PayPal and Phishing: You're account is Limited? NOT at Friday, July 18, 2008

Have you received an email saying your PayPal account has been restricted or is limited? Are you being asked by that email to log in and confirm your information? Did they ask you for your credit card information as well as your bank account?

If your answer is YES to all of the above then I suggest you contact PayPal ASAP, like NOW. (Call: +1-402-935-2050) You have been a victim of an internet scam called PHISHING.


From Wikipedia:

Phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from PayPal, eBay, Youtube or online banks are commonly used to lure the unsuspecting. Phishing is typically carried out by e-mail or instant messaging,^[1] and it often directs users to enter details at a website. Phishing is an example of social engineering techniques used to fool users.^[2] Attempts to deal with the growing number of reported phishing incidents include legislation, user training, public awareness, and technical security measures.

Here are the steps to prevent yourself from being a victim:

Sample of a Phishing email I received

1. Check if the email is coming from SERVICE@paypal or SERVICEINTL@paypal.com. These are the only official PayPal service email addresses.

2. The email should address you by your FULL NAME as it appears on your PayPal account. Most phishing emails would start by saying 'Dear PayPal member, Dear eBay member' That should automatically raise a red flag.

3. The only time that you should be entering your information on PayPal is a) upon sign up and b) if you are changing or adding that piece of information. They won't ask you to add it just for any reason.

4. Don't be fooled by the overall look of the site. Most of these sites really look like the original but they're not. There should be visible imprints of fraud like sentences that don't make sense or typographical errors. Make sure you keep an eye on this.

5. Make sure you call or email PayPal or the financial institution before proceeding with the so-called verification process online. Verify and confirm if you indeed have to do what is indicated on the site.

Hope this helps. For questions, post a comment.