It's a very long story but to sum it up quickly, I was had by people using "phishing" emails. They were sending emails posing as "paypal" I clicked on the link in the emails and handed over my entire identity:upset:
The "phishing" has been going on for four days and, like an idiot, I just kept clicking and entering.
I really thought I was "smart" about giving out my personal information and that something like this only happens to really gullible people or really old people who don't have their wits any longer. I couldn't have been more WRONG!
These emails looked very legitimate........just like what I've received in the past. The emails were telling me that someone was trying to access my personal information and that I needed to verify my identity. Boy did I ever!
I called paypal and was told that every email, since December 11th, that I responded to was fake!
I've listed below what paypal sent me after I had to cancel everything and file a fraud warning with all three credit bureaus to help keep me safe in the future. I should have known before....I hope it helps someone now.
PayPal periodically contacts our customers by phone to verify activity on
the PayPal account is authorized. During these phone calls, we will never
ask you for your full credit card, or bank account information. By speaking
to our customers, we ensure you are in control of your account and this
further secures our system.
The terms "spoofing" and "phishing" are industry phrases used to describe
the act of collecting personal information by using a fake email, website,
or phone calls to entice victims into entering personal information such as
your birthday, credit card numbers, bank accounts, passwords, etc. This
sensitive information allows perpetrators to commit identity theft, credit
card, and Internet fraud. These emails and sites appear identical to real
ones, however, they are not. Unfortunately, some people fall prey to such
scams and unknowingly surrender their password, credit card number, and a
wide array of other personal information.
At PayPal, we care about the security of your account and financial
information, therefore, we offer Security Tips that allow us to work
together to protect against fraud.
Please remember these steps to help protect your PayPal account from
Unauthorized Account Access.
Emails - Make sure they are sent from PayPal
1. If you receive an email and are unsure whether it is from PayPal,
open a new web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer or Netscape) and type in
the following: https://www.paypal.com/ Do not click on any link in an email
which seems suspicious to you.
2. Some spoof websites will send emails that pretend to come from
PayPal to entice you to log in at the spoof URL. Be extremely cautious of
emails that direct you to a website that asks for sensitive information.
3. Stay safe; don't respond to emails asking for any of the following:
? Your password and email address combination
? Credit card numbers
? Bank account numbers
? Social security number
? Drivers license number
? First and Last Names
If you have surrendered financial or password information to a suspicious
email or website, promptly report this to the issuing institution as well
as change your password and security answers on your PayPal account. This
can be completed in the Profile section of your account.
Email Greeting -
? PayPal will never send you an email with the greeting "Dear PayPal
User" or "Dear PayPal Member." Emails initiated by PayPal will address you
by your first and last name, or the business name associated with your
PayPal account.
? Please note that the automatic response you get from us may not
address you by name.
Always log into the PayPal site
? PayPal will only ask for information after you have securely logged
in
? For your security, PayPal will never ask you to re-enter your full
bank account, credit, or debit card number without providing you at least
the last two digits of the number. These digits let you know that we
already know the full number and are asking you for the rest of it. Beware
of any website or email asking for these numbers for "verification" that
does not prove that it knows the number by providing at least the last two
digits
? Use Account Guard on the eBay toolbar. If you use Internet Explorer,
download the eBay toolbar. Account Guard helps ensure you are on PayPal or
eBay
Website pages - make sure that they are hosted by PayPal
1. When using the PayPal service, always ensure that the URL address
listed at the top of the browser is
https://www.paypal.com/. This ensures that the website is secure. Even if
the URL contains the word 'PayPal', it may not be a PayPal webpage.
2. Look for the "lock" symbol that appears in the lower right hand
corner of the browser. This symbol indicates that it is a secure site.
Do not download attachments, software updates, or any application to your
computer via a link you received in an email. PayPal will never send you an
attachment or software update to install on your computer.
Passwords - keep it on PayPal
1. Use a unique password for the PayPal account and change it every
30-60 days.
2. The password should be one that is not used on any other site,
service, or login.
If you think you have received a fraudulent email, forward the entire
email, including the header information to spoof@paypal.com and then delete
the email from your mailbox. Never click any links or attachments in a
suspicious email.
Go to the Security Center at the bottom of any PayPal webpage to learn
additional tips for staying safe online and to find tools that you can use
to increase your security.
Just this morning we got another "phishing" email from Bank of America. It seems someone was trying to access our online information there too! We don't have a Bank of America account I will know better this time!
