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magpens

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Got an email ..... allegedly from PayPal.
But I have my suspicions about its origin.

The headline is : " Yoᅟur PaᅟyPᅟal accᅟouᅟnt has beᅟen ᅟtemporaᅟriᅟly resᅟtrᅟictᅟed "

Reason given is that there has been some "suspicious activity" observed on the linked credit card.
I am not aware of any such "suspicious activity" and I use that credit card and check its balance regularly.

I am being asked to login to my PP account and perform the requested tasks. . I am loathe to do that.

For now, I will ignore .... but .... I don't want to lose my PP account either.

The email makes reference to a previous warning having been sent to me.
I vaguely remember such a warning. . I ignored it.
And I vaguely remember that, at that time, I posted on IAP a similar thread to this one ... but cannot find it now.

Anybody got any clue as to what might be happening ?

Also, are there any services similar to PayPal that I could possibly adopt as an alternative to PayPal ?

Would appreciate any comments/suggestions. . Thanks.
 
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rixstix

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Whatever you do, don't click any link in the email. It's phishing for your login credentials hoping you are one of those who use the same password with the same email everywhere.

Manually go to paypal.com & log in if you feel the need.

Forward the entire email to spoof (at) PayPal.com

There is no alternative that is more secure & accepted as well as PP
 

magpens

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So far, I'm grateful to Rick and John for replies. . I'll forward the email to PayPal. . I will not click on any links in the email. . Looking for the 1-800 #
My thread is partially intended to alert others of possible scams . . I hope it, plus the replies, can help others who might become targets .

I certainly welcome further replies to this thread.
 

rixstix

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Mal,
Log in to your PP account and then, buried in the contact us links in the page footer will lead to an 800 number. By being logged in, you will receive a code to enter after dialing the number & your call will be answered more quickly. I've never been on hold over a minute.
 

magpens

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@jttheclockman

The thread that you sent me the link to is titled "Scammer Warning" and it was started by our site Administrator. .
You have 4 posts in that thread . . In the fourth post you gave a 1-888 number. . Is that what you are referring to ? ... So it's 1-888 and not 1-800 ???
Sorry for having to ask ....
My eyes are not just the best anymore and I'm not quite sure I am getting the correct info.
There could be a phone number in Jeff's opening post, but there is a pop-up which quickly obscures that.

Anyway, I can easily try the 1-888 number and see what happens.

Thank you.
 

Jans husband

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Doncaster England
Just had a message from Hermes, saying my parcel could not be delivered today, and so could I open the link they gave to pay the "redelivery charge"

SCAM

There is a similar scam running in GB supposedly fro Royal Mail
 

Fuzzy63

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Messages
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Location
Montpelier, Indiana
Scam, Don't open through the E-Mail link. I have gotten three or four of them also. There is nothing wrong with your Pay Pal account. Open your account through your Pay Pal link.
 

darrin1200

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I never go to financial institution through an email. I always log-in myself, outside the mail program, to check out the emails claim. If it turns out to be a fake, I forward it to the institution involved. They usually have a fraud department.
 

leehljp

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Tunica, Mississippi,
Scams target our emotions more than our logic. When we lived overseas, my wife rarely used her credit card, but in one month with 4 family members with birthdays, she ordered things for each (USA orders and deliveries). Then within a week she got an email that said "Recent activity indicates that your card may be compromised. You card has not been used much until recently. Please click this link now or call . . . "

She was frightened. I told her it was a scam and purely coincidental. She could not believe that - as it described her situation. She argued that it had to be real. I told her, Well, if you won't believe me, call RH, our tech manager for East Asia and ask him. She did and she had a hard time believing him too, but she relented.

As to emails, some email clients/apps allow you to click on the senders name of the email, and it will reveal a different email address than is the one you actually see in the inBox. For instance, "PayPal" will be the sender to you - that is what appears in your email app, but when the "PayPal" name is clicked on, it suddenly changes to "xyzgotcha@sendmeyourID" - then you know it is a scam/phishing.
 

monophoto

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The fake PayPal e-mail that Mal received is a well-known fraud. I get it several times a year.

To Hank's point - most responsible credit card companies do monitor spending patterns, and will alert users if they see a pattern of spending that appears to be irregular. I've had a credit card company reach out to me to verify that charges that wife and I accumulated during a week-long vacation in Massachusetts were legitimate (we live next door in New York and go to Massachusetts for a couple of weeks every year). I'm glad they do that.

