If you use PayPal, a new scam is making the rounds that could put your account at serious risk. The attack is particularly dangerous because, at first glance, the emails look completely legitimate and appear to come directly from PayPal.
How the Scam Works
Victims receive an email that looks like it’s from [email protected]. Since the message uses spoofing—a technique where scammers disguise the sender’s email address—it appears genuine in most inboxes. The email warns the recipient that a new payment profile has been added and that a $910 charge is about to be processed.
This shock tactic is designed to panic the victim into clicking a link provided in the message. The link then leads them to a fake setup page, where they are tricked into allowing the scammer to add a secondary user to their PayPal account. Once added, the scammer has the ability to issue payments and empty the account.
Warning Signs and Protection Tips
To avoid falling victim, it’s important to know the red flags:
- Be suspicious of urgent emails claiming money is leaving your account.
- Check the sender address carefully, but remember spoofed emails can still look authentic.
- Do not click on links or phone numbers in suspicious emails. Instead, log in directly at PayPal.com to review your account.
- Search any phone numbers or email addresses mentioned in the message to see if they’re linked to known scams.
- Always enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your PayPal account for an added layer of security.
- Forward suspicious emails to [email protected] before deleting them.
PayPal has also warned users to be careful with unexpected invoices or money requests. Scammers may send fake payment requests hoping victims will call the included phone number. If you don’t recognize the requester, ignore and delete the message immediately.
Staying alert and following these steps can help prevent fraudsters from gaining access to your PayPal account.
