Paypal scam??

[matriarch]

I've been going through my yahoo bulk folder, where all the yukky spam is sent automatically (occasionally a genuine one slips through), and came across this one from PayPal.



PayPal is constantly working to ensure security by regularly screening the accounts in our system. We recently reviewed your account, and we need more information to help us provide you with secure service. Until we can collect this information, your access to sensitive account features will be limited or terminated. We would like to restore your access as soon as possible, and we apologize for the inconvenience.
Why is my account access limited?

Your account access has been limited for the following reason's:

# Apr. 05, 2006: We have reason to believe that your account was accessed by a third party. Because protecting the security of your account is our primary concern, we have limited access to sensitive PayPal account features. We understand that this may be an inconvenience but please understand that this temporary limitation is for your protection.

There then followed a link to re-activate my paypal access by removing the limitations.

Am I right in assuming this is yet another organisation being hijacked? Like all those stupid mails purporting to be from banks, wanting me to verify my details??

The best part? I don't have a paypal account.

 

[BlackShanglan]

The best part? I don't have a paypal account.

*laugh*

Nice one. I got a similar warning from my bank the other day. And Chase Manhattan. And several others. I might have been less skeptical if they had not all arrived with 24 hours of each other and were not all identical except for the bank name.

 

[matriarch]

*laugh*

Nice one. I got a similar warning from my bank the other day. And Chase Manhattan. And several others. I might have been less skeptical if they had not all arrived with 24 hours of each other and were not all identical except for the bank name.

It really is very clever though. I went onto Paypal's real web page, and they do have a section about them limiting access to your account, and links to find out why. So someone with an account, checking on Paypal's site could easily be fooled into giving away their information. Devious bastards.

 

[kromen]

I love getting phished. Got one from somebody claming to be from AOL, wanting to verify my checking account. I replied, telling them that I pay for my ISP through a sexual bartering system and would be so glad to "fulfill my balance" if they sent somebody by after three. I wonder why nobody came yet?

 

[scheherazade_79]

I usually write back to the fuckers, pretending to be a member of CID...

 

[oggbashan]

Unfortunately several hundred people a day in the UK fall for these phishing ploys.

In the next town, a dozen people in one day had their credit cards ripped off. A temporary 'manager' in a gas station had installed a second swipe machine that recorded the card details and then 'didn't work' so he scanned it again through the real one. The customer's pin number was recorded on the station's security camera that had been moved so that it watched the key depressions.

The temporary manager had been sent by the Area Office to cover sickness. The real temporary manager had been diverted by a fake telephone call, kidnapped and held for 24 hours while a substitute took his place to operate the scam. The bank card and credit card accounts were emptied within the 24 hours from locations as far away as New York and Bangkok. Some of the customers were unaware until they got their monthly statements. The amounts stolen ranged from a few hundreds to tens of thousands of pounds.

The Police are investigating. There must have been some inside assistance because the 'manager' was fully aware of the gas station's procedures and other part-time staff had no suspicion that he wasn't genuine.

Og

 

[Aurora Black]

Oh, great. This stuff would happen just as I finally decide to start an account of my own.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

I've been going through my yahoo bulk folder, where all the yukky spam is sent automatically (occasionally a genuine one slips through), and came across this one from PayPal.



PayPal is constantly working to ensure security by regularly screening the accounts in our system. We recently reviewed your account, and we need more information to help us provide you with secure service. Until we can collect this information, your access to sensitive account features will be limited or terminated. We would like to restore your access as soon as possible, and we apologize for the inconvenience.
Why is my account access limited?

Your account access has been limited for the following reason's:

# Apr. 05, 2006: We have reason to believe that your account was accessed by a third party. Because protecting the security of your account is our primary concern, we have limited access to sensitive PayPal account features. We understand that this may be an inconvenience but please understand that this temporary limitation is for your protection.

There then followed a link to re-activate my paypal access by removing the limitations.

Am I right in assuming this is yet another organisation being hijacked? Like all those stupid mails purporting to be from banks, wanting me to verify my details??

The best part? I don't have a paypal account.

Scam, I get a couple of these evry month from banks I don't even have accounts with. If you check the link closely it points you to an IP address with a subdirectory of the bank name. Very obvious if you keep an eye out.

 

[neonlyte]

I thought this was something to do with the Vatican... my mistake.

