For those of you out there that use PayPal (for ebay etc.) I got a note on Sunday about a service interruption to my ebay account. The letter asked that I got to the paypal site and validate the account information. There was a link to paypal which I used, but I also happened to watch the header line on the Internet explorer and noticed that it skipped to a number of different lines before getting to PayPal. The warning nodes in the brain finally kicked in, and I got a virus alert from the PC software. I ended up doing a virus scan of the hard drive (~70 minutes worth). I then called PayPal directly and got some excellent information about this form of phishing. Fortunately, I did not enter any of the account information, but it was pretty sneaky.
I have included the PayPal response below:
Thank you for contacting PayPal.
Please remember these steps to help protect your PayPal account from
Unauthorized Account Access.
Emails - Make sure they are sent from PayPal
1. If you receive an email and are unsure whether it is from PayPal,
open a new web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer or Netscape) and type in
the following:
https://www.paypal.com/ Don't click on any link in an email
which seems suspicious to you.
2. Some spoof websites will send emails that pretend to come from
PayPal to entice you to log in at the spoof URL. Be extremely cautious of
emails that direct you to a website that asks for sensitive information.
3. Stay safe; don't respond to emails asking for any of the following:
· Your password and email address combination
· Credit card numbers
· Bank account numbers
· Social security numbers
· Drivers license number
· First and Last Names
If you have surrendered financial or password information to a suspicious
email or website, promptly report this to the issuing institution as well
as change your password and security answers on your PayPal account. This
can be completed in the Profile section of your account.
Email Greeting -
· PayPal will never send you an email with the greeting "Dear PayPal
User" or "Dear PayPal Member". Emails initiated by PayPal will address you
by your first and last name, or the business name associated with your
PayPal account.
· Please note that the automatic response you get from us may not
address you by name.
Always log into the PayPal site
· PayPal will only ask for information AFTER you have securely logged
in.
· For your security, PayPal will never ask you to re-enter your full
bank account, credit, or debit card number without providing you at least
the LAST TWO DIGITS of the number. These digits let you know that we
already know the full number and are asking you for the rest of it. Beware
of any website or email asking for these numbers for "verification" that
does not PROVE that it knows the number by providing at least the last two
digits
· Use Account Guard on the eBay toolbar. If you use Internet Explorer,
download the eBay toolbar. Account Guard helps ensure you are on PayPal or
eBay
Website pages - make sure that they are hosted by PayPal
1. When using the PayPal service, always ensure that the url address
listed at the top of the browser is
https://www.paypal.com/ The 's' ensures that the website is secure. Even if the URL contains the word 'PayPal', it may not be a PayPal webpage.
2. Look for the 'lock' symbol that appears in the lower right hand
corner of the browser. This symbol indicates that it is a secure site.
Do not download attachments, software updates, or any application to your
computer via a link you received in an email. PayPal will never send you an attachment or software update to install on your computer.
Passwords - keep it on PayPal
1. Use a unique password for the PayPal account and change it every
30-60 days.
2. The password should be one that is not used on any other site,
service, or login.
If you think you have received a fraudulent email, forward the entire
email, including the header information to spoof@paypal.com and then delete the email from your mailbox. Never click any links or attachments in a
suspicious email.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us again.
Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto
