There is a new phishing scam that is all about PayPal. The emails are very convincing and do not include typos or fake emails. One of the messages you might get goes like this:
“You added a new address. This is just a quick confirmation that you added in your PayPal account”
But wait, I don’t even have a PayPal account?
Why the Emails Look Legitimate
They exploit real features of PayPal. Hackers can abuse the PayPal money request system tools by entering your email. Even if you don’t have an account. This enables the scam email to bypass email filters because it is coming direct from PayPal.
There is not any suspicion in the email, as it does not contain any links. They just contain the hacker’s phone. The emails cause you to panic because the email request is for a rather large amount. This makes you want to resolve the situation urgently.
Once you have the initial email, the hackers contact you pretending to be PayPal support. They can urge you to secure your account with a link that leads to a “legit looking” logon page that then steals your login information.
What to Do to Protect Yourself
As we preach, DON’T CLICK ON LINKS in suspicious emails. They may even look real! Go directly to PayPal by entering it in your web browser. PayPal.com for those of you that did not know.
NEVER DIAL THE PHONE NUMBER provided. There is a really good chance it is a scam. Really good chance!
ALWAYS check your account by manually typing in the address of the company, in this case, PayPal.
REPORT THE SCAM. It is very important to report the scam. In this case, to PayPal – [email protected]. Please also report these attempts to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) they can be found at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
If you have fallen victim to this scam, please let us know, we can help you out! Remember that you are not alone and that this is a very convincing way hackers can get your information.