PayPal Responds to Account Notification eMail Scam

SecurePCNews.com recently posted an alert about a new Phishing email targeting PayPal users. As part of our normal practice we also reported it directly to PayPal's security contact.

In response to our report to them, PayPal promptly responded confirming that the email was fake and providing advice on dealing with this email. The email also includes a link to great information about detecting protecting against fraud.

For more information about phishing visit SecurePCNews.

Following is PayPal's response:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
-----Original Message-----
From: spoof@paypal.com [mailto:spoof@paypal.com]
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 10:41 AM
To: AJones@RiverbankConsulting.com
Subject: RE: Q510 - Thank you for your email to PayPal (KMM94360930V25213L0KM) :kf1

Thanks for taking an active role by reporting suspicious-looking emails.
The email you forwarded to us is a phishing email, and our security team
is working to disable it.

-------------------------
What is a phishing email?
-------------------------
Phishing emails attempt to steal your identity and will often ask you to
reveal your password or other personal or financial information. PayPal
will never ask for your password over the phone or in an email and will
always address you by your first and last name.

Take our Fight Phishing Challenge at
https://www.paypal.com/fightphishing to learn 5 things you should know
about phishing. You'll also see what we're doing to help fight fraud
every day.

-------------------------
You've made a difference.
-------------------------
Every email counts. By forwarding a suspicious-looking email to
spoof@paypal.com, you've helped keep yourself and others safe from
identity theft.

Thanks,

The PayPal Team
_______________________________________________________________________
This email is sent to you by the contracting entity to your User
Agreement, either PayPal Inc, PayPal Pte. Ltd or PayPal (Europe) S.à
r.l. & Cie, S.C.A. Société en Commandite par Actions, Registered Office:
5th Floor 22-24 Boulevard Royal L-2449, Luxembourg RCS Luxembourg B 118
349.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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For more information about what to do if you think you may be the victim of a phishing email visit SecurePCNews or subscribe to the SecurePCNews.com Newsletter.

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PayPal Warning Notification eMail Scam

You may have received the following email that appears to be from PayPal. If so you are the target of an eMail Scam, commonly called a "Phishing" scam. Following the link included in the email could result in financial and identity loses. The link embeded in the email takes you to a 'spoofed' or fake copy of an a PayPal related website. Any information you type on this screen will go directly to the fraudsters, not to any legitimate PayPal representatives.

For more information about phishing visit SecurePCNews are review the article entitled "Don't get hooked by a phisher."

Don't be left in the dark about internet scams like phishing. Subscribe to the SecurePCNews.com Newsletter today!

Following is the text of the Scam email message:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
From: PayPal [mailto:service@email-paypal.com]
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 12:00 AM
Subject: PayPal Warning Notification

Warning Notification


Dear Customer,
It has come to our attention that your PayPal® account information needs to be updated as part of our continuing commitment to protect your account and to reduce the instance of fraud on our website. If you could please take 5-10 minutes out of your online experience and update your personal records you will not run into any future problems with the online service.

However, failure to update your records will result in account suspension. Please update your records before January 16, 2008.

Once you have updated your account records, your PayPal® account activity will not be interrupted and will continue as normal.

Click here to update your PayPal account information


Copyright © 1999-2008 PayPal. All rights reserved.
Information about FDIC pass-through insurance

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If you received an email like this, the safest thing to do is just delete it. If you have already clicked on the link you may have unknowingly downloaded a harmful PC virus. You should immediately run a full virus scan to check for spyware or anyother malware.

If you don't have anti-virus or anti-spyware software, visit our online shop for a number of brands you can purchase online and download from Office Depot.

If you provided any information such as your PayPal login information or any other personal inforation you may be at risk for fraudulent financial transactions. You should immediately contact PayPal and your financial institution for assistance. For information about Security and Privacy at the real PayPal website visit https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_security-center-outside

For more information about what to do if you think you may be the victim of a phishing email visit SecurePCNews or subscribe to the SecurePCNews.com Newsletter.

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Alert- Pay Pal Email Scam

ALERT - PayPal Email SCAM

If you recently received an email from PayPal with the subject "Regular Maintenance - Review Your Account Details" you may be the target of a scam.

The email looks very official including the PayPal logo, but it is a an example of a 'phishing' email and is fake. If you click the included link you will be taken to a fake or 'spoofed' site. Anything you type on that page, including your Pay Pal account information will be stolen.

The body of the message includes this information:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It has come to our attention that your PayPal billing information is out of date and needs to be updated. If you could take 5-10 minutes out of your online experience to update your billing information, you will not run into any future problems with the online service.
However, failure to update your records will result in account suspension.
Once you have updated your account records, your PayPal session will not be interrupted and will continue as normal.
To update your billing records click on the following link:http://221.8.68.176/icons/small/ps1.gif/www.paypal.com/us/(The link really goes to a hidden IP address, not Paypal)
This new security issue will help us continue to offer PayPal as a secure and cost-effective payment service. We appreciate your cooperation and assistance.If you chose to ignore our request, you leave us no chose but to temporally suspend your account.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If you received an email like this, just delete it and you should be fine. If you responded to it and provided any account information, you should immediately changed your PayPal login information, and contact PayPal by forwarding the email to spoof@paypal.com. You can visit PayPal's Security Center at https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_security-center-outside.

For more information about how you can protect yourselft from email scams like this visit SecurePCNews at http://www.securepcnews.com/.

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