Here is a summary of the fourteen most recent PayPal scams, as well as advice on how to avoid them.
Is it possible to be deceived when employing PayPal?
Nowadays, PayPal scams have become a lot more frequent and elaborate. In 2021, these kinds of frauds on digital payment platforms such as PayPal have led to a loss of approximately $20 billion. One Reddit user experienced this first-hand when they received a couple of convincing emails that looked like PayPal invoices for Bitcoin transactions that the user didn’t agree on. In order to avoid paying for something they didn’t purchase, the user called the number given in the invoice. However, when the person on the other side requested to access their computer remotely, they realized it was a sham.
If you use PayPal or have received a dubious-looking email from the organization, it’s important to be aware of the signs of a scam. In this guide, we will discuss how PayPal scams work, give examples of the latest PayPal scams to be careful of, and inform you about what to do if you’ve been a victim of PayPal scams.
PayPal scams are a type of fraud where criminals attempt to gain access to your PayPal account or other financial information. They typically work by sending out fake emails or messages that appear to come from PayPal, asking recipients to enter their account details or update their personal information.
PayPal users are particularly appealing to scammers due to the number of account holders. As per the Better Business Bureau (BBB), most frauds are conducted by cheating clients out of money through PayPal. The most common approaches used by scammers include various strategies and schemes. Despite PayPal doing its best to guarantee the safety of its users, scammers are becoming more adept at evading the safeguards and stealing their money and confidential information.
If you have been taken advantage of on PayPal, your bank account, email, and even your identity can be at risk. Utilize Aura’s highly-rated identity theft protection for 14 days to shield your accounts and confidential data from scammers.
An instance of a fraudulent PayPal email almost convinced the recipient.
The simplest way to become aware of PayPal scams is to witness one firsthand. In this example of phishing, scammers created a false PayPal confirmation for a fraudulent transaction that was worth hundreds of dollars. However, there was a straightforward solution to the situation, according to the scammers: all that was necessary was to make a call and tell them that it was an error. Scammers are well aware that people are more likely to be fooled by their schemes if they are able to get them to answer the phone and urge them to take action. This particular scam email was fashioned only for that purpose.
The criminals used the recipient’s name and email, included an apparently valid order number, and did not require any private information or money to be sent (to evade suspicion). Yet, if the warning signs are looked at closely, it is clear that it is a PayPal scam.
Is it possible to reclaim funds that have been lost via PayPal scams?
Those who use PayPal to pay are likely to have a higher chance of recovering their funds compared to other payment apps (such as Zelle, Venmo, and Cash App). PayPal has two programs, namely Seller Protection and Buyer Protection, which offer coverage in cases like not receiving payment or being sent an erroneous item. You must first contact the seller for a refund if you were scammed through PayPal. If the seller does not respond or refuses to provide the refund, you can open a dispute in PayPal’s resolution center within 180 days of the transaction.
Do take note that a refund is only possible for payments made on PayPal. Scammers understand this and may pretend to be PayPal representatives in order to get your passwords, get you to pay money using other sites, or get your personal information to use for identity fraud. In these instances, unfortunately, you have to fend for yourself.
It is essential to be aware of the 14 most recent PayPal scams that have occurred.
Here are the widely seen PayPal scams and how to identify them before you become a casualty.
Emails pretending to be from PayPal confirm a payment that has not actually taken place.
Spam emails where the sender pretends to be from PayPal are one of the most popular email scams. There can be many variations of this type of scam, but the general approach remains the same. Here’s how it works: To avoid getting conned, follow this advice:
Crooks are sending counterfeit bills from genuine PayPal email accounts.
This is a complex fraud that involves a message sent from a legitimate PayPal email address. The message states that the “invoice has been refreshed” and that you owe money. The process of the scam: Do not be deceived! If you get an email that looks suspicious, go directly to the PayPal site and sign in to your account. Review your recent purchases and invoices to make sure the invoice is real. If it is, examine the shop and sender to make sure you know who they are. If you don’t recognize them, contact PayPal directly and inform them of the scam. Note: PayPal customer service will never ask you to download a program or file.
Messages sent via email or text indicating that your PayPal account has been blocked or deactivated should not be trusted.
A typical phishing ploy is sending an email implying that the receiver’s PayPal account has been blocked due to a certain issue. This is how the fraud works: To avoid being taken advantage of, do the following:
Fake text messages claiming to be from PayPal regarding a fraud alert should not be trusted.
Another form of phishing is smishing, which happens when fraudsters send deceptive text messages with a bogus number or website link. If you give out your personal information to PayPal con artists, they may take money from your bank account or take out loans without your permission. To keep your financial information and identity safe, consider using an identity theft protection service that offers credit monitoring.
