PayPal is a fraud

[Dymphna]

OMG, I couldn't believe it. Millions of people use PayPal. Everything I've ever heard about it has been positive, but the fact is, It is run by frauds.

I got this email today, telling me that my Paypal account was inactive and that to prevent it's being suspended, I had to re-enter my information INCLUDING MY CREDIT CARD NUMBER!!

The thing is, I've never had a PayPal account. I couldn't believe it, I thought maybe I'd made a mistake, I've been on Ebay quite a bit but never bought anything, my husband has an account, so I tell him to buy stuff. I actually went to PayPal's website, thinking, maybe MAYBE, I'd somehow forgotten that I had an account. It didn't acknowledge my email address as being in their system. But while I was there I noticed the fine print mentioned the company "Providian." That's when I KNEW it was fraud.

Several years ago, Providian sent me a solicitation for a credit card promising they could beat any other interest rate I had. At that time card rates were running 14-19%. I had one card with a fixed rate card at 12.75%, so I figured, If they could match that, Great!

After giving them proof of credit card rates, balances etc., and authorizing balance transfers, they came back with a VARIABLE rate of 12.99%. I complained and they gave me a song and dance about the average rate of my cards blah, blah. I transfered the balances back and closed the account.

Two years later, I got notice of a class action suit against them for false claims and overcharging interest rates etc. As a result of the settlement, I got about $300. Now I get preapproved credit card notices from them about once a week.

These are the people running PayPal.

 

[Oz]

Sounds more like you were a victim of someone stealing your credit card number. These emails go all over the internet, saying that you have to validate your Paypal account. Then, you click on a site that looks like PayPal, but is really a hacked imitation.

If the email didn't take you to https://www.paypal.com (notice the "s" in the URL) then your credit card number has been stolen and you should report this to your credit card company at once.

This isn't something Paypal did to you. It's an Internet thief spamming you and looking legitimate enough to get you to enter your credit card info into their site. Not only that, but if you do have a Paypal account, then you also probably gave them your Paypal password, and they can transfer funds from your bank account through Paypal.

Lesson learned - never enter your credit card information online, anywhere, because of an email you receive.

PS. Paypal is run by the folks at EBay...

 

[willie]

Your post gives me the impression that you think Paypal sent the email and you did respond with what they asked. I hope I misunderstood..

A couple of months ago I got the same type of email except I was to re-enter my info for ebay. Ebay makes it very clear that they will never ask for this info. I reported it to ebay and now they send me an email once a week saying they are still chasing him/her. I do think ebay is taking it seriously.

BTW the return address to send my credit car number was ebays.com (with an s)

 

[vraiblonde]

eBay takes that stuff very seriously! I get that crap all the time from someone pretending to be PayPal or eBay, saying that my account is whacked and Ineed to re-enter my credit card #. I forward them on to eBay so they can track those people down and KILL THEM!

 

[Admin]

Post the email you allegedly received from PayPal here, along with the mail headers, and I'll tell you who it came from, or who it didn't come from more likely.

PayPal is owned by ebay. You were probably scammed/spammed by some creep looking for someone naive enough to go to their bogus website and enter enough info so they could start using your credit card to buy goodies for themselves which they will later sell and convert into cash.

If you in fact provided any info to this website, you should call your CC company yesterday and report the card compromised.

 

[Dymphna]

Your post gives me the impression that you think Paypal sent the email and you did respond with what they asked. I hope I misunderstood..

Yes you misunderstood. I most definately did not give anyone my credit card number. I am reluctant to give that out even when I have sought them out, forget about giving it to someone who sent ME an email.

If the email didn't take you to https://www.paypal.com (notice the "s" in the URL) then your credit card number has been stolen and you should report this to your credit card company at once.

The email DID take me to this site. I even doubled checked by clicking on your link. They DO NOT and NEVER had my credit card number, so there is nothing to report.

Post the email you allegedly received from PayPal here, along with the mail headers, and I'll tell you who it came from, or who it didn't come from more likely.

I deleted the email before I even posted this thread, I kicked myself for it but it's gone from my trash too. Before I did, I sent them a nasty message, I noted the reply address was "paysecurity@paypal.com" It was addressed to me specifically without any visable cc's.

I know this sounds like a spam scam. Lord knows I am on enough scam lists, but everything seemed to check out as legit. It did link to the PayPal site, of course, anyone can put any link in an email, but the return address seemed legit too.

 

[Dymphna]

Re: eBay Passwords were compromised

Originally posted by PoliticalAnlyst
Some of you received an email stating that your credit card information has been stolen. Rest assured, YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION HAS NOT been jeopardized as it is not part of our records. The only item that may have been compromised is your eBay password.

In response to the attack on our systems, we've performed a security audit. It determined that there are no current security holes and the last time any existed was approximately four months ago. We have taken additional steps to improve our existing security measures and performance. There are no security deficiencies that would put your information and our systems at risk.

