Paypal Phishing Scam 6/19/13 - Heads Up!

[pat-tekker-cat]

I don't know if anyone else received a Paypal phishing scam yet, It will say your account has been limited, and give you a case number, starting in "PP", (That's how you KNOW it's really from Paypal-NOT). Mine was in my spam file, reason I didn't notice it for a day or two.

I forwarded mine to Paypal spoof/fraud dept, they replied that indeed it is a scam and they are trying to stop it. (That coulda just been an obligatory return email, but still.....)

So heads up everyone! Don't believe everything you read, and DON'T CLICK THE LINKS!
Good luck all, be alert!

 

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[vpnavy]

Thanks for the heads up pat-tekker-cat. I have had my e-mail address since 1996 so you can imagine how many SPAM e-mails I get everyday. FWIW - if you ever get mail from YOUR Bank, EBay, PayPal, etc. and you feel the need to to verify that message - open a new window and go in your normal way (i.e., you may have your bank bookmarked, etc.). Once you are in - if you have a true alert - it will be present on that site. Personally, I hope their is a special place (not heaven) for Spammer's when they leave earth!

 

[clovis97]

I agree.

I never open these type of emails from ebay or Paypal. I take an extra minute to go to my ebay or paypal, and check the messages there.

I used to forward these phishing emails to spoof@ebay, just to be certain that ebay and paypal are on to the game.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

A little off subject maybe but craiglist is full of scams. When I was looking for a camper I was shocked to find approx 50% of the for sale ads without phone numbers were outright scams and many have their origins in Nigeria or Eastern Europe. Many of these scams have US addresses and request that you use eBays system or PayPal for safety. Of course they direct you to a false eBay or PayPal site. Its horrific. One of the false eBay sites was shockingly impressive.

 

[Coldshuz]

Something I did about 10 years ago, was obtain my own URL (website address). Now, I don't have to have a website (I do, but it's for development only as I am a programmer) to control the URL, but I set mine up with a provider, (like a GoDaddy.com, not the one I used). I researched and found that for $8 a year, I get basically unlimited email addresses. I set up emails for my immediate family using their choice(s) for what it was called. After I did that, I also set up accounts for particular uses. i.e. My wife is a coupon hound. She has one [email protected]. I have one called [email protected]. I do have one for paypal and one for ebay. Depending on what I'm doing, when an email address is requested, I use the appropiate one for the purpose. I even have one called [email protected]. I use Outlook 2010 for my email and it seperates things for me automatically by TO: address. In older versions, I had to set up rules to seperate the incoming mail, but the newer version makes it much much easier to spot crap mail this way as well. For $8 a year, it's a very worthwhile for me.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

All good info, everyone! Hey, many of us here may know better, we never know if/when a newbie may be reading, or someone who is young, or just don't know is reading, maybe this info and thread will help someone.

I find my spam mail hilarious! Ya'll have no idea how actually filthy rich I am! I just need to go to Nigeria and hook up with some very prominent bankers, represenatives, and other very important folks to get my brazillions! YAY! And, a bunch of ppl somewhere are holding packages for me, how kind of them. I also have problems with purchases I never made, that need to be verified. LOL!

There's also every major bank in the country, that I have no account with, needs me to update my account with them. Someone thinks I need to enlarge my *****, lose 30 pounds in 30 days, and wants to teach me how to get women to f _ _ _ me (and they are very graphic about it!)! LOL! I think someone needs to learn , oh, can you say, d e m o g r a p h I c s or targeting your market.

Guess the shotgun blasts approach hits something, every now and then. Like slinging it up on the wall, something's bound to stick.
Stay alert everyone!

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

If they werent making money, they wouldnt be doing it. I believe they make a lot of money. Some victims are too embarrassed to report it. These countries like Nigeria actually set up schools to teach others. Some Nigerians take this up as their lifes profession. Some of the newer scams are very good and they are learning from their mistakes and teaching others. Many fall victim to the newest viruses asking for money to remove the virus. They will remove it temporarily asking for more money later and sometimes they get it! If one victim out of a thousand pays, they are profiting.

 

[BosnMate]

A little off subject maybe but craiglist is full of scams. When I was looking for a camper I was shocked to find approx 50% of the for sale ads without phone numbers were outright scams and many have their origins in Nigeria or Eastern Europe. Many of these scams have US addresses and request that you use eBays system or PayPal for safety. Of course they direct you to a false eBay or PayPal site. Its horrific. One of the false eBay sites was shockingly impressive.

Speaking of scams on Craiglist, I'm in the American Legion and am involved with helping veterans locally through our post. Just recently a newly retired Sgt. was separated from the army while stationed in Texas. She wanted to move to Oregon, and through Craiglist rented a house, payed first and last and deposit etc. She arrived in town with her son, expecting a furnished house, and the renter that she was to get the key from didn't exist and furthermore the house didn't exist, the entire thing was bogus. I know, because I was one of several people involved in helping her find an apartment, she was between a rock and a hard place on that one, having spent her money for the move and the rent on the bogus house. The people that do those sort of things are the lowest sort of scum, they don't even float to the surface, they just sink in their stinking muck.