling, and it even had my first and last name right.
I did not click on the link in the email, but I used a shortcut I have on my computer to log in. I could not see any signs of "limited access," so I actually called Paypal and verified it was a fake email. The customer service rep advised me that the phishers are getting more sophisticated and are not making the same errors they used to make.
He said Paypal will not send you an email with a link and right now that is the only way to be sure the message is not real.
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