:l Rachele:l
The "phishing" has been going on for four days and, like an idiot, I just kept clicking and entering.
I really thought I was "smart" about giving out my personal information and that something like this only happens to really gullible people or really old people who don't have their wits any longer. I couldn't have been more WRONG!
These emails looked very legitimate........just like what I've received in the past. The emails were telling me that someone was trying to access my personal information and that I needed to verify my identity. Boy did I ever!
I called paypal and was told that every email, since December 11th, that I responded to was fake!
I've listed below what paypal sent me after I had to cancel everything and file a fraud warning with all three credit bureaus to help keep me safe in the future. I should have known before....I hope it helps someone now.
PayPal periodically contacts our customers by phone to verify activity on
the PayPal account is authorized. During these phone calls, we will never
ask you for your full credit card, or bank account information. By speaking
to our customers, we ensure you are in control of your account and this
further secures our system.
The terms "spoofing" and "phishing" are industry phrases used to describe
the act of collecting personal information by using a fake email, website,
or phone calls to entice victims into entering personal information such as
your birthday, credit card numbers, bank accounts, passwords, etc. This
sensitive information allows perpetrators to commit identity theft, credit
card, and Internet fraud. These emails and sites appear identical to real
ones, however, they are not. Unfortunately, some people fall prey to such
scams and unknowingly surrender their password, credit card number, and a
wide array of other personal information.
At PayPal, we care about the security of your account and financial
information, therefore, we offer Security Tips that allow us to work
together to protect against fraud.
Please remember these steps to help protect your PayPal account from
Unauthorized Account Access.
Emails - Make sure they are sent from PayPal
1. If you receive an email and are unsure whether it is from PayPal,
open a new web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer or Netscape) and type in
the following: https://www.paypal.com/ Do not click on any link in an email
which seems suspicious to you.
2. Some spoof websites will send emails that pretend to come from
PayPal to entice you to log in at the spoof URL. Be extremely cautious of
emails that direct you to a website that asks for sensitive information.
3. Stay safe; don't respond to emails asking for any of the following:
? Your password and email address combination
? Credit card numbers
? Bank account numbers
? Social security number
? Drivers license number
? First and Last Names
If you have surrendered financial or password information to a suspicious
email or website, promptly report this to the issuing institution as well
as change your password and security answers on your PayPal account. This
can be completed in the Profile section of your account.
Email Greeting -
? PayPal will never send you an email with the greeting "Dear PayPal
User" or "Dear PayPal Member." Emails initiated by PayPal will address you
by your first and last name, or the business name associated with your
PayPal account.
? Please note that the automatic response you get from us may not
address you by name.
Always log into the PayPal site
? PayPal will only ask for information after you have securely logged
in
? For your security, PayPal will never ask you to re-enter your full
bank account, credit, or debit card number without providing you at least
the last two digits of the number. These digits let you know that we
already know the full number and are asking you for the rest of it. Beware
of any website or email asking for these numbers for "verification" that
does not prove that it knows the number by providing at least the last two
digits
? Use Account Guard on the eBay toolbar. If you use Internet Explorer,
download the eBay toolbar. Account Guard helps ensure you are on PayPal or
eBay
Website pages - make sure that they are hosted by PayPal
1. When using the PayPal service, always ensure that the URL address
listed at the top of the browser is
https://www.paypal.com/. This ensures that the website is secure. Even if
the URL contains the word 'PayPal', it may not be a PayPal webpage.
2. Look for the "lock" symbol that appears in the lower right hand
corner of the browser. This symbol indicates that it is a secure site.
Do not download attachments, software updates, or any application to your
computer via a link you received in an email. PayPal will never send you an
attachment or software update to install on your computer.
Passwords - keep it on PayPal
1. Use a unique password for the PayPal account and change it every
30-60 days.
2. The password should be one that is not used on any other site,
service, or login.
If you think you have received a fraudulent email, forward the entire
email, including the header information to spoof@paypal.com and then delete
the email from your mailbox. Never click any links or attachments in a
suspicious email.
Go to the Security Center at the bottom of any PayPal webpage to learn
additional tips for staying safe online and to find tools that you can use
to increase your security.
Just this morning we got another "phishing" email from Bank of America. It seems someone was trying to access our online information there too! We don't have a Bank of America account I will know better this time!
:l Rachele:l
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