Rob-F
Likes Leicas
I got an email, ostensibly from PayPal, saying "Confirm your identity" by clicking a button, by March 18, or my my PayPal balance will be whisked away and sequestered someplace until I do confirm my identity. I'm afraid this email might be a phishing expedition. Anybody else get something like this?
joe bosak
Well-known
Just log into paypal as you normally would and see if you need to take any action. Dont use that link, is my advice.
yanchep_mike
Always Trying
Do not click anything, it is scam, phishing or what ever.
if you want to know go to paypal via the website. in your browser and type it in.
if you want to know go to paypal via the website. in your browser and type it in.
retinax
Well-known
NEVER click on a link in one of those E-Mails. Well technically the clicking isn't so dangerous, but putting any info in the website it opens. Even if you think it's legit, just go to the website by entering the address in your browser.
In this case, that sounds like typical phishing.
michaelwj
----------------
Go into your PayPal account without clicking on the link, but I remember out of the blue having to provide some additional ID to PayPal a few years back. IIRC it coincided with the number of transactions I’d done and some laws. Something like receiving small payments to fund terrorism or something. Anyway, PayPal is really a bank, and as local laws catch up slowly you need to provide the same level of proof of ID as you do to open a bank account.
wolves3012
Veteran
Is the email addressed to you by name or "Dear Cusomer/PayPal User" or somesuch? If it's not addressed by name it's 100% a scam. If it's by name I'd be quite worried since it might indicate a problem or data-breach. As per the other's advice above, NEVER click a link, always log in directly as you normally would.
PayPal mithers me to confirm my phone number (which I've done) when I log in from the Ebay pop-up and I think that's a bad thing because it leads to familiarity seeing such things, meaning you can be off-guard when a scam appears.
PayPal mithers me to confirm my phone number (which I've done) when I log in from the Ebay pop-up and I think that's a bad thing because it leads to familiarity seeing such things, meaning you can be off-guard when a scam appears.
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
It's directed to my email account, using my email address. It's a really elaborate layout. Someone who knew what they were doing, went to a lot of trouble. But so far, no one else on RFF is saying they got this. I'll give it some time. In the meantime I will check my PayPal account.
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
The request for information showed up in my PayPal account. They want date of birth, social, and last four of social. But social security numbers are not supposed to be used for other purposes. I don't really even want to give them my DOB. How of there feel about this?
Mackinaw
Think Different
I got one too. I didn't click on the link, but did log into my account and looked in teh "notifications" section. You'll find the same request. What they're asking has to do with how they use your balance. Up to you if you want to agree to it or not.
Jim B.
Jim B.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
It is undoubtedly a scam or phishing.
I don't know how with other email apps, but in Apple Mail I use the "Messages > Forward as attachment" command to send all such emails to Paypal Spoofs <spoof@paypal.com>, and then delete the email.
Some information from Paypal about fraud, phishing, etc:
https://www.paypal.com/us/smarthelp/article/how-to-spot-fake,-spoof,-or-phishing-emails-faq2340
https://www.paypal.com/us/smarthelp/article/how-do-i-report-a-fake-paypal-email-or-website-faq438
I get faked, phishing emails like this from time to time, posing as Paypal, Apple, Google, etc. Never click a button on them, always report them to whatever company was being faked, and use the safe ways to check your accounts and check for viruses and snoopers on your system.
G
mpaniagua
Newby photographer
The surest way to know if the email is legit, check that the link you are asked to press (or if you pressed already) has the paypal domain (https://paypal.com) if it has something else (http://payspal.com, http://paypaaal.com or other nonsense) is a fraud.
Got this kind of email often enough.
Regards
Marcelo
Got this kind of email often enough.
Regards
Marcelo
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
I don't know how to check the link, but the email is from paypal@mail.paypal.com>
nickthetasmaniac
Veteran
Whenever in doubt, contact the service provider (in this case PayPal) directly through the contact information on their homepage.
https://www.paypal.com/au/smarthelp/contact-us
NEVER click the link if you have even a smidge of concern.
https://www.paypal.com/au/smarthelp/contact-us
NEVER click the link if you have even a smidge of concern.
nickthetasmaniac
Veteran
All of my emails from paypal end with @paypal.com.au (I'm in Aus). I've never had anything with @mail.paypal.com.au
JoeLopez
Well-known
Never, ever, ever click links within an email. To be sure, access your account by entering the full URL in your browser and go from there.
Do this every time.
JoeLopez
Well-known
never trust that, it is too easy to spoof.
JoeLopez
Well-known
shawn
Veteran
Who the email is from is meaningless. You can set the reply address to anything you want.
The way to really check the email is to View the Raw Source of the email.
Typically you will see a more accurate sender (or at least the server where the email originally bounced from) and you can see where the link is actually going to take you. What the text says and where the link goes don't have to be the same thing.
Shawn
shawn
Veteran
Yes, seconding this. Don't even click the link to see where it is going. A sophisticated system will be able to tell you clicked the link and that kind of bumps up your priority for more phishing scams. You might be a gullible one...
Shawn
Corran
Well-known
Just hover over the link and see what page it is pointing towards!