A Friend is receiving emails from PayPal but doesn't actually use or have a PayPal Account.

trezeme
Contributor
Contributor

This issue is about the experience of a friend and has nothing to do with my own account.

 

I am writing about this issue on behalf of a friend who incidentally does NOT have a PayPal account and they do not use PayPal.

So the issue is my friend is currently receiving emails from sxxxxx@paypal.com informing them that people are sending money to their account. The mail shows the senders bank account and sort code and name and address. My friend contacted PayPal only to be told that someone must be using their email address incorrectly. But surely this isn't possible as I am positive if that were to be the case my friend would have had an email confirmation asking to verify the account creation which they didn't.

 

So what is the best way to get these emails stopped to my friends email address as the emails look like they are indeed coming from PayPal and more importantly the emails are containing personal address and bank account details of the person that is apparently sending money.

 

How can this happen to someone that has no paypal account?

 

My friend has already contacted PayPal about this but she has had no reply back from them, any ideas?

 

I just don't understand how my friend can be receiving emails about paypal payments when they don't have an account!

 

I will end this post by saying that this issue does not affect my own PayPal account.

 

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4 REPLIES 4

kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@trezeme

 

Sounds as if they are 'spoof' emails made to look as if they are coming from paypal.

Paypal would NEVER send bank account information via an email, if there was a problem with a bank account etc they would tell them to log in normally and go to the resolution centre to sort out any issues.

 

I expect the emails have a link or attachment to 'cancel' a transaction or 'update' information? If so that is where the sting is, if you clicked on those then you would have a paypal account hijacked etc.

 

But the sender of the emails does not know that your friend does not own a paypal account, they just send these spoofs out in their hundreds to random email addresses.

 

eg I have had spoofs saying my bank account with nat west or lloyds or barclays etc is under threat and they need me to click a link to 'verify' my info, .............except i don't have an account with any of them.


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trezeme
Contributor
Contributor

@kernowlass wrote:

@trezeme

 

Sounds as if they are 'spoof' emails made to look as if they are coming from paypal.

Paypal would NEVER send bank account information via an email, if there was a problem with a bank account etc they would tell them to log in normally and go to the resolution centre to sort out any issues.

 

I expect the emails have a link or attachment to 'cancel' a transaction or 'update' information? If so that is where the sting is, if you clicked on those then you would have a paypal account hijacked etc.

 

But the sender of the emails does not know that your friend does not own a paypal account, they just send these spoofs out in their hundreds to random email addresses.

 

eg I have had spoofs saying my bank account with nat west or lloyds or barclays etc is under threat and they need me to click a link to 'verify' my info, .............except i don't have an account with any of them.


@kernowlass

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

My friend has sent off these emails to the spoof dept at PayPal but is still receiving these spoof emails, will they eventually stop?

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sidemouse
Contributor
Contributor

It would probably be best to build a filter for these emails and have said filter send these emails straight to the trash can.

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trezeme
Contributor
Contributor

@sidemouse

 

I agree, I did try telling them weeks ago but it hasn't been done yet, will make sure it is done tonight, and because the friend doesn't have a paypal account then this shouldn't be a problem sending all these emails from that address to the bin.

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