But they don't use e-mail for that purpose. Instead, someone calls on the phone. Of course, that raises another concern - in our case, most incoming phone calls are spam, but at least when you get someone on the phone, it rather quickly becomes evident whether they are legitimate or phishing. A legitimate caller from a credit card company doesn't need to ask for your password because they will already have access to your account.

Also, most responsible credit card companies offer you the opportunity to notify them in advance of travel or some other irregularity in your normal spending pattern (such as an abnormally large purchase). Frankly, I think this should be a mandatory requirement for all credit card companies. Our son had a credit card blocked while traveling overseas because the credit card company saw what they thought was an abnormal spending pattern. He was able to resolve the problem with a single phone call, but its not always easy to make that call.

My general rules are:
1. Always notify the credit card company before traveling for more than a day or two or before making any abnormally large purchase.
2. Always carry at least two credit cards issued by different banks just in case one gets blocked for some reason and it's not convenient to call to resolve the matter. If you experience an actual case where a credit card is compromised (that eventually happens to everyone and its a PITA to resolve), it can take up to a week to get a new card, and if you are traveling, a week is a long time to wait. And to be really careful, keep the backup card in a completely different place from the primary card.
3. My wife and I share one credit card account, but we each have a different backup account. That way, if we are traveling and one of us loses a card, we aren't left with no means to pay for food, lodging, etc. It hasn't actually happened, but at least we have identified the risk and prepared for it (what can I say - I'm an engineer!)
4. I get several e-mails each day from organizations asking me to 'verify' account information. They all go directly into a trash folder which gets emptied regularly. Never click on any email of that kind, and never open any associated attachments. No legitimate business will ever reach out by e-mail asking for confidential information - so if you get an e-mail requesting confidential information, assume its a fraud.
 
Last edited:

penicillin

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Mal -

Everyone above is giving you good advice. Allow me to repeat the most important lessons above:
  • Whenever you go to a financial website or a website where money is involved (e.g., PayPal), start with an empty browser window and manually type the name in the browser's address bar yourself.
  • If a password prompt appears any time you were not expecting it or you did not initiate the action yourself, STOP IMMEDIATELY and close the window. DO NOT ENTER THE PASSWORD. Go back and start over with an empty browser window. Manually enter the website name in the address bar yourself.
  • As a general rule, do NOT click on links in emails, especially ones related to banking, payments, invoices, shipping, etc.
 

Larryreitz

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Salem, CT USA
It can get even worse. This week I got a similar email from Amazon, supposedly. I did not open it but I did a google search for an Amazon customer service phone number and called it. It connected me to a hacker who seemed to be a very helpful Amazon representative. The SOB got into my bank account and caused me more grief than I have time to detail in this post. Fortunately I did not lose a lot of money and the $200 he charged to my account will be disputed by my bank. I did have to close the account down and open a new one and that has caused me more grief as you can imagine. Going forward I will never open any remotely suspicious email without referring back to this thread.

Just another benefit of being an IAP member and thanks Mal for initiating this conversation.
 

leehljp

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It can get even worse. This week I got a similar email from Amazon, supposedly. I did not open it but I did a google search for an Amazon customer service phone number and called it. It connected me to a hacker who seemed to be a very helpful Amazon representative. The SOB got into my bank account and caused me more grief than I have time to detail in this post. Fortunately I did not lose a lot of money and the $200 he charged to my account will be disputed by my bank. I did have to close the account down and open a new one and that has caused me more grief as you can imagine. Going forward I will never open any remotely suspicious email without referring back to this thread.

Just another benefit of being an IAP member and thanks Mal for initiating this conversation.
Yep, they do that too. I order fairly frequently through Amazon and have their customer service phone number in my contacts. I know it is them when I get an immediate phone message and response on my phone. I have the two step verification on, which I hate, but it is better than the alternative.

I got hacked twice within a month 3 years ago and then took up more secure measures, tough but easily forgettable passwords (I couldn't type them correctly if I wanted to) , and two step verifications.
 

Curly

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The crooks aren't just using email. I've had some come as a text message, I assume a random number generator sends them out. Deleted without opening the link. Today I got an automated call (East Indian voice) from "Credit Card Fraud department has detected unusual activity with an Amazon charge of $4xx.xx and PayPal of $3xx.xx. Press 1 to talk to a representative." I hung up instead. The rat bags are everywhere.
 

magpens

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Thanks, everybody !!! :) :) :)

You have all corroborated my gut feeling to take no action whatsoever on the message that " Yoᅟur PaᅟyPᅟal accᅟouᅟnt has beᅟen ᅟtemporaᅟriᅟly resᅟtrᅟictᅟed ".

