PAYPAL, Email and Phone Scams - your experiences

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PAYPAL, Email and Phone Scams - your experiences

(25 posts) (14 voices)

Started 13 years ago by Whiterabbit-uk
Latest reply from Anonymous

Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru

I'm sure you are all fully aware of the scams that we receive possibly on a daily basis in your Email accounts, depending upon how free you've been with your Emails. I have several accounts; each one used for different purposes such as family and close friends only, or for signing up to various websites that I consider safe etc etc. Anyway, I received the Email in the Emails that I use for my PAYPAL account. It stated that my account had been put on a limited use footing until I confirmed specific details such as password, name, bank account numbers, all of which should immediately set alarm bells ringing. PAYPAL never ask for such details.

They basically said that there had been suspicious activity on my account, implying that a third party had tried to use my PAYPAL account.

The title of the Email will read something along the following lines:

Status: Limited Account

Also you may see that the email source is not PayPal, well, at least if you follow the process through to the next stage (which I did to see what they were asking for). The web page that opened up when I clicked on either of the links that said:

Use the following link to restore your account

and

LINK REMOVED

showed up as LINK REMOVED which is certainly not PayPal.

It may be that I've visited a particular site that has passed on my Emails, though I am careful about where I browse. then again some of the sites I've visited over the last several months looking for more free games for the free games project have not been what I'd say sparkly clean. Though that does not explain how they got a hold of my PayPal Email. The only time I use that email is when I’m purchasing Steam games, humble bundles, Amazon or earlier this year when I went mad bidding on loads of stamps which were all paid using my PAYPAL account. Tht could be the only source.

One of the first indicators I find that says something is amiss about a site is when you see suggestive images, usually of naked women (nothing wrong with that as such, but who wants it rammed down their throats like it's done on such sites. Anyway, I will always shut down such sites (even though I am a male, lol). Also ones with excessive advertising, especially for miracle cleaners and promises of making your computer work like never before. Lol.

I hope no one gets such Emails, but if they do would you leave a note here as I’d be interested in how widespread this is. It may warrant a message to PayPal who can then warn users about the threat.

Posted 13 years ago #
Terri218
Member

This is not limited to PayPal. I got the same "warning" e-mail saying that there had been suspicious activity on one of my bank accounts, implying that a third party had tried to use my bank account and asking for a lot of confirmation information. Needless to say I deleted it immediately. I think they randomly send these out using various bank or credit card names hoping that a gullible person will have an account with that particular institution and fall for the scheme.

Posted 13 years ago #
ChrisS
Administrator

You got conned by one of the oldest scams on the Internet. You know better than to click a link in an unsolicited email but you did it anyway because the con is to make you think that your account had been compromised. Until you clicked the link the scammers didn't know that the email address they bought, stole or made-up was either active or had a PayPal account associated with it, but now they probably do. The link you clicked probably sent the email address associated with it to the scammers when it connected.

I get 2-3 of those emails a month. I don't worry about them, I don't fret about where they got the information because I don't have a PayPal account. I'm willing to bet that you get the same scam emails on your other accounts but you don't fret either because you don't use those accounts for PayPal so you immediately recognize them as the scam that they are. This time the potential thieves got lucky, they found a live account. Because you clicked the link expect to get emails telling you that your system is at risk, click the link to remove spyware. Do it NOW!! But first, disable your firewall and suspend your anti-virus software because you have a "severe" spyware problem. Click the link NOW!!

You should discontinue using that email address and update your PayPal account information. You should also run full system virus, spyware and malware scans just in case the bogus site tried to infect your system. And remember, always initiate the connections to your financial sites through your web browser.

Posted 13 years ago #
copmom
Member

Whenever you get something suspicious, forward it to spoof@paypal.com then delete it. They will either respond back to you letting you know if it is
real or fake and investigate it. The more we can do to stop these fraudulent activities, the better!

Posted 13 years ago #
needforspeed
Member

Also, if you use some of the popular webmails like Hotmail, use their Report Phishing Attempts (or spam/scam) function on such emails. If enough people report a particular scam, companies with huge capital (e.g. Microsoft) would start investigating the source. I believe one source was shutdown by MS earlier this year, which reportedly resulted in 1/3 less spam email traffic worldwide.

So in short, if your mail provider offers it, use it as much as you can.

Posted 13 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

Claims Dept.Tele2.nl/Microsoft Corporation OFFICIAL WINNING NOTIFICATION.(no it not)
services@paypal.co.nz from ms1.gsn.gov.tw ([210.69.1.33]) not it goes to TW not NZ
check with how to read headers on email at one of Anti-Spam

Posted 13 years ago #
Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru

Hi Chris, no I didn't get conned. I knew right away what it was. I just wanted to see what the next stage was to confirm that it was ideed a con so that i could post this warning here.

