Latest and greatest 'PayPal' scam/spoof

Protect your account!

Published on October 19, 2005 By dharmagrl In Internet

I have a PayPal account that I use mainly for purchasing things on eBay. It's directly linked to my checking account. I haven't bought anything from eBay for a while....like a couple of months.

So, imagine my surprise when I found a receipt from PayPal in my inbox this morning. Apparently, I had purchased a $300 watch.

My heart was in my throat....$300 out of my checking account wouldn't leave me in the red, but it would mean that I wouldn't have the money to kit the kids out in Halloween costumes or buy groceries for the rest of the week.

Then I noticed something that I found highly unusual. At the bottom of the receipt was a link that said 'click here to dispute this charge'. Hmm. None of the other PayPal receipts I've received have had that on them. Curious, I clicked on the link.

A Microsoft warning window popped up, telling me that if I continued I'd be directed to a site whose url wasn't formatted properly. That was all the validation I needed, so I closed the pop-up, and forwarded the email to spoof@paypal.com.

If I had followed the link and completed the required 'validation' (which would probably have included my password and checking account number) I'd have basically left my checking and PayPal accounts wide open for theft and manipulation. It was only because I knew I hadn't purchased anything via PayPal recently and the unusual 'dispute this charge' link that I knew something was not right with the email, and the pop-up warning me about the URL simply confirmed my suspicion.

But what if I HAD bought something? What if I thought that my husband had bought something for me? What if I hadn't had the program that created the pop-up installed? I could have easily have given out my information, including my password and bank account information, and I'd probably have ended up a victim.

So, if you use PayPal, please be aware that this is happening. If you get an email like this, please forward it to PayPal's spoof department and let them take care of it.

Protect yourself and your information. Don't end up a victim.

Comments (Page 3)

Dr Guy

on Oct 20, 2005

And I would notice if I did pay 300 quid for something when I look at my bank statements online in the evening.

How much is a Quid in relation to a pound?

dharmagrl

on Oct 20, 2005

How much is a Quid in relation to a pound?

Roughly $2 for one pound.

starkers

on Oct 20, 2005

Yeah, some of you may think that it's frivilous, that I'm making a big deal out of nothing -

Not here, dharmagrl.....it's a serious and too far widespread an issue to ignore, and you're to be commended for doing something about it

kjay528

on Oct 20, 2005

I have been hit with this little scam about 3 times in the last month, beleive it or not the only place I have ever used my credit card, is at this great place. because like another thread I was reading I am addicted to this great place.

Jafo

on Oct 20, 2005

I STILL can't reach the company that supposedly sold me the watch.

Contact them....saying goods were not received....demand them to be sent ASAP....quoting email/receipt.

If you get a watch you're 300 ahead.

If you don't you'll at least have the Watch Co pissed-off and chasing the scammers as well....

dharmagrl

on Oct 21, 2005

couldn't you call your bank and stop the payment, or at least find out if anything had been charged to your account?

Nope. See, my debit card that is linked to my checking account is Visa protected. Which means that the bank guarantees the payment, and I can't stop the payment. The best I can do is dispute it, which can take WEEKS to resolve.

Janders

on Oct 21, 2005

Wow Dharma~ Thanks for the warning! I use Paypal all the time!

sparklplenty

on Oct 22, 2005

Almost the very same thing has happened to me several times! So be vigilant everyone

Leauki

on Oct 23, 2005

How much is a Quid in relation to a pound?

A quid is one Pound Sterling in Britain and was one Irish Pound here in Ireland. Now it's one Euro here.

Basically a quid is a buck.

dharmagrl

on Oct 23, 2005

A quid is one Pound Sterling in Britain and was one Irish Pound here in Ireland. Now it's one Euro here.

Basically a quid is a buck.

No, basically, one quid equals 2 bucks.

Dr Guy

on Oct 24, 2005

A quid is one Pound Sterling in Britain and was one Irish Pound here in Ireland. Now it's one Euro here.

Basically a quid is a buck.

No, basically, one quid equals 2 bucks.

Thanks both for the answer. I would make a very bad Englishman cause I have never gotten the hang of the British monetary system. I know Francs, and Pfennings, but Pounds and pence are greek to me!

dharmagrl

on Oct 24, 2005

I know Francs, and Pfennings, but Pounds and pence are greek to me!

Nah, it's all about slang.

There are one hundred pennies in one pound. Just like there are one hundred cents in a dollar.

A pound is also called a quid, much as a dollar is called a buck.

Over there, they have 5 pence pieces, 10 pence pieces, 20 pence and 50 pence pieces, and even the pounds are coins.

Over here, you got your nickles, dimes and quarters...and dollar coins too.

See how easy that was? Welcome to British currency 101. You passed with a 'A' grade.

Bushman

on Oct 26, 2005

No offense, but do youthink I'm stupid? That I'm just clicking on whatever, whenever and that I'm being scammed left right and center???? That I don't know what I'm doing when it comes to computer fraud??? (FYI, I used to work with a police department and did some private investigating. Part of my training dealt specifically with cyber-crimesand scams. Also, my husband's a police investigator, so we both know more than the average person about email scams). That's not why I posted this article. I was trying to warn other people that this is a pretty sophisticated attempt by someone to obtain personal and financial information illegally. I was trying to look out for my fellow man, but people are reading that as my being naive and gullible.
So, just to clarify: I'm not naive. I'm not stupid. I know how to protect myself, I know how scams like this work.
Please don't talk to me like I'm a total n00b, because I'm not.

Lighten up will you. I don't think Z71 was saying you are stupid or anything like that. You read way too much into it. Remember what you said "I was trying to warn other people that this is a pretty sophisticated attempt by someone to obtain personal and financial information illegally. I was trying to look out for my fellow man." Maybe you shouldn't post things if your ego is so fragile

This is the main reason why I don't leave to many comments, because you try to help the "new" people (who may not know) and I get chastized for it.
That's why I like Wincustomize, everybody is so nice and friendly. Sorry, I bothered.

Thanks Z71 I could not have said it better, and Thanks dharmagrl for proving Z's point.

Dr Guy

on Oct 26, 2005

See how easy that was? Welcome to British currency 101. You passed with a 'A' grade.

Thanks for the lesson. Now I wont have to learn English when I visit the old Country!

I guess to non-Americans, Nickles, Dimes and Quarters (maybe not the last) are greek since we dont display monetary amounts, except spelled out, on our coins.

Joan Polishan

on Nov 14, 2005

Thanks D for this article,sorry it took me so long to find it and read it so i will save it in a special file.

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