Watch out for this PayPal scam!!

[comicwiz]

 

It will come in the form of an email message. The picture above is how it looks.

 

This is the link it takes you too... faking the processing page.

 

It then takes you to this page

 

Anyone know if there is a paypal email (like spoof@ebay.com) for these types of scams?

[Elvis]

Are you sure about this? Where did you hear about this scam?

 

[500Club]

I've been sent this as well... an immediate delete when I see it.

[comicwiz]

Its pretty believable, eh?

 

I'm sure it will fool a great many people, but if you look at the address it takes you too, that is not a paypal ip address. As well, if you wait until the sign-up form, you will notice that the links to your account aren't there. The most believable part is the log-out link, which is a pretty easy link to duplicate on a scam like this.

 

But the sealer is that there is no "s" at the end of http to indicate its hitting a secure area of their server, and no symbol at the bottom of the browser with a padlock.

 

Finally, just log-in to your paypal account through www.paypal.com, and you will see there is not alert for this information.. which is the first thing I always do when I recieve messages like this...

[chrisco37]

Thank's for the head's up, Wiz!

 

Chris

[comicwiz]

One last thing to point out, it looks like the person sending this scam email is sending it from here which means tracing down the scammer will be near impossible. He's using a web-based email service, whereby anyone can setup an account with fake information about them. And even when you've caught the person, the laws in Thailand are pretty severe against this type of activity, but international laws to prosecute are fairly lax, and likely the scammer will get away with nothing more than a slap in the wrist, if that at all.

 

Anyhow, just watch out for this one.

[Elvis]

Good catch Wiz...

[comicwiz]

Got your back Chris...

[comicwiz]

My pleasure Elvis.

 

One last thing I want to point out... with scams like this, the scammer is likely using one of two things; either a cloaking -script, or an anonymous smtp (email) server. Nothing new to anyone whose done broadcast emails, but the problem is that whenever these technologies are used, they usually hijack an innocent persons ip address. In doing this, a lot of times, the authorities are pointed to the wrong person. It's similar to the phone switches telemarketers use to disguise the point of origin from where the call is being made, but far more advanced, and highly difficult to trace.

[AlexH]

Thanks Joseph. Nice catch.

[ghoulaid]

I've read about these email scams in the past and FINALLY got one. It does have you fooled for a moment (the first time) but not enough to actually fill in the info (for me anyway). I got suspicious when they ask for your social security number and drivers license # ! I really wised up when I noticed the email was sent to one of my alternate email addresses that I DON'T have registered with PayPal!