The logo and virtually everything about the post looked genuine but it was immediately suspicious because I know that PayPal doesn't send emails out like that.

I also usually report these scams

Posted 13 years ago #
aswegohomestead
Member

I have received maybe two such emails in the past few years. I never click anything, better to just log on to PayPal and check the account. If its been limited or there is a problem you will be directed to the security center. I also fwd the suspect email to spam@paypal.com for them to check out. If you account is normal looking, balance correct and no limitations indicated that all you really need to do. Man you are brave clicking the link in the email.

Posted 13 years ago #
Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru

yes I suppose it was rather stupid. I was thinking while I was clicking it ';this is stupid', but I was curious to see........

(please no commentsd about how curiosity killed the ........ )

Posted 13 years ago #
mindnova
Member

I've received the same message over the years, of course with so many companies either accidentally dumping all their customer info. into the public access or being hacked I figured thats where they got it. Funny thing is I don't use pay-pal. Most are just shotgun blasts into the dark hoping to hit something.
Even emails I am pretty sure come from actual companies I still don't use the in-closed links but open a new tab and go to the site separately.

Posted 13 years ago #
BuBBy
Teh adnim

Over the past few years, users have told me how they get a phone call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft - telling them that there are some problems with their PC and that they should connect to the internet and go to a website (specified by the caller) so the problem can be "fixed".

My suggestion to these users is when they are told by the caller that they have detected there is a problem with their computer - they should respond, "How on earth did you know? Ever since the fire, we disconnected the computer and it is sitting in a large box in our garden shed." Then go into a detailed explanation about how hard it would be to get the computer out again, because the Christmas tree is in front of it - not to mention the kids bikes they used to ride on before they left home, now they have moved away the house is so much quieter now, but we still like to go down to the bowls club for dinner on Tuesday night because they have a lovely roast carvery, and the band is quite good. Do you like music. I do, especially polka music, it really makes me want to dance.... and so on.

They probably won't call back. ;)

Posted 13 years ago #
copmom
Member

Or another way to treat callers like that is simply say 'hold on', and then walk away from the phone and go about your business!

Posted 13 years ago #
Inas
Member

or one could also hang up (especially if they're highly annoying) - this always works for me.

Posted 13 years ago #
Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru

Lol, BuBBY - I've had similar calls, all of the calls appear to originate from either India or Indonesia (judging by the accents and the quality of the call {I get better quality on Skype and Team Speak}). I always tell them that I work as a systems engineer so go away. They are persistent though as I've had three calls on the same day recently.

onto a slightly different theme. A friend of mine used to really hate getting junk mail through the letter box. If the mail had a return address he'd send a brick, wrapped up to look like a parcel usually with a COD note on the front so that the post office would take it, or sometimes wrap something disgusting and post it without a stamp so that the recipient would have to pay a double charge. It never stopped him getting the junk, but he said it always made him feel better just the though that the recipient would have to pay a large fee for some rubbish.

Posted 13 years ago #
mindnova
Member

I guess I should be ashamed of myself, but one day I was having a bad day and one called for lowering my interest rate with the lead in that they urgently needed to contact me about my credit account. It was the usual person working from home and placing cold calls.
They messed up and did not block scramble their number. I asked to be put on the do not call list and there was a snicker and hang up.
I back traced the number on google, used google maps in street view and called back. I asked if i was now on the do not call list and they hung up. I waited block my number and called back and told them there was someone standing in their yard next to the trellis on the porch. They looked out and said they saw nothing, I then indicated I could clearly see them through google street view. I got quite a cussing and I laughed so hard I got a headache.

Posted 13 years ago #
Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru

I find many of these cold callers very rude. Especially those that realize they are not getting anywhere with me or my wife. Instead of apologising for wasting my time they just hang up without a word of apology. I find that more annoying than the actual call.

Posted 13 years ago #
goodgotd
Member

I set the wife up [she only has one contact] through spamgourmet.com and my tertiary email account (I have 5, 4 active)when she wanted email access. my primary and secondary emails I use local filtering and check/prune that folder about once a month. halfway through the cycle, I have 644 in there.

I've lost track of how many spam variants have slipped past to give me a laugh before deleting.

Phone spam is pretty much stifled for now since they are phasing in a new area code and you have to dial it for local calls and the rules for dialing a "1" first are downright byzantine...

