posted on September 4, 2004 09:34:30 AM new
I think it is, but I'm not sure where to send fake PayPal emails - is it [email protected]?
Dear PayPal member,
Due to concerns, for the safety and integrity of your PayPal account we have issued this warning message.
It has come to our attention that your account information needs to be updated due to inactive members, frauds and spoof reports.If you could please take 5-10 minutes out of your online experience and renew your records. 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 account service will not be interrupted and will continue as normal. Please follow the link below, login to your account and renew your account information:
posted on September 4, 2004 09:55:02 AM new
You can also always send them to [email protected] as you thought and they'll write you back as to if it's authentic or not. I think I got that one and it was fake...
A.
posted on September 4, 2004 10:38:43 AM new
Good job. I wonder if they've got a real person looking at that or a autoresponder robot that scans the messages.
posted on September 4, 2004 11:26:50 AM new
A friend who was helping me when I started using computers told me never to click on an email link, whether it be Microsoft, MCafee, Norton etc. Always go to the website and only do any updates etc directly.
posted on September 4, 2004 12:45:49 PM new
If everyone would remember that the only legitimate way to update your info, is to go into PayPal & do it there. P/P will never have you post to a link.
Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
posted on September 4, 2004 01:02:00 PM newP/P will never have you post to a link.
If ONLY that were true!
From PayPal's Help pages:
Q: How can I tell the difference between a real PayPal email and a fake one?
A: The term "spoofing" and "phishing" have been used to describe the act of collecting personal information using a fake email in order to commit identity theft, credit card, and Internet fraud. If you click on a link included in an email you're not sure is from PayPal, make sure the adress at the top of the browser window you're brought to reads exactly www.paypal.com/us. PayPal emails will address you by first name, last name, or business name, and NOT by "Dear PayPal User" or "Dear PayPal Member."
If you are ever uncertain about the validity of the email or the email links, open a new web browser window and type in www.paypal.com/us.
If you think you have received a fraudulent email, forward the entire email to [email protected] and then delete it from your email account.
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The emphasis above is mine.
You notice it doesn't say that PayPal will never send you email with a link in it. Both eBay and PayPal want to reserve the right to do that for themselves.
That, in my view, is utterly shameful.
Both entities could resolve this whole MESS by simply stating once and for all that they will never ever send you an email that requests you to click a link to login.
