Ten ways to spot fraudulent PayPal e-mail

[homecomputeraid]

What to watch out for

1. Generic greetings. Many spoof emails begin with a general greeting, such as: "Dear PayPal member."

2. A false sense of urgency. Most spoof emails try to deceive you with the threat that your account is in jeopardy if you don't update it ASAP.

3. Fake links. The text in a link may attempt to look valid, then send you to a spoof address. Always check where a link is going before you click. Move your mouse over it and look at the URL in your browser or email status bar. If the link looks suspicious, don't click on it. And be aware that a fake link may even have the word "PayPal" in it.

Full story available here:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=x...tySpoof-outside

It just so happens that I received a fraudulent PayPal e-mail this morning! The genuine PayPal link said to forward fraudulent e-mails to:

[email protected]

[-pops-]

It could be added that this applies also to many other spoof emails involving money - banks, credit card companies and such like.

I am constantly getting emails from many so-called financial institutions asking me to reveal details of all sorts of private information. I know they're fake because, most of the time I've never heard of them or they're in a country totally unconnected with the country I'm in or perhaps just that I don't have an account with them - sometimes a combination of any of those.

Most of these spoofs are caught in my spam trap but some do get through. That doesn't make them any more convincing, though. I know they're fake because I don't do Internet banking and I have a reserved credit card for Internet use only which these spoofs never seem to latch on to.

I know how convincing some of these spoof emails can appear at first sight. The advice given in the PayPal link is very wise and should be read by all Internet users.

[andsome]

As they say in the Black Country. " Everybodies tryin to do we."

[dehydratedchicken]

I get continuous spoof emails from Paypal, eBay and lots of banks

I dont understand why they even think I'd fall for it - I'm only 17 and dont have any of these accounts - then again, probably send the same message to everyone and wouldnt have any information on the people they are sending the message to

Before I used to click the link and fill of all the fields with obsene language but that was boring after a while so now theres a huge collection in my email inbox

If anyone wants a sample of there emails then let me know :ninja:

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

They do not think that you will fall for it, nor do they think that 99.99% of all the recipients of their spam will fall for it. All they are waiting for is that remaining 0.01 percent.

It is that 0.01% percent that are the cause that our mailboxes are daily filled with spam and scam. If we could confiscate the computers of these 0.01%, then the whole problem would just go away :ninja:

I have recently visited a public forum where people can complain and seek advice after they have been scammed by spammers. I could not believe the hundreds and hundreds of stories I read there! (Sorry, I don't remember the forum's name or URL).

Unfortunately these 0.01% still fork out enough money, credit card info, and bank account numbers for scammers to happily continue their activities :angry:

There are lots of people who think that spammers are stupid. But I'm sorry, that compliment really goes to the 0.01% !

[andsome]

VERY VERY true

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Here is the URL I was talking about earlier. It's not a forum, just a blog about one specific spammer site. You won't believe the comments below it...

http://www.jdrowell.com/archives/2005/01/s...yrxcom_suc.html

[-pops-]

I used to work with someone who fell for the Nigerian scam before the days of email and it was done by Telex or Fax. This guy was a company director and a qualified accountant and yet he was one of the people that allowed thousands of pounds to be extracted from his company's banks assets because he fell for the sin of avarice.

[homecomputeraid]

I am constantly getting emails from many so-called financial institutions asking me to reveal details of all sorts of private information. I know they're fake because, most of the time I've never heard of them or they're in a country totally unconnected with the country I'm in or perhaps just that I don't have an account with them - sometimes a combination of any of those.

I think the problems arise when users who happen to get an e-mail from an institution where they have an account, and lacks knowledge falls for it. Send out a few million e-mails and you're bound to get a small percentage of information out of it.

There are lots of people who think that spammers are stupid. But I'm sorry, that compliment really goes to the 0.01% !

Hopefully we'll get some users trained up here! :)

[mark2]

More information and advice on scams here

[andsome]

Watch out for telephone scams as well. I had a phone call telling me that I had won a new mobile phone and digital camera. I said "great, when do I get them?". I was told that all he needed was my bank sort code and account number for the phone rental.