Paypal scam

[DerStrom8]

Sounds like you've got some malware on your PC which is re-directing you to a spoof site. You'll need to eliminate that before other personal info gets into the wrong hands.

I was wondering about that. I've done a virus scan, I've cleared my cache/cookies, etc and still no luck. Anything I might have missed? I have Sophos antivirus (came with my PC), but I'm not very confident in it at all. I'm thinking of trying MSE, like KISS suggested.

 

[DerStrom8]

Sounds like you've got some malware on your PC which is re-directing you to a spoof site. You'll need to eliminate that before other personal info gets into the wrong hands.

Actually, something just occurred to me. It does the same thing when I'm on a different computer, so it can't be linked with my laptop. It must be linked with the account somehow....

 

[alec_t]

.....unless the other computer is also infected

 

[DerStrom8]

.....unless the other computer is also infected

Not sure how it could be. I never use that one, but I thought I'd try it that one time, and it happened to do the same thing....

 

[JMW]

Have you tried contacting your bank? I had a similar problem with a similar service several years ago. My bank (BoA) was able to get a real phone number and a contact name.
Let us know how you make out.

 

[Mikebits]

Contacting paypal by phone is your best solution. They may even have sw to clean your drives.

 

[Reloadron]

Wow, that sucks DerStorm. Since you have tried using a different PC I wouldn't think your PC has malware that is redirecting. However, for future reference, using a Windows OS you may want to give this a read. While Google is not your problem give a lookie at the Host file on your system.

Ron

 

[DerStrom8]

Have you tried contacting your bank? I had a similar problem with a similar service several years ago. My bank (BoA) was able to get a real phone number and a contact name.
Let us know how you make out.

Yes, thanks. I contacted my bank as soon as I realized it was probably a scam, so they've been on the lookout for mysterious activity. I'm not sure about the phone number thing. I'll have to ask 'em.

Contacting paypal by phone is your best solution. They may even have sw to clean your drives.

Thanks. I actually had a stroke of luck this morning, when I got another email from "service" (supposedly from paypal), explaining that they needed more information, etc. Basically a copy of the original, which I deleted. I forwarded that one to spoof@paypal.com, and I am waiting for a response. We'll see how that goes....

Wow, that sucks DerStorm. Since you have tried using a different PC I wouldn't think your PC has malware that is redirecting. However, for future reference, using a Windows OS you may want to give this a read. While Google is not your problem give a lookie at the Host file on your system.

Thanks a lot, Ron. I'll take a look

Good day, everyone!

 

[DerStrom8]

Now what???

So I got another email from "paypal" asking me to go there and give my information. I'm not sure if I mentioned this already (I should have read my earlier posts before adding this one ), but I forwarded it to spoof@paypal.com. Today I got home from work to find a response from spoof-review@paypal.com. Basically, it tells me that it's under review, and to go to the resolution center and click on something and something to get somewhere etc (can't remember exactly). I went ahead there and basically it's telling me to give them my information. Utterly useless!

So my question: If you forward an email to spoof@paypal.com, and get a response from spoof-review@paypal.com, is it fake? It certainly doesn't seem right, what it's telling me to do. Is it possible that "spoof-review" is controlled by the scammers, who were able to receive emails sent to spoof@paypal.com? I may be over-paranoid, but something here seems "phishy" (pun intended). I wonder if someone with a good (un-hacked) paypal account could do me a favor: Log into your account, go to "security and protection" at the top of the page, click the orange button saying "identify a problem", go to "I think someone may be using my account without my permission" and go to the "unauthorized activity" tab, and "my account has been limited", does it say something about limiting access, and to unlock or un-restrict access, you need to provide personal info? I'm just curious if this is how paypal works or if it's another part of that scam?

I know it's quite a bit to ask, but I would very much appreciate your help.

Thanks guys!
Regards

P.S. I just realized all those addresses and things are showing up as links. I'd suggest NOT clicking them, just in case.....

 

[shortbus=]

When you go to Paypal, does the lock symbol on your browser header turn on? I use internet explorer and when on Paypal the top header bar turns green and the lock symbol comes up, that *should* mean a secure site.

 

[DerStrom8]

When you go to Paypal, does the lock symbol on your browser header turn on? I use internet explorer and when on Paypal the top header bar turns green and the lock symbol comes up, that *should* mean a secure site.

Yes it does, I get a short green bar with a lock and "PayPal" printed in it, at the start of the url bar, but the site itself is asking me for personal info that paypal would never ask for....

 

[jpanhalt]

1) My response from spoof@paypal came from spoof@paypal, not spoof-review. That was in April, so things may have changed too.

