Fake Email - Also known as phishing emails, fictitious or hoax emails are emails that attempt to collect your personal and financial information. These fake emails often link to fake websites that encourage you to enter your personal information such as credit card numbers, passport/driver’s license numbers, social security number and account passwords. It can also contain attachments that install malicious software on your computer when opened. We understand receiving a fake email can be a cause for concern, and it’s a good thing that you’ve called us, we urge you to always contact us if you have any questions about your PayPal account. Here are some things for you to know or that may indicate that an email is a hoax, meaning to say that email isn’t from PayPal: Bad spelling and grammar. Wrong, out of date or out of place logos, design and type. The email uses a generic greeting like "Dear user" or "Hello, PayPal member." We always address our customer’s by their first name and last name or the business name on their PayPal account. Upsetting or urgent statements demanding you to react immediately. Many fake emails tell you that your account will be in jeopardy if something critical isn’t updated right away. If in doubt, you can always check your account status by logging into your PayPal account and clicking “Help” and then “Resolution Center.” The email requests financial/personal and any other pertinent information. An email from PayPal never asks for the numbers of your bank account, debit or credit card, or driver’s license. We also don’t request your email addresses, your full name, your account password or the answers to your PayPal security questions. Deceptive URLs or false links. Even if the URL contains the word “PayPal,” it may not be a genuine PayPal webpage. Always make sure the URL listed at the top of the browser begins with “https” (Ex: https://www.paypal.com/us) In addition, look for the “lock” symbol that appears in the address bar or the lower right hand corner of your browser. This symbol indicates that you are on a secure website. The email includes any attachment or a software update to install on your computer. We’ll never email you attachments or links to software updates. Amazing, too good to be true offers. We will never ask you for money in an email, and we will never ask you to send money or anything through third party payment providers like Western Union. ______________________________________________________________________________ Always remember to manage your account through PayPal.com and not just with the emails you receive When you receive payment for your item, you will see the money in your account and/or the transaction right away . If you suspect that an email is fake, don’t open it. Don’t reply to the email, don’t click any links, don’t enter any financial/personal information or download any attachments. Kindly forward any suspicious emails or websites to spoof@paypal.com as soon as possible (Forward the entire email, don’t alter the subject line nor forward the message as an attachment) afterwards, delete the hoax email from your inbox. With this simple action, you’re helping to keep our entire community safe. We’ll then send you a confirmation email (within 24-72 hours) with useful information that will serve as your reference. Our security experts manually review all submissions sent to spoof@paypal.com. We continuously work to disable fake emails and websites. We also work with law enforcement around the world to stop online criminals. As you can see people can try to get away with fraud and we do everything we can to keep you safe. Rest assured that by keeping and using your PayPal account you will be able to transact safely and securely online. If you’ve clicked a link or opened an attachment, responded to a fake email with your financial or personal information, follow these steps right away: Change your PayPal password and security questions immediately Contact your bank or your card issuer and tell them about the situation Review your PayPal transaction history to make sure there are no unauthorized transactions for your account If you see any transactions you don’t recognize, contact us right away by clicking “Contact” near the bottom of any PayPal page Click Security at the bottom of the PayPal homepage or Security and Protection at the top of any other PayPal page to learn more about fake emails and websites and online safety. For additional information about fake emails and websites, you can visit www.antiphishing.org, a website put together by the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG). Any time you receive an email about your PayPal account, the safest and easiest thing to do is to open a new browser, enter https://www.paypal.com, and log in to your account. You can also send us an email by clicking on the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of every PayPal webpage.
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