Beware of scam using PayPal!

Ryan, I'm sorry to hear this. Did they purchase things, or use the information to get cash?

We get these same type of emails from PayPal, eBay, banks, etc. The ones from eBay even continue to escalate if you don't reply, with repeated threats that our account is going to be frozen at midnight if we don't reply, etc.

The lowest of the low.

Well, it looks like you paid a high tuition, but at least you learned the lesson.

I know it doesn't help with $2.50 in the bank, but remember that Karma never sleeps, and they'll get theirs.

Got one this last week with "Security Alert Update your info "

It was from some yahoo E-mail addy , not very easy to fall for that .

The link was pretty impressive , a few flaws though .

It did have links to actual paypal ,terms,accounts, etc. All of the normal links you find on paypal . So if you went to check out your account on paypal from there , it would just go into your account .

If you didnt check out the other links or adress , one might fall for the "update info page" and just fill it out .

Mine went something like "Go to hell SCAMMER" and "you will be reported" in every available line .LOL Fake numbers and everything !

Of course when you hit send it doesnt ask you to correct anything like a normal site would , and says "everything went through fine ,Thanks" LOL

Oh yea they even thank you for that !

Dear Commercial Federal Bank Customer,


This is your official notification from Commercial Federal Bank that the service(s) listed below
will be deactivated and deleted if not renewed immediately. Previous notifications have
been sent to the AccessOnline Contact assigned to this account. As the Primary Contact, you
must renew the service(s) listed below or it will be deactivated and deleted. Renew Now


SERVICE : Commercial Federal Bank AccessOnline with Bill Payment.
EXPIRATION: Octomber 15, 2005


Thank you,

Commercial Federal Bank Online Banking Support, N.A.


************************************************** ***************************
IMPORTANT CUSTOMER SUPPORT INFORMATION
************************************************** ***************************

Please do not reply to this message. For any inquiries, contact Customer Service.

Document Reference: (92051208).

Commercial Federal Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
Copyright © 2005 Commercial Federal Bank, N.A. All rights reserved.

The funny thing is that I never heard of the bank before!

Regards.

I get them frequently from financial institutions where I do not do business.

Now they are sending out emails saying "Become a Power Seller"... all you have to do is click the official looking link and voila!

Of course there are a few tipoffs that this is a scam...

First indicator: It was sent to my husband's email... and he does not have a paypal account.

Second indicator: Until they took away my power-seller status (stopped selling there) I know what their criteria are for becoming a power seller, and if you don't have an account, you can't be offered that status!

Third Indicator: When I click the link, I get a URL that begins with an anonymous ISP: 81.196. etc.

Of course I would have probably had a few other indicators, but it looks like someone else shut THIS site down already... but that doesn't mean they won't try this method again.

Bottom line: If you get an eBAy or PayPal email, open a new browser window, log in, and see if you have that same message waiting for you once you log in... because they have methods of duplicating any information they send you so that you never have to doubt if it's a REAL email.

Anyway, this was a new one, so I thought I would share.

I think the same types of scams were done over the phone back in the olden days. They'd call up, saying they were such and such bank or credit card company, and ask you to verify some information, etc. People fell for that one all the time, too.

The trick with avoiding those was the same as avoiding these: never ever give information to someone who initiates contact with you. You always initiate contact with them. With the phone, hang up and call your bank/cc using the number you have for them. With emails, (as has been said over and over) open a new browser window and type in the site's URL, paypal.com, ebay.com etc.

If your getting this type of stuff in e-mail let it be a warning to run some good cleaning tools on your PC now. It may indicate you have insufficient protection, firewall, antivirus, antispam, antispyware, etc..and the latest security patches from Microsoft are also very important which release 2nd tuesday of each month. Often this stuff begins because some type of data-mining spyware gets on your system and then they begin hitting you with e-mails trying to bait you for more damaging info, it's called phishing, see link; http://www.antiphishing.org/ As a Sr. System Administrator for one of the largest corporations in the world my job is to bullet-proof servers agianst this type of social engineering. I am happy assist anyone who needs help or advice by suggesting some good tools of the trade, best practices, and or offer help cleaning and securing your system.

Mark