How do you report money-request fraud?

[GilesMan]

Why is it SO difficult to report money-request fraud?

Though I have cancelled the request, the user NEEDS to be reported, because a cancellation only INFORMS the fraudster that the account is ACTIVE. - It's the exact same as picking up the phone to a spam call. It's also why some spam-calls hang up immediately, because all they want to know is if the phone number is active or not.

I can't find the option anywhere to report this user, and it is inexcusable for it being so difficult to find. The money request gives you 2 options: Pay now, or cancel. It SHOULD be pay now, cancel, REPORT.

Excuse my rant, but activity like this means my account is now vulnerable due to the cancellation. I know fraud, because I WORKED in fraud prevention. I'm pretty shocked at how exploitable this money-request thing is. It's not about the money, it's about accidentilly confirming to a stranger how active your account is, therein gives them an incentive to hack it!

If someone could let me know how/where I can report this user for this particular activity, I'd be massively greatful!

[kernowlass]

@GilesMan 

Scammers harvest email addresses and send out those requests hoping some email addresses are linked to paypal accounts and the unsuspecting recipient 'may' pay them not realising they are scams OR the scammers put phone numbers in the ''notes'' section so that as its a genuine paypal invoice you think the phone number is real and call it.

If you do call that number to query the transaction or cancel it they tell you that you need to pay a fee (sent not using Paypal) for them to be able to cancel the payment for you....that is the scam as they know it's unlikely you will click to pay it. 

If there is a cancel option then cancel it, if not ignore it and hopefully it should time out at 30 days.

As long as you don't click to pay it then no money would be transferred so you would not be scammed.

[Tonymc6340]

Same thing happened to me today, just cancel the request. There is an option to report them but it sends you round in circles unfortunately. Never ring any number that's thrown onto the payment request, PayPal does not work that way! I agree reporting users needs an update/change. But I have their email now so at least I'll have some fun with that. Be mindful..if you do ring the number related to the request they usually send you a text with a verification code to "confirm their identity", seems convincing but can't fool me. Time for me to sign their email up to all kinds of wonderful things now haha goodluck

[kernowlass]

@Tonymc6340 

Don't 'have fun' with their email address, don't forget they have yours as well and have been known to sign folks up to some nasty sites if you play dirty with them.