To protect yourself CHANGE YOUR EBAY PASSWORD IMMEDIATELY and any other password that is the same as your eBay password. This is quick and easy."

I don't even have an Ebay account. I only use a hotmail email and you cannot get an Ebay account with a free email address unless you give them a credit card number. I never felt comfortable doing that, so I just tell my husband to bid for me using his account.

 

[SxyPrincess]

Originally posted by willie
A couple of months ago I got the same type of email except I was to re-enter my info for ebay. Ebay makes it very clear that they will never ask for this info. I reported it to ebay and now they send me an email once a week saying they are still chasing him/her. I do think ebay is taking it seriously.

I received the same e-mail(s) several weeks ago, but haven't responded. I checked my E-bay account last night, and it's still active. I still have the potentially "fraud" e-mail, so I'll have to investigate further.

Thanks!

 

[Christy]

FYI

--Data Thieves Target PayPal Users
(22 May 2003)
PayPal customers are being targeted by data thieves intent on obtaining
personal information that can be used to steal identities. Some PayPal
users have received e-mail messages with "PayPal Verification" in the
subject line; the message offers a link to a site that appears to be
official but is not. It asks for users' names, credit card numbers,
mothers' maiden names, bank account numbers and other sensitive
information. The site was registered in the name of someone whose identity had been stolen.

http://www.securityfocus.com/news/5039

 

[alex]

Okay so now I know why I have been getting messages from Paypayl saying my cc was expiring soon. It doesn't expire until sometime in 2004. Luckily I have just been ignoring/deleteing this messages. If I get another one I will forward it to Paypal.

 

[willie]

When I get the ebay scam it is obvious. ebay is spelled with a cap 'E' or it is 'ebays'. I am getting daily phoney requests from paypal that look genuine. How do they do that? I'm hesitant to forward it to paypal because it looks like the same address asking for my password. I've never had a paypal account.

 

[Admin]

Please post these bogus ebay mail messages here as an education tool for others. If you are using Outlook or othewise know how to get the email headers, please post them here too (please edit out your email address before posting).

Here's how to get the email headers from Outlook:

1. Open the message in it's own window.
2. Select View->Options...
3. At the bottom of the pop-up options window, is a text box labelled "internet headers"
4. Select and copy this text and paste it into your thread. We'll be happy to show people how to spot bogus email based on the internet header.

 

[willie]

Here's the latest one:



Security Measures

Dear Paypal Member.
We are currently performing regular maintenance of our security measures. Your account has been randomly selected for this maintenance, and you will now be taken through a series of identity verification pages.

Protecting the security of your PayPal account is our primary concern, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.



Please do not reply to this e-mail. Mail sent to this address cannot be answered.




The word "pages" is the link. they don't want you to reply because it will go to the genuine paypal. It was marked as being sent by: support@paypal.com <support@paypal.com>

 

[Oz]

If you still have the email, reply to it and see what happens. I'd be curious to know what the REAL PayPal says when you ask them about it.

Also, what URL are you taken to when they are trying to "verify" your info?

 

[willie]

Originally posted by Oz
If you still have the email, reply to it and see what happens. I'd be curious to know what the REAL PayPal says when you ask them about it.

Also, what URL are you taken to when they are trying to "verify" your info?

It must have been shut down. The URL doesn't go anywhere. The address was poypol.com

 

[Steve]

Woohoo! I'm part of the club! I got my PayPal notice on the 11th but just saw it today.

Let's see. PayPal wanted me to confirm my CC# and my ATM PIN! Not to mention my account password. Wow! Confirm my account password! Darn, you'd think I'd do that after I log in to PayPal. ATM PIN!!! :

Anyway, I clicked the link using blank fields and it took me to a web hosting service in Portland, Oregon, but displayed the message "Can't find page" so I think this variant has been shut down. I forwarded the e-mail to PayPal for their enjoyment.

 

[Admin]

Here's the dirtbag:

Whois info for poypol.com:

Registrant:
PP CCCP Ltd.
Veliaminovo 13
Guatemala City, R810JA
GT

The domain has a registrar lock to prevent it from being used. I believe Guatemala is, or used to be, one of those countries where you could show up with $20,000 USD, deposit it in their banks and be bestowed with citizenship and a passport.

PP CCCP Ltd? Take a guess.

 

[Otter]

Originally posted by Admin
PP CCCP Ltd? Take a guess.

Poppa Yuri and Uncle Nikita??

 

[Oz]

Originally posted by Admin
The domain has a registrar lock to prevent it from being used.

The Registrar Lock is standard with many registrar's. I generally Lock all of my (125) domains too, just to make sure they can't be easily transferred away from me without my knowledge.

Sounds like a rather thorough Internet crook!

 

[Admin]

I don't think this is the same thing:

http://opensrs.org/cgi-bin/whois.cgi

The contacts are listed as abuse@controller.net. If PayPal hit the registrar with a court order/injunction, they would have to pull the registration from the owner and lock it so no one could use it. SOP.