Spotting PayPal Spoof eMails
There is a common type of Online fraud called phishing. Phishing is a computer geek spelling of the word "fishing." This involves sending fake emails asking for users to update their Paypal information. These Spoof emails look like real emails, but clicking on the links takes you to sites away from Paypal.
The spoof sender wants your Paypal account information so he can commit fraud, or steal your account balance
If you get an email that appears to be from PayPal asking for sensitive information, it is probably a spoof. You can check the status of your PayPal account by going online - do not use the link within the email - type paypal.com into your browser's address bar, and logging in to your account.
I have removed the links to the scam site so clicking on them will result in an error site not found. If you point your mouse at the links, your browser will show "http://LINK IS SHOWN HERE" in the lower left corner above the start button. The real Paypal site is at: https://www.paypal.com/
Notice the misspelled words and poor grammar. My notes are in red.
Example Of A PayPal Spoof eMail
 | LINK TO LEFT DOESN'T POINT AT https://www.paypal.com/ |
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PayPal is committed to maintaining a safe environment for
its community of customers. To protect the security of your account, PayPal
employs some of the most advanced security systems in the world and our
anti-fraud teams regularly screen the PayPal system for unusual activity.
We are contacting you to remind you that on May 18 2006 our Account Review
Team identified some unusual activity in your account. In accordance with
PayPal's User Agreement and to ensure that your account has not been
compromised, access to your account was limited. Your account access will
remain limited until this issue has been resolved.
To secure your account and quickly restore full access, we may require some
additional information from you for the following reason:
We have been notified that a card associated with your account has been
reported as lost or stolen, or that there were additional problems with your
card. This process is mandatory, and if not completed within the
nearest time your account or credit card may be subject for temporary suspension.
To securely confirm your PayPal information please click on the link bellow:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd= _login-run LINK ABOVE DOESN'T POINT AT https://www.paypal.com/
We encourage you to log in and perform the steps necessary to restore your
account access as soon as possible. Allowing your account access to remain
limited for an extended period of time may result in further limitations on
the use of your account and possible account closure.
For more information about how to protect your account please visit PayPal
Security Center. We apologize for any incovenience this may cause, and we
apriciate your assistance in helping us to maintain the integrity of the
entire PayPal system.
Thank you for using PayPal!
The PayPal Team |
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Stopping Paypal Spoofs
Paypal and many other online firms have special email addresses to shut down these phishing spoofs. Forward questionable emails to spoof@paypal.com
It is important that you forward suspicious emails to Paypal. This helps Paypal shut down the phishing website so others don't become victims.
Other links relating to phishing and scams:
Scams Aimed At eBay Sellers Page An Example Of An eBay Spoof eMail
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Terry Gibbs has taught over 7,000 people how to make a good living on eBay. Terry's most recent eBay instruction manual is The Auction Revolution . The Auction Revolution is your guide to eBay and beyond. Here on Iwantcollectibles.com, you will learn about buying and selling antiques and collectibles, and about eBay.
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