It has to be a scam.

I wonder if there ever are legitimate reasons for a PaᅟyPᅟal accᅟouᅟnt to be ᅟ"temporaᅟriᅟly resᅟtrᅟictᅟed" due to "suspicious activity" on the linked credit card.
Seems to me, if that were the case, then the credit card issuer would be the first to contact me. . Is that not so ?
After all, the reason of "suspicious activity" on the linked credit card should be triggered by the other transactions unrelated to PayPal.
The issuer of the credit card would be the first to know. . PayPal is a secondary entity.

And on top of that, I have not even attempted to use PayPal for a considerable period of time so why would they become involved.

I would not think that PayPal would routinely monitor my credit card transactions that are unrelated to PayPal.

Oh, the joys of modern life in the INTERNATIONAL ONLINE COMMUNITY !!!

Take me back to my teens !!! . At that time, all I had to cope with was an inquiring look in the eye when I tried to pass a hand-written cheque (check) !!

Oh, and BTW, I notice on the very bottom of the email a "funny" reference in the ultra-fine print .....

"Copyright © 1999-2021 PaᅟyPal. Copyright is proteᅟct by law.
Conᅟsumer advice - As a holder of PᅟayPal's stoᅟred valᅟue facilᅟity, PayᅟPal Pte. Ltd. does not require ᅟapproval froᅟm the Monetᅟary Authᅟority of Sinᅟgapore. Userᅟs are advised to rᅟead the terᅟms and ᅟconditions carefully."

The reference to PayPal Pte. Ltd. looks extremely weird ..... as does the reference to the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

What the devil does Singapore have to do with it ?? ..... Pardon my ignorance and/or backwardness if such a connection could be legit .
Aren't these references a dead give-away that this is a scam ?
Also .....
It would seem that this scam attempt is being undertaken by rank amateurs !! . . Shouldn't the word "protect" actually be "protected" ???

It is good to be able to share experiences in this way. .
Thank you to all members of IAP who have replied and those who might still reply.
I hope this can be a help to others in strengthening our overall awareness.

THANKS AGAIN, everyone !! . . Take care !! . . Be vigilant !! :) :)
 

jttheclockman

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@jttheclockman

The thread that you sent me the link to is titled "Scammer Warning" and it was started by our site Administrator. .
You have 4 posts in that thread . . In the fourth post you gave a 1-888 number. . Is that what you are referring to ? ... So it's 1-888 and not 1-800 ???
Sorry for having to ask ....
My eyes are not just the best anymore and I'm not quite sure I am getting the correct info.
There could be a phone number in Jeff's opening post, but there is a pop-up which quickly obscures that.

Anyway, I can easily try the 1-888 number and see what happens.

Thank you.
That is it Mal. I should have said toll free. Use to be years ago 1-800 was the only toll free here.
 

monophoto

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I wonder if there ever are legitimate reasons for a PaᅟyPᅟal accᅟouᅟnt to be ᅟ"temporaᅟriᅟly resᅟtrᅟictᅟed" due to "suspicious activity" on the linked credit card.
Seems to me, if that were the case, then the credit card issuer would be the first to contact me. . Is that not so ?
After all, the reason of "suspicious activity" on the linked credit card should be triggered by the other transactions unrelated to PayPal.
The issuer of the credit card would be the first to know. . PayPal is a secondary entity.
Exactly - PayPal would only know about a problem with your credit card if there had been a PayPal transaction involving your credit card
"Copyright © 1999-2021 PaᅟyPal. Copyright is proteᅟct by law.
Conᅟsumer advice - As a holder of PᅟayPal's stoᅟred valᅟue facilᅟity, PayᅟPal Pte. Ltd. does not require ᅟapproval froᅟm the Monetᅟary Authᅟority of Sinᅟgapore. Userᅟs are advised to rᅟead the terᅟms and ᅟconditions carefully."

The reference to PayPal Pte. Ltd. looks extremely weird ..... as does the reference to the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

What the devil does Singapore have to do with it ?? ..... Pardon my ignorance and/or backwardness if such a connection could be legit .
Aren't these references a dead give-away that this is a scam ?

