False PayPal email

[vhight374]

Got an email from "PayPal".  Told that my account had been suspended. Needed to update my info.  Gave this email my SS# and date of birth.  Went to the second page which asked for credit card verification: saw a sentence in broken/bad english grammar and stopped cold.  BUT THEY STILL GOT MY SS# AND DOB!!!   Everything about the false email looked genuine: logo, typeface, etc.  HEELLLPPP!!

[kernowlass · Accepted solution]

@vhight374 

If its a spoof, NEVER USE ANY LINK.

Firstly if the email/text addressed you as ''Dear Member'' / ''Customer'' / ''Client'' OR your ''email address'' then that confirms its a spoof as paypal would address you by your full name eg Dear John Smith.

Secondly if there was a link OR attachment in that email/text to ''cancel'' any transaction or ''confirm'' any details then again it would be a spoof.

If there was a problem with your account Paypal would not ask you to click on an unsafe link in an email or by downloading an attachment, they would direct you to log in normally and go to the resolution or the message centre for more information.

More info here >>
https://www.paypal.com/us/selfhelp/article/how-to-spot-fake-emails-faq2340/2
https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/security/suspicious-activity

[vhight374]

Thank you for your reply!

Unfortunately, there's no way to know whether or not my life will be severely impacted by the information I did send to the false email...

Since I backed out of the second page and didn't hit "enter", perhaps the info on the first page wasn't sent either.  How horrid.