10 April 2009

Phishing Scam Alert


I am going to assume that since this has happened to me, it may happen to some of you...

I was going through my email last night, when I came across a very authentic-looking email from PayPal. It stated that on 3 January 2009, an unauthorized account accessed my information and, as a security measure, access to some of my more sensitive account information would be denied. The message then informed me that in order to unlock these security measures, I would need to click on the link provided and re-enter my account information.

Naturally, I was concerned, so I opened a new tab and logged into my account
directly through the official PayPal site. When I arrived on my dashboard, there was no mention of any security breach. I then clicked on the History Tab and checked my entire History. Everything was as it should be.

Thinking something may be a little "phishy", I located the Security Tab on the Left Sidebar and clicked it. I then Located a tab for Reporting Phishing Scams and clicked that. I followed the instructions, which stated that I was to forward the email to them and then delete it. Later today, this is the reply I received from PayPal:


Thanks for forwarding that suspicious-looking email.
You're right - it was a phishing attempt, and we're working on stopping the fraud. By reporting the problem, you've made a difference!

Identity thieves try to trick you into revealing your password
or other personal information through phishing emails
and fake websites. To learn more about online safety,
click "Security Center" on any PayPal webpage.

Every email counts. When you forward
suspicious-looking emails to spoof@paypal.com,
you help keep yourself and others safe from identity
theft.

Your account security is very important to us, so we
appreciate your extra effort.

Thanks,

PayPal


I know you are already aware of this, but I feel that I should reiterate it anyway: whenever you receive an email such as the one described above, NEVER follow the link provided. Always open a new tab and go DIRECTLY to the official company website. If everything looks normal, then contact the company directly and let them know about the email you received. More than likely, they will have links that you can follow to report the suspicious email.

I realize that many of you out there use PayPal, so please pass this warning along. For Esty Shop Owners, please pass this warning along in your forums.
Thank you

11 comments:

  1. Good reminder to be very cautious about emails asking for personal information. Thanks for posting!

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  2. BeadedTail: You're welcome. I couldn't believe when that showed-up in my inbox.

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  3. Thanks for sharing this with us. God bless and Happy easter.

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  4. This happened to me too! Fortunately, it seemed phishy to me so I did the same thing as you and also got the same reply back from PayPal. It bugs me there are people that actually spend their time complicating our lives with these type of emails trying to steal personal information from others. It's just too bad people can't all respect one another, what a different world this would be if only that were so!

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  5. Jena Isle: You're welcome, I hope that this will help someone:)

    Karen, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry": I'm glad you were able to catch it and I totally agree with you, it's just amazing the lengths some people go to.

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  6. My dad actually responded to that once, a long time ago. :-/

    Mom made that artichoke-spinach stuffing again today and cut her finger whilst removing the rind from the brie - she says it's hard to type! ;-)

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  7. P.S. Love the new look!

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  8. Judy: Thank you. I know that this sort of thing goes on all the time, but this is the first time it has happened to me, so I figured I might as well let others know what is going on out there.

    Free Cracked Software: Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoy my site.

    Lux: I'm sorry to hear about your finger. I did the same thing when I made it. I'm glad you like the new template, I still need to do some tweaking:)

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  9. thanks for the info!

    i think you saved many people from getting scammed :)

    cheers! :D

    Viccisitudes of Life

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  10. Shu Fen: Thank you, I hope it helped someone. Take care:)

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  11. I have received this exact email several times in the past. I did exactly what you did and reported it. I have also received on from my bank and reacted similarly. I never click on any link in an email...I always go directly to the official site. It's a very good practice! You did good!

    (Dead link removed. Comment originally made on...April 11, 2009 4:23 PM)

    ReplyDelete

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