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I assumed PayPal was safe to use. I was wrong.

This is the complaint I sent to SPOOF – just got a standard ‘thank you’ response, absolutely not dialogue.

I understand you are recommending the information below to ensure that unsuspecting clients don’t fall prey to fraudulent mailing scams. I believe that this approach is completely incorrect. Firstly people do not generally take the time to read this stuff (unless after the fact) and secondly, YOU have the responsibility to make it IMPOSSIBLE for a fraudulent mail to cause a client to loose money as a result of using a paypal service (like selling). I have been in the software business for 30 years and have even created several on line purchasing applications which utilized PAYPAL. I have been into the nitty gritty of the sandbox process. I have just recently lost 700 EURO while using PAYPAL – due to a fraudulent mail, very skillfully put together by a sophisticated outfit in Africa. Now, I did not take the time to consider this could have been a fraudulent mail – I did not take the time to study your security system and your little tips to stop this happening. I ASSUMED THAT A COMPANY LIKE PAYPAL WOULD MAKE FRAUDULENT MAIL INTERVENTIONS INTO YOUR PROCESS IMPOSSIBLE. I ASSUMED YOUR SYSTEM WOULD BE IDIOT PROOF IN THIS REGARD. FOR EXAMPLE – NO INFORMATION / DIRECTIONS SHOULD EVER BE SENT BY EMAIL TO ANYONE AND THIS SHOULD BE MADE CLEAR TO ALL USERS WHEN THEY ENTER THEIR ACCOUNT – VIA A POP UP WINDOW IN FLASHING BLOODY RED IF A MESSAGE ABOUT A TRANSACTION NEEDS TO BE COMMUNICATED TO A CLIENT, THEN THEY SHOULD BE INFORMED VIA SMS OR AN EMAIL THAT A MESSAGE IS WAITING FOR THEM IN THEIR ACCOUNT AND THEY SHOULD LOG IN TO THEIR ACCOUNT TO READ IT. I DONT THINK THAT’s SO DIFFICULT ?????????????????? WELL IT MUST BE, I SEE IN THE BLOGS THAT THIS PROBLEM I HAD APPEARED BACK AS EARLY AS 2010. To cap it all, when I eventually navigate my way through your horrendous telephone answering system – I am told the there was no possibility of compensation, and worse still, I really should NOT HAVE BEEN SO STUPID AS TO FALL FOR THIS SCAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOW I AM NOT GOING TO ATTACH ANYTHING TO THIS MAIL – IF YOU WANT COPIES OF THE MAILS I CAN SEND THEM. BOTTOM LINE for me is GOODBYE PAYPAL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! james kane

10 ways to recognize fake (spoof) emails Generic greetings. Many spoof emails begin with a general greeting, such as: “Dear PayPal member.” If you do not see your first and last name, be suspicious and do not click on any links or button. A fake sender’s address. A spoof email may include a forged email address in the “From” field. This field is easily altered. A false sense of urgency. Many spoof emails try to deceive you with the threat that your account is in jeopardy if you don’t update it ASAP. They may also state that an unauthorized transaction has recently occurred on your account, or claim PayPal is updating its accounts and needs information fast. Fake links. Always check where a link is going before you click. Move your mouse over it and look at the URL in your browser or email status bar. A fraudulent link is dangerous. If you click on one, it could: Direct you to a spoof website that tries to collect your personal data. Install spyware on your system. Spyware is an application that can enable a hacker to monitor your actions and steal any passwords or credit card numbers you type online. Cause you to download a virus that could disable your computer. Emails that appear to be websites. Some emails will look like a website in order to get you to enter personal information. PayPal never asks for personal information in an email. Deceptive URLs. Only enter your PayPal password on PayPal pages. These begin with https://www.paypal.com/ If you see an @ sign in the middle of a URL, there’s a good chance this is a spoof. Legitimate companies use a domain name (e.g. https://www.company.com). Even if a URL contains the word “PayPal,” it may not be a PayPal site. Examples of deceptive URLs include: www.paypalsecure.com, www.paypa1.com, www.secure-paypal.com, and www.paypalnet.com. Always log in to PayPal by opening a new web browser and typing in the following: https://www.paypal.com/ Never log in to PayPal from a link in an email message. Misspellings and bad grammar. Spoof emails often contain misspellings, incorrect grammar, missing words, and gaps in logic. Mistakes also help fraudsters avoid spam filters. Unsafe sites. The term “https” should always precede any website address where you enter personal information. The “s” stands for secure. If you don’t see “https,” you’re not in a secure web session, and you should not enter data. Pop-up boxes. PayPal will never use a pop-up box in an email as pop-ups are not secure. Attachments. Like fake links, attachments are frequently used in spoof emails and are dangerous. Never click on an attachment. It could cause you to download spyware or a virus. PayPal will never email you an attachment or a software update to install on your computer.

Two Fake Emails

PayPal Is Very Wrong

Posted: May 21, 2012 at 4:31 pm