Paypal scam?

[Andyman]

I just got a notice to update my Paypal account. Everything looked offical and all until I got to the update form. It asked for my Social Security number. Fishy? I don't ever give that info out over the net.

[TCM Hitchhiker]

SCAM!

PayPal will never ask your for personal information through E-Mail.

[Andyman]

I thought so. Pretty good phishing if you ask me. Well, except for the SS# part.

[thatchetguy]

Check the address, that's where it always falls apart. If it doesn't say PAYPAL.COM on the web address instead of numbers, it's a scam. The one I got a few months ago had an official looking page, but the copyright dates were from 2004.

[bonedust]

paypal emails always have your first and last name in the subject. i get 3-10 paypal and ebay scamails a day.

[Andyman]

Chet, Bonedust...right on both accounts!

[-megalithanod]

Same here.

If you also hover over the links in the e-mail, you'll see they don't take you to a paypal site, there is always something "like" a paypal address, but not quite.

The one I received today was sending the user to

http:\\https-www.paypal.com or something along those lines.

I pity the people that don't know the difference and pick it up way too late (like after entering SS# and bank acct info)

<font color="#cd6600"><font size="1">[ June 07, 2005 06:02 PM: Message edited by: -megalithanod ]</font></font>

<font color="#cd6600" size="1">[ June 07, 2005 06:03 PM: Message edited by: -megalithanod ]</font>

[Nomalas]

Originally posted by -megalithanod:
Same here.

If you also hover over the links in the e-mail, you'll see they don't take you to a paypal site, there is always something "like" a paypal address, but not quite.

The one I received today was sending the user to

[UR=http://https-www.paypal.com]http://https-www.paypal.com[/URL] or something along those lines.

I pity the people that don't know the difference and pick it up way too late (like after entering SS# and bank acct info)

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hey -meg, maybe you should not make that a link, just in case someone clicks on it by mistake....

[-megalithanod]

good point!
I'll take care of that right now.

[Spore]

Never ever use an email link.

Always log in through the legitimate URL. It may be a pain in the ass typing in you password but that's pretty much the only way to be certain you aren't being scammed.