WARNING - PayPal Scam

Neil · 22-04-2005, 18:41

I received the email below today. It is a scam to get your account username and password

Quote:

Security Measures

"Our systems detected your user ID being used in Europe."

Dear member

Our systems detected your user ID being used in Europe. At the moment we are trying to trace and resolve the provenience of this matter, so please get involved in helping us trace these bruteforcing attempts. Use the link below to access our mainframe database and confirm the information we have on file for your account.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr? cmd=_login-run
If you choose to ignore our request, you leave us no choice but to temporarily suspend your account.

If you received this notice and you are not the authorized account holder, please be aware that it is in violation of PayPal policy to represent oneself as another member. PayPal is committed in assisting law enforcement with any inquires related to attempts to misappropriate personal information with the intent to commit fraud or theft. Information will be provided at the request of law enforcement agencies to ensure that impersonators are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law..

Thank you for your patience as we work together to protect your account.

Sincerely,
PayPal Account Review Department

If you click the link it takes you to a page that looks like paypal. When you try and log in it does not work. The fraudsters then have your details and can go and spend your money.

NEVER go to paypal from a link in an email. Paypal will NEVER email you asking you to log in like this.

Becareful or you will loose your money

g78 · 22-04-2005, 18:45

I too have had a similar email supposedly from Paypal, but deleted it straight away. Another similar one states that they are having 'problems' with some payment you have made. Even though you have never made a payment. Best to ignore all and contact the site directly if you are in any doubt.

garinda · 22-04-2005, 18:49

What on earth have you being using pay-pal for neily?

The chatroom webcam is free and much saucier.

Neil · 22-04-2005, 18:59

It was a special camera that can see through closed curtains

Sparkologist · 22-04-2005, 19:05

I've had the same e-mail in the last month. Needless to say, it got virus scanned to ensure there were no nastys contained within, then binned & destroyed.

I have had similar e-mails regarding e-bay accounts, even though I have never bought anything on e-bay, or hold an account with them.

Neil · 22-04-2005, 19:07

I have had 3 or 4 similar emails about paypal.
I hope that by reading this thread people will be a lot more careful if they also get any paypal emails.

garinda · 22-04-2005, 19:39

Seriously Neil, good advice and thanks.

Billcat · 22-04-2005, 19:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

NEVER go to paypal from a link in an email. Paypal will NEVER email you asking you to log in like this.

Becareful or you will loose your money

Just delete the message. They're arriving with amazing frequency, even from banks where I have no account (even my own banker sometimes calls me "no account). I once made the mistake of sending these fellows a completely phoney response, and my computer began behaving strangely, so it's best just to recycle all those ones and zeros by deleting the message.

If Paypal needs to hear from you, you will probably get an on-line message (NOT an e-mail) when you log onto your account.

janet · 22-04-2005, 19:46

Thanks for the warning Neil.

Margaret Pilkington · 22-04-2005, 20:34

I have had this e-mail and also one from the Royal Bank of Scotland(i don't have an account)......it is always good to be warned and aware of these scams.

vorlon24 · 22-04-2005, 21:43

I am surprised that anyone still falls for them.

First of all it has been repeated over and over again that you will never be asked for login details via a link in an email.

Secondly there are huge holes in the way these emails are written; no self-respecting predominantly English-speaking company would write such claptrap

Quote:

At the moment we are trying to trace and resolve the provenience of this matter, so please get involved in helping us trace these bruteforcing attempts.

P-lease!!!

steveo · 22-04-2005, 21:49

ive had loads from someone claiming to be ebay..its annoying because one click could give all your details away to some little kid in china, who would be spending all your cash before you knew about it...

vorlon24 · 22-04-2005, 21:54

In ebay - I don't think so!

The only thing that I can see this little kid in China doing is playing on the auctions, winning the goods and not paying for it, and leaving you with several shed-loads of negative feedback

WillowTheWhisp · 22-04-2005, 22:45

unless he got your paypal details too.

andrewb · 22-04-2005, 22:50

Domain ID

106115950-LROR
Domain Name:BUYER-UPDATE.ORG
Created On:19-Apr-2005 07:24:39 UTC
Expiration Date:19-Apr-2006 07:24:39 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:Melbourne IT, Ltd. dba Internet Names Worldwide (R52-LROR)
Status:TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:C111389153602315
Registrant Name:Marylia Herna
Registrant Organization:Marylia Herna
Registrant Street1:226 West 20th Street Apt
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:New York
Registrant State/Province:NY
Registrant Postal Code:10011
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.5619946999

Get the pitchforks, we're going to America!

Is it against some law to like.. sign the email address that the password gets sent to up with loads of spam sites?

Oh and.. always hover over links to see where they ACTUALY link to, other than reading the link name & check the domain name in your browser if you do click

Also make sure your browser is up to date so that they can't 'spoof' the domain to make it look like paypal.com