Hi everyone!

There have been so many examples of fraudulent emails posted in this thread! I wanted to chime in and make sure that you know how to identify a spoof/phishing email, and know what to do if you receive one.

First of all, for some tips on identifying a fake email, please take a look here. There is a list of stuff to check for that is common in spoof emails. You can also open a fresh browser window and log into your account (not through a link in the email) and check to see if there are any alerts or messages, or if there are any corresponding transactions. If what you see in your account doesn't match up with what you saw in the email, it's a good bet that it's a fake.

Once you've determined that the email you received is a fake, it should be forwarded, exactly the way it is, to spoof@paypal.com. Do not click on any links.

If you have already clicked on a link, don't panic! Here are some tips on what you should do.

• Run a virus scan on your computer to make sure that the link did not subject your computer to any malware.
• If you clicked a link and entered your password and/or security questions for PayPal, log in to your PayPal account from a new browser window and change the password and security questions as soon as possible, after the virus scan. Make sure to pick a unique password that is not used on any other sites... but if you did use the same password anywhere else, make sure to change your password on those sites, too.
• If you entered any other information (such as credit card, bank, social security numbers, etc.), take a look at this page for tips on next steps.

Please stay safe!

Olivia