 

[Guest]

Unfortunately several hundred people a day in the UK fall for these phishing ploys.

In the next town, a dozen people in one day had their credit cards ripped off. A temporary 'manager' in a gas station had installed a second swipe machine that recorded the card details and then 'didn't work' so he scanned it again through the real one. The customer's pin number was recorded on the station's security camera that had been moved so that it watched the key depressions.

The temporary manager had been sent by the Area Office to cover sickness. The real temporary manager had been diverted by a fake telephone call, kidnapped and held for 24 hours while a substitute took his place to operate the scam. The bank card and credit card accounts were emptied within the 24 hours from locations as far away as New York and Bangkok. Some of the customers were unaware until they got their monthly statements. The amounts stolen ranged from a few hundreds to tens of thousands of pounds.

The Police are investigating. There must have been some inside assistance because the 'manager' was fully aware of the gas station's procedures and other part-time staff had no suspicion that he wasn't genuine.

Og

Og, that's just sickening to hear! Now I'm thinking of every time I've been somewhere that the counter scanner didn't work and the card had to be scanned through the register...

I suppose the better hope is that the criminals pulling this scheme squabble amongst themselves over the money, one gets pissed and then reveals the whole thing to the police as an act of revenge. Or they get caught up in someone else pulling the same thing and get ripped off...

 

[Guest]

The Paypal one is scary.

I do have an account and I've received notices twice from the fake company and they look almost identical to the real paypal. The first was generic about checking account status, the second was referencing an order for hundreds of dollars of sound equipment and if I didn't click the link it would be shipped to me. Sneaky.

Identical down to the font, the color, etc. It looks very authentic - like the real paypal.

I immediately knew it wasn't correct, however, because it went to my yahoo account. Nothing goes to my yahoo account anymore, except for a few older forums from which I should probably remove my membership.

Sneaky but stupid. I turned them in to the real paypal to let them deal with it.

BUT this phishing probably works well. Many, many people must be taken in by this and wind up getting their accounts emptied.

 

[BlackShanglan]

The Paypal one is scary.

I do have an account and I've received notices twice from the fake company and they look almost identical to the real paypal. The first was generic about checking account status, the second was referencing an order for hundreds of dollars of sound equipment and if I didn't click the link it would be shipped to me. Sneaky.

Identical down to the font, the color, etc. It looks very authentic - like the real paypal.

Yes, they're getting very sophisticated. The other day I had a really well-thought-out one. It had all of the details, as you note - and it didn't ask for anything up front. Instead, it told me that someone had requested to change to the email address associated with my Paypal account, and asked me to login and check if I had not requested that change. Damn, that's a good one. I couldn't really rest easy until I had opened a seperate browser window and gone to the real Paypal site to verify.

Shanglan

 

[Guest]

Yes, they're getting very sophisticated. The other day I had a really well-thought-out one. It had all of the details, as you note - and it didn't ask for anything up front. Instead, it told me that someone had requested to change to the email address associated with my Paypal account, and asked me to login and check if I had not requested that change. Damn, that's a good one. I couldn't really rest easy until I had opened a seperate browser window and gone to the real Paypal site to verify.

Shanglan

Yes.

And the real Paypal folks suggest changing passwords. I would think as long as people go through the proper links to their accounts they should be ok.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

It really is very clever though. I went onto Paypal's real web page, and they do have a section about them limiting access to your account, and links to find out why. So someone with an account, checking on Paypal's site could easily be fooled into giving away their information. Devious bastards.

Thanks for the warning!

 

[Aurora Black]

Something smells phishy...

Not sure if this helps, but I mentioned the scam to my Internet savvy BF and he said that if the e-mail begins with your real name, it's the real thing. If it starts with "Dear Customer," toss it.

 

[R. Richard]

I presume I got the PayPal scam message. I don't have a PayPal account and I just deleted the spam.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Never Ever access your PayPal account through a link anyone sends you in email. If you do, you'll probably notice some weird URL up in the address bar, which means you've been sent to a phishing site that's going to steal your info.

If you have to check your PayPal account for any reason, log into it through your usual procedure in a separate window - the link you know leads to PayPal and not some dummy phishing outfit in Minsk or Byelorusse.

If there's anything that has to be done to your PayPal account, you'll see it on the bona fide PayPal homepage.

This is also true of just about any secure site. They warn you to only login through your usual secure link.

 

[kendo1]

So what is the Pope up to now?