Bizzaro Phishing Scam and Paypal doesn't seem to care

[somewhitechick]

My latest weirdness and subsequent strange followup:

Goth this email -- 

Hello  (my name)  
joe  e.  griffin  cancelled  the  following  auction  money  request:  

Seller:   (my name)  (my current email address) -- so i was the seller?
-----------------------------------  
Money  Request  Details  
-----------------------------------  
Seller's  User  ID:  (an old email address i used to use for ebay & paypal)
Amount:  $2.24  USD  
Shipping  &  Handling:  $4.00  USD  
Insurance:  $0.00  USD  
Total  Amount:  6.24  
----------------------------------------------------------------  
Item  Information  
-----------------------------------  
Item  #:  ##########  
ItemTitle  RESEARCH  ANYTHING  -  "FIND  IT  FAST"  GUIDE  BOOK  -- never sold this EVER.
Item  Quantity:   #  
Item  Unit  Value:   $2.24  USD  
Auction  User  ID:  (an old email address i used to use for ebay & paypal)
End  Date:  Aug.  ##,  2001  <----- NOTE the DATE is 2001
Item  Title:  RESEARCH  ANYTHING  -  "FIND  IT  FAST"  GUIDE  BOOK  

Here  is  a  message  from  joe  e.:  Hi.   PayPal  is  my  preferred  way,  however,  you  can  send  a  check  or  money order  as  well.   Please  email  me  your  address  and  I  will  get  your  package  ready  to  go.   Thanks  very  much  for  bidding.  
To  view  updated  details  of  this  auction  money  request,  click  on  the   
following  link  or  copy  and  paste  the  link  into  your  web  browser:  

https://www.paypal.com/us/cmd=_prp&id=.43djI-BGyaC9FY4p5E7FSMQfHkRafOEcu  
BTfg  

Sincerely,  
PayPal  

-------------------------------------------------------------

No, of course I didn't click the link. But I did send it to spoof@paypal.com

Paypal emailed me back from usps@paypal.com:

Dear (My name),

Hello my name is Randall, and I will be happy to assist you with your 
question regarding your transaction.
Please give us a call at Login, Click "Contact Us", Click "Customer Service Center" or toll free at 1-Login, Click "Contact Us", Click "Customer Service Center" 
so we can quickly get you the information you need.
4:00 AM PST to 10:00 PM PST Monday through Friday
6:00 AM PST to 8:00 PM PST Saturday and Sunday
Thank you for using PayPal for your online payment needs.

Sincerely,
Randall
PayPal Consumer Support
PayPal, an eBay Company

-------------------------------------------------------------

So...I called them. And what I find even more strange is that using those numbers, I'm not sure I was actually calling Paypal. They kept asking for the last four digits of my bank account. I didn't want to give that out. I called three different times. Finally got a woman (all operators sound as if they are overseas) who said, "Randall just wanted to assure you that everything is fine on your account." How did she know that a Randall emailed me? Isn't Paypal too big for her to know this simply by my name -- and that is all I gave them -- just my name. So am I being paranoid or is this some new scam? What the heck is going on? If those are legit Paypal numbers and operators, they actually sound like scammers. Paypal just change this. It's kind of nuts.

[surplusdealdude]

Yes, that's a wierd one, all right.

First of all, the email;

It does sound like a fake, since all of the information isn't correct.  Scammers use this type of confusing email to get prople to panic and use the "signin" link.

Second, the 1-Login number.

It is possible to have short phone numbers in the system now - we have them in Canada.  3-digit numbers to call someone - who knew?  Must be expensive as heck.  So I wouldn't necessarily be worried about that because the email did come from paypal.com.

Thirdly - the bank account number.

You could give these guys your entire bank account number and you'd still be safe - your bank account number is on the bottom of every one of your checks.  There are specific legal requirements on your bank to ensure that they are held liable any time they cash a check without your specific permission.  So that's not a problem, either.

Fourth - Randall.

I worked at a call center - these systems carry notes from everybody that worked on your account for "quality assurance purposes".  Likely, "Randall" is just a screen name anyway, but it would be the name that popped up on their screen when they answered your call.

Again, not a problem.

What I DO find wierd is that they didn't just email you their determination - I think you should call them using the numbers below, which are the same numbers that you can get if you login to your Paypal account and click "Contact Us"', and see what they want to talk to you about.

Might be nothing - might be important.