2) I followed your up to a point. Here is the page on my account has been limited: View attachment 64361

John

 

[DerStrom8]

1) My response from spoof@paypal came from spoof@paypal, not spoof-review. That was in April, so things may have changed too.

2) I followed your up to a point. Here is the page on my account has been limited: View attachment 64361

John

Thanks. That's exactly what mine's showing. Not sure about the whole spoof-review thing though. Thanks a lot for looking into it.

So back to my question.....Now what??

 

[jpanhalt]

I think at that point, you are in effect re-registering for PayPal to remove the restrictions, so you will need to provide personal information.

I would take the risk and then monitor my account carefully. That is, if you want to keep a PayPal account. Remember, billions of people still don't have PayPal accounts and are able to live in our PayPal world.

John

 

[DerStrom8]

I think at that point, you are in effect re-registering for PayPal to remove the restrictions, so you will need to provide personal information.

I would take the risk and then monitor my account carefully. That is, if you want to keep a PayPal account. Remember, billions of people still don't have PayPal accounts and are able to live in our PayPal world.

John

They're asking for my social security, proof of address, and a photo ID. There is absolutely NO WAY i'm going to send that to them.

True, but there are some things I need personally, and the only way to take care of that is to have paypal. It's just a bad situation for me

 

[jpanhalt]

They're asking for my social security, proof of address, and a photo ID. There is absolutely NO WAY i'm going to send that to them.

That reminds me of some of Martin Gardner's puzzles (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_gardner). I used to read him religiously.

It appears that you have not two, but three choices:
1) Do what PayPal wants you to do;
2) Rearrange your whole life and register a different PayPal name; or
3) Live without PayPal.

I have a PayPal account, but I could live without it. Almost the only time I use it is for eBay, which is becoming less and less frequent as eBay is becoming more and more become just an advertising forum and the higher priced option to plain old dickering.

John

 

[DerStrom8]

That reminds me of some of Martin Gardner's puzzles (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_gardner). I used to read him religiously.

It appears that you have not two, but three choices:
1) Do what PayPal wants you to do;
2) Rearrange your whole life and register a different PayPal name; or
3) Live without PayPal.

I have a PayPal account, but I could live without it. Almost the only time I use it is for eBay, which is becoming less and less frequent as eBay is becoming more and more become just an advertising forum and the higher priced option to plain old dickering.

John

The way I see it, doing 1 would lead to 2 anyway, since it most likely isn't even paypal. 3 isn't really an option, since there are a few things for which I NEED paypal. It won't accept any other type of payment. The closest I can get is just plain 2, but that would mean closing the account I have now, opening a new one under a different name, probably under a different bank account number, and even then, if I still get re-directed to the phishing page, they'll get all THAT information too. To borrow the phrase, I'm screwed

 

[jpanhalt]

That a classic risk versus benefit decision analysis. Your choice. How much is your time worth? Can your bank put a limit on PayPal deductions, i.e., outside PayPal walls. Et cetera.

John

 

[DerStrom8]

That a classic risk versus benefit decision analysis. Your choice. How much is your time worth? Can your bank put a limit on PayPal deductions, i.e., outside PayPal walls. Et cetera.

John

Yeah, I understand the position. My paypal is directly connected to my bank account, so I could probably have my bank put a limit on the amount withdrawn, and to let me know of any transactions. In the meantime, I suppose I could borrow a friend's paypal for the important transactions. I'll need to look into it, but I'll still probably call them (paypal) and see what the heck is going on.

Something I guess I forgot to mention--A friend of mine was able to confirm (by reading the source code for the paypal page where it asked for my info) that it was, indeed, a phishing page. There were subtle hints here and there that proved it. So that REALLY rules out #1, I think....

 

[DerStrom8]

Well after about two months of this garbage with paypal, I finally got the following email:

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Your PayPal Account Has Been Returned to Regular Standing
----------------------------------------------------------------------


Dear Matthew *****,

We have completed our review and have returned your account to regular
standing.

Thank you for your patience during this process and for helping to make
PayPal the safest and most trusted online payment solution.

Sincerely,
PayPal

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I log in and I get a normal screen--no banners or anything saying "go to the resolution center".

View attachment 64749

But when I go to where I'd go to add funds from my bank account, I get the following screen:

View attachment 64750

But of course, when I go to the "resolution center", I get this:

View attachment 64751

Notice there is nothing going on (no current cases). It won't let me transfer money from my account to paypal until it's resolved, yet there's nothing to resolve. Hopefully that'll go away in a day or two, but you never know. I'm hoping for the best.

Just wanted to let you all know what's going on.

Thanks for the support!
Regards