A FAKE Paypal email.

@tombiz (2036)
Philippines
October 25, 2008 5:27am CST
I just received a fake email claiming to be from Paypal. If you receive a similar letter, please be warned. Just delete the email and don't follow any instructions contained. "Dear Member, We are constantly working to ensure security by regularly screening the accounts in our system. We recently reviewed your account, and we need more information to help us provide you with secure service. Until we can collect this information, your access to sensitive account features will be limited. We would like to restore your access as soon as possible, and we apologize for the inconvenience. Why is my account access limited? Your account access has been limited for the following reason(s): Oct. 17, 2008: We determined someone may have tried to access your account without your permission. For your protection, we have limited your account access. To lift this limitation, click on Resolution Center and follow the steps. (Your case ID for this reason is PP-564-713-163.) How can I restore my account access? Please visit the Resolution Center and complete the steps. Sincerely, Account Review Department Please do not reply to this email. This mailbox is not monitored and you will not receive a response."
19 people like this
40 responses
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
25 Oct 08
It sounds like they are trying to get you to give them your personal information, so that they can steal it.. I am glad that you told me about this.. I will be on the look out.. No one is going to take from me, and I won't have nothing to say about it????? They must be crazy.. That is good that you did not give them any information.. Continue to not do so either.. Great on your smart thinking!
2 people like this
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
25 Oct 08
Yes, that is their way of getting you. Then you will have to pay all these charges off, and the hackers will be long gone with your information.. How very sad, of the things people in this world will do to each other.. What a shame!
3 people like this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
26 Oct 08
Wow tombiz! Nice catch! It sure did look real! I don't know how you figured it out, but good for you and thanks very much for letting us mylotters know about it. That was really nice of you! I don't know if I would have caught on as quickly as you, although I am very skeptical of giving out information as it is. It really did look like it was real to me! I'm kind of scared not that I just might be able to be tricked. I don't know what to believe anymore and that is a really bad thing! Thanks again!
1 person likes this
@Shaun72 (15959)
• Palatka, Florida
26 Oct 08
I got a fake email myself last week saying that I needed to update my profile by a certain date or I would lose my account. I thought it was real also untill i emailed paypal and asked them what I needed to update and they told me that I had been sent a fake email from paypal. It is pretty scary. At least now I know it wasn't just me who got a fake email.
@gemini_rose (16264)
26 Oct 08
I have had these types of emails before too, I always know that it is fake because whenever we receive something from paypal they always address up by name. The last time I had one I went onto my paypal account and checked through there and then reported the email to them.
1 person likes this
• India
26 Oct 08
thank u very much for informing us about the fake email..so that we can be alert always about that email..because it is a matter of money it has a huge importance..once again thank u
1 person likes this
• China
26 Oct 08
How terrible,if I've received some letter like this,maybe I would link the links it provided...Now I think,when we recevied these fake emails,the first step we need to do is check our account,not to link the links,remember
1 person likes this
@kiiizu (1901)
• Estonia
25 Oct 08
I just got a similar e-mail - appearantly from Liberty Reserve. I posted a warning about this one too. Busy thieves. Let's see, will they send us the same e-mails about AlertPay and e-Gold also.
1 person likes this
@Mitraa (3184)
• India
25 Oct 08
Many thanks Tom for providing this useful information. We all must be alert against such FAKE PayPal E-mails. Again thanks for his nice discussion!
1 person likes this
@underdogtoo (9579)
• Philippines
26 Oct 08
I get a lot of phishing emails like this one. I guess this is the electronic equivalent of being in a dark alley where there are muggers waiting to waylay the unwary. Cheers!!
• United States
26 Oct 08
I actually got a fake email from PayPal before I even had an account. Any time you get something like this you should assume it's fake. if you are not sure, Log in to your account manually and check that way. I have also received these "phishing" emails from Bank of America. I don't have an account there either. But it was right after I cashed a check there. So I suspected it was someone who worked there. It was a BoA email address. I reported it to them. They didn't seem very concerned.
1 person likes this
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
25 Oct 08
Yes, I've gotten several of those kinds of emails, and I forward them to paypal to have them check it out. They always tell me that its a spoof email and not to respond to it, and that they will take care of who's sending this out to people. They want your information, so they can get into your paypal account, don't believe it.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
25 Oct 08
Thanks for sharing this fake email to us. Nowadays, there are lots of fake emails and websites lurking around to get personal information on us. It was quite alarming really to know it. Again thanks for this, from now on I'll be more careful in the emails I'll received and I will know what I'll do if ever I encountered this kind of email.
1 person likes this
@bvdev234 (304)
• India
26 Oct 08
I too received the same copy of email as you shown. I was afraid them log on to paypal. There seems no problem. Only now I am able to understand that was a fake... Thanks.
1 person likes this
@lilcee (2703)
• United States
25 Oct 08
Hi tombiz. I've gotten these before. I report them to Paypal. Then I delete them. Paypal does not send out email starting with "Dear Member". It's good that you warned people. So many people don't know about these scams.
1 person likes this
• India
25 Oct 08
It is better to keep away from such fake mails.I never open such mail.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
25 Oct 08
actually you should send the whole thing to the real paypal, they look to deal with this sort of thing to try and stop it.
1 person likes this
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
25 Oct 08
I receive these kinds of emails every once in a while too. I report and send the email to Paypal to let them further investigate it. I hate hackers and scam artists.
1 person likes this
@suruchi86 (1873)
• India
11 May 09
I also receive such kind of mails, almost on daily basis and normally, I never open them and simply delete these mails.
@elitess (5070)
• Ipswich, England
25 Oct 08
Thanks friend for sharing this fake e_mail with us at it helps us better protect our selves and avoid such scams when we encounter them. I haven't been sent any scams so far regarding alertpay or paypal, but the scammers did try however to send some fake info about bank accounts and mobile phone accounts and bills.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
11 May 09
thanks,good thing you shared this.At least we know what to do. But they are not asking any personal info and private access right?then waht is their motive? hmm,qiute mysterious.