Hi, First Time On Board--Wondering If I Was Hacked

[Booooo]

I am really wondering right now whether I was hacked, which is the reason I'm using this forum right now for the first time. I sent an email to spoof@paypal.com just a few minutes ago and am awaiting their answer to this.

Meanwhile, I thought if anyone here had an opinion or knowledge regarding this.

Here's some background information:

I've been corresponding via email with someone I met online daily for the past week. He lives in a different country from where I'm at. I thought he was cool and completely trustworthy.

However, this morning I got an email from (supposedly) PayPal saying that there was "a successful sign in to your PayPal account from an unrecognized device" in the country where this person lives. The email continues to say "You must be verified before it can be used to recover your account. If you have not completed verification, your account will be limited...." And then there's a link to click on to visit my account and complete verification.

So I'm wondering whether it's possible that instead of my PayPal account being hacked by my new online friend, what really happened is that a hacker got information somehow from Yahoo email about both me AND my online friend (since we corresponded during the last week) and that's why the PayPal email says that there was a successful sign in to my PayPal account from the SPECIFIC country that my online friend is from. Let me rephrase it so it's clear: Is it possible that a hacker found out where my email friend is from because he hacked Yahoo email and then used my online friend's identity to make it look like he hacked my PayPal?

Appreciate any information on this. Thank you.

[Kell1]

Hi Booooo:

First of all, be careful when corresponding with someone you don't know or can't verify who they are!

Second, let PayPal verify the email you sent them before doing anything else.

It's a dangerous world out here on the Internet. Keep yourself safe.

Best practice is to have a separate email account for communicating when you are online. Also, having a special card just for using online to make purchases, etc.

Good luck and stay safe!!

[Booooo]

But I know this person and can verify him, which is why it's strange. I won't explain how I know him, as I don't want to invade privacy.

[A_TeaMz]

Hi There,

PayPal Will NEVER Ask For Any Account Information and/or Password. As For Verification Process, You Will See A Circle With A Percentage Under Your Name. If The Circle Is Completely Green Then Your Account Is Verified. If Theres Ever An Issue With Your Account Then PayPal Will Leave A Note Above The Pending/Completed Section(s) On Your Account or Send You A Message Via Message Center Which Is The Little Bell On The Top Right Corner Near The Log Out Button. Sending That Spam Message To Spoof Is A Starter But You May Now Call In To PayPal & Kindly Let Them Know What Happened & Have Them Look Into Your Account & They Will Confirm If Your Account Is Verified or Not. Keep In Mind That If You DO NOT Have A Bank Linked To Your Account or Are Not Approved For A PayPal Credit Line or PayPal Extras Master Card Then Your Account Is NOT Fully Verified! If You Have Any More Questions Please Feel Free To Ask & I Will Try To Answer The Best I Can. Thank You!

[Booooo]

Let's just assume with 100% certainty that the email I got presumably from PayPal, which invited me to click on link to verify account, is spam. (I contacted spoof@paypal.com and they said it's most likely spam.)

So I'm wondering HOW did the criminal or scammer know that the other person I have been corresponding via email with during the past week is from a certain location? That is, I've been corresponding with someone who's from Hawaii via email for the past week, and the fake PayPal message I got was that my account was hacked by an "unknown device in Hawaii."

Would that mean that our emails were hacked somehow, and if so, do I need to get rid of my current Yahoo email (or perhaps just change the password)?