Just guessing, but perhaps the scammer was using a PayPal Singapore document as a 'go by' when he created the fake e-mail message. Don't assume that the scammer is very bright! Also, look for hints that English is not the sender's first language - for example, 'Copyright is protect by law" suggests either that the originator is sloppy or is not practiced with the English language.

But there is probably another tell - it should be possible to get at least the e-mail address of the sender. Most businesses own their own e-mail domains, so the sender's e-mail address should contain an abbreviated version of the name of the business. For example, e-mails from everyone's favorite tool store show the domain @harborfreight.com. But if the originating domain in the e-mail is something else, it's likely fraudulent. In particular, be aware of e-mails originating at generic domains such as @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, or @hotmail.com. I get a lot of bogus e-mails originating at the Charter Communications (Spectrum) Road Runner (rr.com) domain.
 

Mortalis

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Any time I receive an email that uses a variety of upper case and lower letters or unecessary spaces within its body or greeting I immediately log it as spam. No reputable institution would send an email that way. Also you should be using a credit card (or debit card) to associate PayPal (which is preferred) you can back track any suspicious happenings and be protected.
 

sbwertz

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Messages
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Phoenix, AZ
The fake PayPal e-mail that Mal received is a well-known fraud. I get it several times a year.

To Hank's point - most responsible credit card companies do monitor spending patterns, and will alert users if they see a pattern of spending that appears to be irregular. I've had a credit card company reach out to me to verify that charges that wife and I accumulated during a week-long vacation in Massachusetts were legitimate (we live next door in New York and go to Massachusetts for a couple of weeks every year). I'm glad they do that.

But they don't use e-mail for that purpose. Instead, someone calls on the phone. Of course, that raises another concern - in our case, most incoming phone calls are spam, but at least when you get someone on the phone, it rather quickly becomes evident whether they are legitimate or phishing. A legitimate caller from a credit card company doesn't need to ask for your password because they will already have access to your account.

Also, most responsible credit card companies offer you the opportunity to notify them in advance of travel or some other irregularity in your normal spending pattern (such as an abnormally large purchase). Frankly, I think this should be a mandatory requirement for all credit card companies. Our son had a credit card blocked while traveling overseas because the credit card company saw what they thought was an abnormal spending pattern. He was able to resolve the problem with a single phone call, but its not always easy to make that call.

My general rules are:
1. Always notify the credit card company before traveling for more than a day or two or before making any abnormally large purchase.
2. Always carry at least two credit cards issued by different banks just in case one gets blocked for some reason and it's not convenient to call to resolve the matter. If you experience an actual case where a credit card is compromised (that eventually happens to everyone and its a PITA to resolve), it can take up to a week to get a new card, and if you are traveling, a week is a long time to wait. And to be really careful, keep the backup card in a completely different place from the primary card.
3. My wife and I share one credit card account, but we each have a different backup account. That way, if we are traveling and one of us loses a card, we aren't left with no means to pay for food, lodging, etc. It hasn't actually happened, but at least we have identified the risk and prepared for it (what can I say - I'm an engineer!)
4. I get several e-mails each day from organizations asking me to 'verify' account information. They all go directly into a trash folder which gets emptied regularly. Never click on any email of that kind, and never open any associated attachments. No legitimate business will ever reach out by e-mail asking for confidential information - so if you get an e-mail requesting confidential information, assume its a fraud.
I got a call from my credit card company because there were suddenly several charges on my card from Florida, and I'm in AZ. Sure enough someone had got hold of my credit card number, maybe from a skimmer in a gas station when I was travelling. Fortunately I didn't have to pay for the charges, and my credit card company was on the ball and called me.
 

penicillin

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... and when you got that call, you didn't give them any information; nothing at all. Not your birthdate, credit card number, address, hat size, or anything else. Right? (... and you didn't call back any number they gave you in a recorded message either.)

-> Instead, you thanked them, hung up the phone, pulled the credit card from your wallet, and called the number on the back of the card. Yes?
 

leehljp

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On a good note: last month my computer died. I ordered another to be picked up within a couple of hours with a reputable company about 50 miles away and gave my credit card number. By the time I got to the company to pick up the new computer, I had received a call from the bank saying a charge had been made, and they asked if I had done it. I said yes. They released the hold and by the time I got inside, the computer was ready to go.

Security is a pain, but it is worth it.
 

magpens

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Security is a pain, but it is worth it.

