I think my Paypal account was hacked

SNBP
Contributor
Contributor
I think my Paypal account was hacked. Back in late Sep, i received a email from Paypal saying they have frozen my account due to suspicious activities and asked me to change password. I didn't follow the link, instead log in to paypal separately and found my account indeed frozen. I changed my password, since no money was transferred out, i thought it was ok. Today, 19 days later, i found my linked credit card was used by someone to make $700 online purchase. My card wasn't stolen, I've been always very careful about credit card use. So i can only suspect paypal got hacked and leaked my credit card info. Any one also get hacked recently?
Login to Me Too
2 REPLIES 2

hrt1uk
Contributor
Contributor

Hello
Data leak could be from many sources. A bad player that you paid, in person or online or a hacker that accessed to your information !
1- Check your devices and make sure they are not hacked (i.e. no viruses and secure internet access point )

2- Report to the local police and your financial providers (i.e. Bank and online account providers) and get their advice.

3- Change your passwords on all of the cards and online accounts . In the bank, or on card providers direct lines. (Not some unknown links or unsecure internet access point and not on an unsecure device .)

4- ask a financial advisor online or in person, but make sure do not reveal more information than necessary.

These are not professional advice , just a friendly advice from me to you. 
I hope it will stop bad guys away.

hrt1uk

Login to Me Too

SNBP
Contributor
Contributor

None of my devices are hacked. No one has access to my account. As always, I have been extremely careful about my digital footprints: only shop with well-known and reputatble online merchants; never randomly leave my personal details anywhere, not even my real name; when I need to enter credit card information, I make sure I switch away from shared wifi networks; I don't even trust my own personal computer enough to save password on it; when I enter password on a website, I don't just type in the password, I will type out e.g. numbers 1234567 abcde...etc on a word file, then copy and paste each letter I need to form the order of the password to guard against possible keylogger malware (which has yet to be found on my computer).

 

So, it's definitely a data breach somewhere where my credit card information is stored. Amazon? Nope. Amazon will inform me if my account is breached. And in the last 20 days, I have received one and only one notification of a suspected data breach - from Paypal. Of course Palpay didn't admit there's a data breach, it only said "suspicious activity detected" so we have to freeze your account. What kind of suspicious activity serious enough to render a freezing of the account? No attempts to transfer money out. What activity except a data breach on Paypal's end? Suspicious activity detected 19 days before my credit card is used in unauthorized transactions. Coincidence? Well, you can always argue that. But from the evidence, Paypal is most likely the origin of the data breach.

 

That's why I wonder if anyone else have received similar notification from Paylpal, then got some unauthorized credit card transaction.

 

And yes, I've reported the unauthorized transactions to the bank, within 15 minutes of the incident and my card immediately cancelled.

Login to Me Too

Haven't Found your Answer?

It happens. Hit the "Login to Ask the community" button to create a question for the PayPal community.