Home Forums Networks & Cross-Platform Networking Fake Email "from" Paypal

THANKS TO THIS SITE I today identified a fake email apparently coming from PayPal today.

The email is as follows:
=============
From: admin@paypal-info.co.uk

Security Center <big PayPal logo here>
Military Grade Encryption is Only the Start

At PayPal, we want to increase your security and comfort level with every transaction. From our Buyer and Seller Protection Policies to our Verification and Reputation systems, we'll help to keep you safe.

We have recently noticed one or more attempts to log into your PayPal account from a foreign IP address and we have reasons to believe that your account may have been hijacked by a third party without your authorization.

If you recently accessed your account while traveling, the unusual login in attempts may have been initiated by you. However, if you are the rightful holder of the account, click on the link below to log into your account within the above-mentioned period.


Click here to Secure your account<-------this is a link

If you choose to ignore our request, you leave us no choice but to temporaly suspend your account.

We ask that you allow at least 72 hours for the case to be investigated and we strongly recommend to verify your account in that time.

If you received this notice and you are not the authorized account holder, please be aware that it is in violation of PayPal policy to represent oneself as another PayPal user. Such action may also be in violation of local, national, and/or international law. PayPal is committed to assist law enforcement with any inquires related to attempts to misappropriate personal information with the intent to commit fraud or theft. Information will be provided at the request of law enforcement agencies to ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Thanks for your patience and understanding as we work together to protect your account.

Sincerely,
PayPal Account Review Department
PayPal, an eBay Company
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THANKS TO THIS SITE, I was suspicious. Fortunately, I looked at this email on my ISP's WebMail window, not in the OSX Mail window. From there, waving the mouse over the link which I was invited to click upon, it said that this email had come from

hiddentreasureappraisals.net/UPLOAD/files/paypal.co.uk/etc etc

I have reported it to PayPal, as they request users so to do, here:

Question : How can I tell the difference between a real PayPal email and a fraudulent one?

Answer : One way to tell if an email is really from PayPal is that we address you by your first and last names or your business name. We don't say things like "Dear user" or "Hello PayPal member."

Also, our emails don't link directly to pages that ask you to enter sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security numbers.

If you think you've received a fraudulent email, forward it to spoof@paypal.com and then delete it from your email account.

So, FTM Forum, thanks for the advice on this topic in the past.

Been there. Actually, I even allowed these bastards to get my info because it looked so credible, with the logo and everything. Then they added an e-mail address to the account and then I spotted it, thanks to PayPal's notification of changes. It was closed and reopened with a different password after a couple of weeks. They tried to threaten me with more "threats" to my account but then moved away. Typical phishing. You are right that your name should have been in the address line. Another way to check would be either to go to the account and see if there are any messages or just call PayPal. They do have a phone number. Since you have opened the message, be prepared to get similar e-mails very soon. But you know what to do!

Bottom line, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER click on an emailed link to access your account.

VERY common scam.