Posted 13 years ago #
graylox
Moderator

LOL - it seems BuBBy will never run out of ideas...

It returned to mind that we had this topic before, at last I found it and could ROFL again about all the fun the spammers and telemarketers bring in our daily grind:

Blasted Telemarketers!
I'm Going To Be A Millionaire!!

Have fun!

graylox

Posted 13 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

How To Deal With Spam

Never Reply

One thing that users should never, ever do is to respond in any way to a spam
message. Replying to the message, or replying to any address that might be listed
within the message for being removed from the mailing list, simply tells the
spammer that the address used is live and active. The result - a lot more spam, both
from the original spammer and from anyone to whom he sells the list.

Posted 13 years ago #
mikiem2
Moderator

It may be that I've visited a particular site that has passed on my Emails, though I am careful about where I browse. then again some of the sites I've visited over the last several months looking for more free games for the free games project have not been what I'd say sparkly clean. Though that does not explain how they got a hold of my PayPal Email.

Your PayPal email address is your identifier AFAIK, passed to sites & I assume banks etc. involved in whatever transactions. That level of info is I think [& hope] stored separately from actual account numbers etc. Lately several sites/systems have been hacked, exposing names & the email addresses that go with them, & that data's gobbled up by spammers, but again AFAIK, that's all they got. If they had your actual bank account data they wouldn't have to go phishing, so in a twisted way I suppose getting that spam is good news. :-)

Everyone of course still needs to stay on top of their bank account(s) activity -- reportedly auctions of batches [with thousands to millions!] of stolen credit/debit card numbers, complete with pins etc. are fairly common. Credit card numbers/pins have actually reached commodity status.

Posted 13 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

I actually had my PayPal account hacked a couple of months ago. I was on the way to work one morning around 6:30 and got an email saying I had paid someone $230 from my PayPal account. I initially dismissed it as a bogus email, but when I checked my account there had been an actual transaction that I had not authorized. I immediately contacted PayPal and let them know it was an unauthorized transaction. They investigated it and let me know that it was indeed an unauthorized transfer. First time I have ever had anything like this happen. It was somewhat disconcerting. I got my money refunded in about 5 days. I have since changed passwords on some of my other accounts. I actually called PayPal and asked them if they had any info about the transaction. They said it had originated at a university in Kentucky. (I live in North Carolina)

Posted 13 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

I don't have Paypal but still get Email say paypal services@paypal.co.nz from ms1.gsn.gov.tw (TW is not in New Zealand is NZ) TW is Taiwan

Posted 13 years ago #
Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru

Hi rta, that is definitely disconcerting. Icheck the account I use for servicing my PayPal account frequently. so far no problems, but it is scary after hearing of all the big game companys that have been hacked of late.

Posted 13 years ago #
mikiem2
Moderator

"... but it is scary after hearing of all the big game companys that have been hacked of late."

I'm NOT posting in support of them, but one of the stated goals of lulzsec -- the hacking group that was all over the news for a while -- was to raise public awareness of just how much hacking was going on that you never did hear about. In the US companies have to report it & notify customers when someone steals their personal info, but many companies prefer to keep it quiet otherwise, e.g. when someone steals money from your bank they don't want people thinking they're not secure. IMHO what you don't hear about is the scariest.

It simply makes sense for black hats to avoid attention, so they can continue to exploit compromised systems & networks. Every so often you hear about a company reporting it's just found out that it's been hacked, but they're very uncertain about when their systems were 1st breached -- it works the same way on your own laptops/PCs... I was reading about TDL4 [securelist.com/en/analysis/204792180/TDL4_Top_Bot] after reading chazzo125's thread, & it says: "in just the first three months of 2011 alone, TDL-4 infected 4,524,488 computers around the world.". It even includes its own anti-virus built in, so you won't know your system's infected because of some lesser malware!

FWIW, we've had credit/debit card info stolen a couple of times -- the 1st thing I do is check to see if there are any breaches reported on-line... If you're not alone, so-be-it, but if you don't find that some database was hacked, Check Your Systems thoroughly. One of the times our info was stolen it was a better known on-line retailer that was hacked. Since then I try to not keep accounts at retail sites, try to avoid having them save credit info, go back later & change to bogus numbers when I can't avoid it, & use PayPal whenever possible, thinking it would be easier for the bank to track & block a single source rather than however many retailers, plus that keeps our credit info in fewer databases.

Posted 13 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

http://blog.urlvoid.com/phishing-your-paypal-account-will-be-limited/

http://www.urlvoid.com/ good to check URL's safe or not check 23 at a time

Posted 13 years ago #

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