@leehljp

Hank ...
The security you are talking about ..... is that the spontaneously invoked security you experienced with computer purchase at a store 50 miles away ?

The credit card company was "automatically" keeping a watchful eye open it seems. . Sounds like a coincidence that happened at the right time

Or are you saying it was an act of security that you somehow invoked by having paid an "insurance fee" on your card ?
You did say ... "it is worth it" ... possibly implying that you had paid a fee .

And when you say that "security is a pain" ... are you referring to the process of having to receive their phone call and confirm the purchase validity ?

I don't recall paying an explicit fee for such security checking, but maybe it is built into the transaction fee.
 

monophoto

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Mal

At least on the cards that I have, that kind of security is automatic and part of the standard service.

Just last week, I got an alert from the credit card company that a nearby garden center appeared to have triple charged my card. It turns out that my wife had used the card to buy a pot of pansies, then as she was leaving the store, she saw another pot that she liked better so she went back into the store to buy it also. And the next day she went back to buy a third pot. So she had three separate transactions all with the same dollar value (and we now have far more pansies than we need).

Credit card transactions are all handled by computers, and the one thing that computers do almost as well as arithmetic is looking for patterns. So most transaction scanning is done by computers; in my experience, the only time a person gets involved is if the computer detects a large abnormality and someone has to make a phone call to verify the purchase.
 

Mortalis

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Messages
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Location
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@leehljp

Hank ...
The security you are talking about ..... is that the spontaneously invoked security you experienced with computer purchase at a store 50 miles away ?

The credit card company was "automatically" keeping a watchful eye open it seems. . Sounds like a coincidence that happened at the right time

Or are you saying it was an act of security that you somehow invoked by having paid an "insurance fee" on your card ?
You did say ... "it is worth it" ... possibly implying that you had paid a fee .

And when you say that "security is a pain" ... are you referring to the process of having to receive their phone call and confirm the purchase validity ?

I don't recall paying an explicit fee for such security checking, but maybe it is built into the transaction fee.
This has nothing to do with PayPal though. I routinely receive emails from my card companies reporting activity when they are used regardless of the amount of the purchase. Any purchase made over $250 is put on hold until they hear from me either through an acknowledgement through response to an email that has all the specifics of the purchase or a phone call. I did nothing to elicit this activity it is standard practice.
 

leehljp

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@leehljp

Hank ...
The security you are talking about ..... is that the spontaneously invoked security you experienced with computer purchase at a store 50 miles away ?

The credit card company was "automatically" keeping a watchful eye open it seems. . Sounds like a coincidence that happened at the right time

Or are you saying it was an act of security that you somehow invoked by having paid an "insurance fee" on your card ?
You did say ... "it is worth it" ... possibly implying that you had paid a fee .

And when you say that "security is a pain" ... are you referring to the process of having to receive their phone call and confirm the purchase validity ?

I don't recall paying an explicit fee for such security checking, but maybe it is built into the transaction fee.
"Security is a pain" - I mean the whole of it - A. extra long passwords and different ones for everything, (this is a setting on mobile phones that if not turned on, I have to remember the PW. I recently turned it on (to remember). If I go into Home Depot and decide to use the HD account in the store, I need my PW. I could never remember it, so I had to have "remember PW" turned on etc.. B. Two step verification - most of the time - one part on the computer and one on the phone . . . meaning I have to have both physically in my presence to make some purchases - in a few cases. C. In larger transactions, phone call verifications from the bank/CC; D. Notification to CC or debit card company (on one specific banks cards) if I am traveling out of my normal range.

No, I don't pay extra on my cards for security. LOML and I got out of those deals years ago. Our security comes with doing business. Since we lived overseas and traveled back and forth between Asia and US, security was a part of our banking. We still maintain that even though we are permanently back in the States.

And as mentioned in other posts above, I get email notification of purchases.
 

sbwertz

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... and when you got that call, you didn't give them any information; nothing at all. Not your birthdate, credit card number, address, hat size, or anything else. Right? (... and you didn't call back any number they gave you in a recorded message either.)

-> Instead, you thanked them, hung up the phone, pulled the credit card from your wallet, and called the number on the back of the card. Yes?
They already had all my information. All they wanted to know was whether or not I had made the charges. I said no. I got a new card in the mail a few days later.
 

jttheclockman

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NJ, USA.
Credit cards get a feel of your purchasing habits after a period of time and if any out of the ordinary activity they usually call or email. That is how mine work.
 
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