Fraudsters are taking advantage of PayPal users by sending them money they supposedly didn’t mean to send and then asking for the funds to be returned. This type of scam is known as an “accidental” overpayment.
A scam involving overpayment occurs when a con artist sends an individual more money than what is owed for a product and then requests that the refund be sent to an alternate account. To avoid falling for this scheme, individuals should be mindful of the transactions that they are engaging in.
Transfers of money to the wrong account on PayPal.
This con is comparable to the overpayment swindle where swindlers randomly move funds and then request a reimbursement. Here’s how the scam functions: To keep away from being duped, do the following:
Seven, scams involving incorrect shipping addresses being provided.
The fraudulent shipping address ploy is mainly a problem for vendors on websites such as eBay and Amazon. It entails scammers supplying incorrect delivery details and exploiting delivery loopholes to acquire both a product and a refund. Here’s how the scam operates: To protect yourself against being scammed, do this:
Counterfeit online stores are requesting for payment to be done via the “friends and family” option.
People on Craigslist, Gumtree, and Facebook Marketplace may attempt to take advantage of you by asking you to use PayPal’s “friends and family” feature to avoid fees. After you pay, the person may run off with the money. To avoid being scammed, be vigilant and don’t fall for this ploy.
You are offered a sum of money without any charge, yet you are expected to pay a fee to receive it.
An advance-fee scam is when swindlers promise you a huge amount of money in exchange for a minuscule payment up front. This is how it works: To keep from becoming a victim, do the following:
People can make fraudulent donations to charities through PayPal, which could be fraud.
Con artists attempt to swindle people with good intentions by getting them to give money to non-existent philanthropies. This is how it works: To avoid being scammed, it is important to take the following steps:
Fraudulent activities related to PayPal and Bitcoin are on the rise.
This con is like the fictitious bill stratagem, but with the extra turn that the invoice is for Bitcoin. Scammers anticipate that you will either pay the phony bill or contact the number provided to “call off” the false charge. How the fraud works: Avoid being tricked! Do this:
- Electronic messages that are falsified in order to reset a user’s password.
Con artists are distributing bogus emails that appear to be true password change emails from PayPal. The email contains a connection to “safeguard” your PayPal account. However, if you click on the link, you will be taken to a counterfeit PayPal login page that takes your password. This is how the fraud works: To keep from being bamboozled, do the following:
Thirteen – scams related to the technical support of PayPal.
Cybercriminals may pretend to be PayPal customer support, asserting that your account has been hacked or exhibiting strange behavior. Their plan is to get you on the line and request confidential information, like your account password or two-factor authentication (2FA) codes, ask for a payment, or get you to install software that will permit them to access your computer remotely. This is how the scheme works: To avoid being duped, you should do this:
- Attachments that contain fraudulent PayPal invoices with malicious intent
This PayPal con job attempts to frighten you by pretending that somebody has broken into your account and bought something without your permission. The fraudster desires you to download the attached “invoice”, which has concealed malicious software that can damage your computer. Here is how the scam works: Do not fall prey to this scam! Do the following instead:
Discovering how to recognize (and stay away from) Paypal cons: 5 red flags
Did you get tricked into a PayPal transaction? Here is how to proceed!
If you have experienced being tricked when using PayPal, it is important to take immediate action to lessen any potential losses.
If you have already sent money, virtual currency, or gift cards to a fraudster, you will need to take certain steps to try to recover it.
If Purchase Protection applies to the transfer, the primary step is to open a claim. If PayPal was employed and the payment was made with either a credit card or personal bank account, it may be possible to take advantage of the chargeback in order to receive a refund. To attempt this, you should reach out to your financial institution and report the fraudulent transaction – PayPal will then suspend the sum in the vendor’s account until a settlement is achieved.
If you reveal your private details or if fraudsters obtained access to your PayPal account
Fraudsters will commonly endeavor to seize your private data or sign-in particulars in order to gain access to your PayPal account, as well as any connected credit cards or bank accounts.
It is essential to exercise caution when making purchases over the internet.
In order to ensure that you remain secure while using PayPal, it is important to remain vigilant and aware of potential scams. To offer an extra layer of security, consider signing up for a comprehensive cybersecurity solution from Aura. This service will keep track of essential data, financial accounts, and passwords for any signs of illicit activity and will notify you if any suspicious activity is detected, allowing you to stop fraud before it can cause too much of a problem.
Are you a victim of PayPal scams? You can get a refund for your losses. Contact Scam Victims Help.
Get more updates from Scam Victims Help Facebook page