Phishing Scam - "Update your PayPal account"
The email message below: "Update your PayPal account," is a fake and contains a link to a virus or Trojan horse. The email message claims that the recipients' accounts will be suspended unless they update their account information by clicking on the link in the email message. But, the email message was not sent by PayPal. It was created by cyber-criminals to steal the recipients' PayPal username, password, credit card and personal information, which they(scammers) will use to hijack their accounts, by infecting their computers with a Trojan horse.
The PayPal Virus Email Scam
Subject: Update your PayPal account
Dear valued PayPal® member:
Due to concerns, for the safety and integrity of the paypal account we have issued this warning message.
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 on or before .
Once you have updated your account records your paypal account service will not be interrupted and will continue as normal.
To update your PayPal® records click on the following link:
Click here
Thank You.
PayPal® UPDATE TEAM
Accounts Management As outlined in our User Agreement, PayPal® will periodically send you information about site changes and enhancements.
Visit our Privacy Policy and User Agreement if you have any questions
Clicking on the links in the email message will take you to the following web address and ask you to download the malicious file update.zip, which contains the virus file update.exe.
The cybercriminals behind the malicious email message aim is to trick the curious recipients into opening the malicious attachment, which will infect their computers with a virus or Trojan horse.
Once your computer has become infected with this malicious Trojan horse, the cybercriminals behind this email message will be able to access and take control of your computer remotely from anywhere around the world. They may spy on you, use your computer to commit cyber-crimes, or steal your personal and financial information.
Now, if you have already opened clicked on the link, downloaded and open the malicious file, please do a full scan of your computer with the antivirus software installed on it. The name of the attachment may change, so be careful when opening email attachments.
If you don’t have antivirus software installed on your computer, please click here for a list of free antivirus software.
To avoid getting tricked by these PayPal phishing scams, never click on a link in an email message to sign into your PayPal account. Always go to www.paypal.com and sign into your account from there. PayPal will display important messages or notifications to you once you have signed into your account.
This PayPal phishing scam is similar to the following:
- Your Account Has Been Limited Until We Hear From You
- Our Security System Detected Unusual Charges
- Your Transaction was Declined
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Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.