Paypal Spoof e-mail

gluwatergluwater Registered Users Posts: 3,599 Major grins
edited October 5, 2005 in The Big Picture
So has anyone else gotten one of these recently? I'm sure they are pretty common but I thought I'd give a heads up to anyone not familiar with them. An illegitimate e-mail is sent to you saying that someone is trying to access your account and they say to click on one of the links to verify you are the owner of the account. What you are really doing is being taken to a server that looks just like paypal and entering your user login and password, giving the thief access to your account. In this case the e-mail originated from an IP owned by a company in Sunnyvale CA and redirects you to mail.teleline.hu, not to paypal.
This is what the e-mail looks like:
38632264-L.jpg

Looks pretty legit doesn't it? No jumbled text or misspelled words like in most spoofs I get.

So if you get something like this do not click on the links and never input your username and password on a page you got to through an e-mail.

Just thought I would try to help out anyone that wasn't aware of this kind of thing since I know a lot of people on here use paypal.
Nick
SmugMug Technical Account Manager
Travel = good. Woo, shooting!
nickwphoto

Comments

  • wholenewlightwholenewlight Registered Users Posts: 1,529 Major grins
    edited October 4, 2005
    I've got these a few times and have forwarded them to Paypal / eBay. I imagine there are a bunch of less-suspecting people than you and I that have been burned by these emails.
    john w

    I knew, of course, that trees and plants had roots, stems, bark, branches and foliage that reached up toward the light. But I was coming to realize that the real magician was light itself.
    Edward Steichen


  • dragon300zxdragon300zx Registered Users Posts: 2,575 Major grins
    edited October 4, 2005
    gluwater wrote:
    38632264-L.jpg

    Looks pretty legit doesn't it? No jumbled text or misspelled words like in most spoofs I get.
    Nick man you need glasses.

    Choise is not a correct spelling. It should be choice.
    Everyone Has A Photographic Memory. Some Just Do Not Have Film.
    www.zxstudios.com
    http://creativedragonstudios.smugmug.com
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited October 4, 2005
    get 'em all the time, at all my email addy's except my genuine paypal addy :D
  • GREAPERGREAPER Registered Users Posts: 3,113 Major grins
    edited October 4, 2005
    I get them all the time too, from e-bay spammers as well.

    Anything that starts out.. "Dear member" is fake.

    Never access your accounts through a link on an e-mail. If there is a problem with your account, go to your normal login page to access your account.
  • ginger_55ginger_55 Registered Users Posts: 8,416 Major grins
    edited October 4, 2005
    I may be in trouble if I ever do try to use PayPal as I was getting a lot of them. They were, however, telling me to go to PayPal myself and straighten things out. My thoughts are that when I need PayPal it will be easier to straighten things out than it would be to follow up on, or unravel, a scam.

    My acct might have been compromised and shut down, but all it would take would be a word from me to start it again. No money has been taken out, I ignore all of that stuff.

    Except my daughter's ID was stolen from her, she had money saved for a couple of trips the family had planned. It was in their checking acct. The bank absorbed anything that was lost, but actually I don't think they paid the "thief" anything. The problem was that my daughter and her husband could only take $100.00 on a trip with them, and it took some time on her part to straighten the situation out when she got back.
    I did not think I knew anyone closely who had enough money to be a target.

    ginger (we would be an easy target, thank goodness we ..............I am not going to complete that.)
    After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
  • galla47galla47 Registered Users Posts: 100 Major grins
    edited October 4, 2005
    Paypal actually has a web page that addresses the fake emails:

    https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/email-security

    They say the following (cut and pasted from that page):

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    • Safe Log In: To log in to your PayPal account or access the PayPal website, open a new web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer or Netscape) and type in the following: https://www.paypal.com
    • Greeting: Emails from PayPal will address you by your first and last name or the business name associated with your PayPal account. Fraudulent emails often include the salutation "Dear PayPal User" or "Dear PayPal Member".
    • Email Attachments: PayPal emails will never ask you to download an attachment or a software program. Attachments contained in fraudulent emails often contain viruses that may harm your computer or compromise your PayPal account.
    • Request for Personal Information: If we require information from you, we will notify you in an email and request that you enter the information only after you have safely and securely logged in to your PayPal account.

      Often, fraudulent emails will request details such as your full name, account password, credit card number, bank account, PIN number, Social Security Number, or mother's maiden name.
    If you think that you have received a fraudulent email (or fake website), please forward the email (or URL address) to spoof@paypal.com and then delete the email from your mailbox. Never click any links or attachments in a suspicious email.

    ~~~~~~~~~~

    They also have a dowloadable eCommerce safety guide at :
    https://www.paypal.com/en_US/pdf/PayPal_Safety.pdf
  • JnicholsJnichols Registered Users Posts: 223 Major grins
    edited October 4, 2005
    I keep getting the emails as well. I always forward the message to spoof@paypal.com - but then I just marked them as spam and earthlink filters the emails out for me. I also get these emails from ebay and various banks - I'm guessing that they are phishing for which bank I use. I always check the properties on the website that the email is directing me to just in case.
  • flyingpylonflyingpylon Registered Users Posts: 260 Major grins
    edited October 4, 2005
    I got one recently that wigged me out enough to actually go to PayPal and check (NOT by using the link in the email!!). It said that a new email address had been added to my account, and it listed that address which was certainly not one I had seen before. It really looked pretty legit, and the thing was, I received it on my PDA/phone where I can't just hover over the URL to see that it's bogus. Anyway, just thought I'd mention it.
  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited October 4, 2005
    I got one recently that wigged me out enough to actually go to PayPal and check (NOT by using the link in the email!!). It said that a new email address had been added to my account, and it listed that address which was certainly not one I had seen before. It really looked pretty legit, and the thing was, I received it on my PDA/phone where I can't just hover over the URL to see that it's bogus. Anyway, just thought I'd mention it.
    I have had this happen to me several times. The last two times I sent an e-mail (through thier web site fraud, automated, system) to PayPay, and asked them to ether explain what this is or cancel my account. They have chosen to do nothing, and I can't find a phone number or any other way to contact them. So as far as I am concerned whoever can spend a million dollars on what PayPal thinks is my account. As far as I am concerned I do not have an account.

    If anyone has a name and phone number I would be happy to try and talk to a real person.

    Sam
  • David_S85David_S85 Administrators Posts: 13,245 moderator
    edited October 5, 2005
    I've got some great land 75 miles east of Hawaii for sale
    Like all of you, and 2 out of 3 people on the planet that have email, I get these PayPal spoofs all the time. My account has a bad reputation. My account is requiring an update. My account is non-functional. My account is out of date. My account agreement is nearing the termination date. My account needs to be moved, massaged, managed, mangled, etc.

    Only one problem. I don't have a PayPal account. Never had one.

    Gee, ya think it's a scam? headscratch.gif
    My Smugmug
    "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
Sign In or Register to comment.