Received invoice from one seller which I didn't make any purchase. Is it a scam?

[MichaelCHK]

Hi all. I received a notification from PayPal that someone sent me an invoice to make a payment of USD 500 for purchasing a anti virus software which I didn't make. Could I just leave it like that with out paying or how do I cancel or report this?

[kernowlass]

@andrianiloizido

Scam money request or invoice that shows in your Paypal account..

Scammers harvest email addresses and send out money requests or invoices hoping that some of those email addresses are linked to an open Paypal account.

The unsuspecting recipient is given a fake Paypal phone number in the 'notes' section added by the scammer.
If you did call that number (DO NOT) to query the transaction the scammer tells you that they need to access your computer / Paypal account to cancel that transaction for you.
They will then hack your computer or Paypal account.

Paypal never put phone numbers on emails or in money requests/invoices, they tell you to contact them via help/contact bottom of their website pages.

If there is a cancel option then cancel it, if not ignore it and it should time out at 30 days.
As long as you don't click to pay it then no money would be transferred.

[andrianiloizido]

Thank you for your help! I did cancel it. Also, there was a contact number, I did try to call but it was not reachable. So I was lucky with that.

[chucks-wagon]

Has anyone else been victim of this PayPal Scam? 

Note

We've detected that your PayPal account has been accessed fraudulently. If you did not make this transaction, please call us at toll free number [Removed. Phone #s not permitted]to cancel and claim a refund. If this is not the case, you will be charged $699. 99 today. Within the automated deduction of the amount, this transaction will reflect on PayPal activity after 24 hours. Our Service Hours: (06:00 a. m. to 06:00 p. m. Pacific Time, Monday through

It's still on my transaction list and I forwarded it to PayPal

Will they delete it or is it something I have to do?

Chucks-wagon

[venkatv]

Can you share how this was resolved if resolved? I have the same issue today. 

[PayPal_RebeccaN]

Hey there @chucks-wagon & @venkatv, 

Thank you both for posting. 

I understand this must be a concerning message to receive. This does not sound like a PayPal message. 

I would advise not clicking on any links within the message and please don't call the phone number quoted within the message. 

If you receive a text message with a link inviting you to visit a website or make a phonecall:
1. Don’t click on any links inside of the SMS text message.
2. Screenshot the message.
3. Make sure that the message shows the full telephone number.
4. Email the screenshot to phishing@paypal.com. 

If you feel like your account may have been accessed, please log into your account using your PayPal app or a web browser (again, not following any links within the message) and you can check if there are any unauthorised transactions on your Activity section. 

For more information on how to spot spoof messages and how to safeguard your account, see: How do I spot and report a fake, fraudulent, or phishing PayPal email or website? 

I hope this helps. 

Rebecca 

If this post or any other was helpful, please enrich the community by giving kudos or accepting it as a solution.
 

[MrBobRichey]

Rebecca replied that it didn't look like a PayPal email.

She is wrong. 

It's a PayPal message but the message is inside the note to you from the scammer.

PayPal is just sending a bill, they are not saying it looks fraudulent, the scammer is saying that, hoping you will call the number thinking you are calling PayPal to get help, but falling into their trap. 

When I called, he said he was a MacAfee representative. Whoops, he made a mistake and I hung up and went back to read it more carefully.

All you can do is cancel the transaction and it will stay there in you transactions labeled canceled.

PayPal must fix this. 

I hope this helps others. I cannot contact or report this transaction.

[PayPal_Bindu]

Hey @MrBobRichey,

Sorry for the miscommunication! It sounds like you have received a money request or invoice. You wouldn't be charged if you didn’t purchase the item in question. If you believe the received invoice is spam invoice, you can cancel it and report it to us. Here's how to report a suspected spam invoice:

Log in to your PayPal account.
Go to your Recent activity.
Click Details next to the invoice you want to report.
Click Cancel invoice.
In the 'Cancel Invoice Screen', you can send a note to the seller that you're canceling their invoice.
Select ‘Get a Copy of this Email’ if you'd like a copy. 
Select ‘Report Spam’ to report the invoice as spam if you don't recognize the seller or didn't expect to receive the invoice.
Click Cancel Invoice.

You can also refer to our help center article for more information on fraudulent invoice scam here.

I hope this information helps!

Bindu

[MrBobRichey]

Bindu, 

This is a scam, not spam! 

The email was from PayPal. The exact amount of money was pending and is still listed on my real "recent activity" page. 

The note from the scammer appeared to be from PayPal warning me of a scam. The number to call probably would have phished for my password then authorized the payment. You must either fix this or determine that it is an okay practice. If this was an invoice, I would have known how to handle it. But your "Request money" is broken. 

Tell me your email and let me request money from you? Be sure to cancil promptly and do not make any accidental mistakes. If you do not want to do this, fine, but why let others do it to me?

Bob [removed]

[elinor123]

What do you do if someone requests a lot of money and you dont know who they are? I don't know how to remove the payment request.

[christha1]

I just noticed an invoice in my paypal account from someone I don't know, how do we get rid of these or report them?