But, this email message was not sent by PayPal and is only a phishing email scam designed by cybercriminals to steal PayPal users' account username, password, personal and credit card information.
The "PayPal Your Transaction was Declined" Phishing Scam
Subject: Your transaction was declined
WHY YOUR PAYPAL TRANSACTION WAS DECLINED AND WHAT TO DO NEXT
Recently, there's been activity in your account that seems unusual compared to your normal activities. We're concerned that someone is using your PayPal account without your knowledge.
Recent activity on your account seems to have occurred from a suspicious location or under circumstances that may be different to usual.
What to do ?
The best way to resolve this and avoid it happening again is to confirm information you provided when you created your account to make sure that you're the account holder . You can do that now.
The secure way to confirm your account information:
1. Download the attached Document.
2. Open the document in a browser window secure.
3. Follow the instructions to Confirm that you are the account holder.
Yours sincerely, PayPal
This phishing email has an attachment that contains a form that will open in your web browser. The form will ask you for your PayPal user name, password, personal and credit card information.
If you enter the information on the form, it will be sent to the scammers behind this phishing scam.
If you receive an email message like this, never click on the link or open the attachment in it.instead go directly to PayPal's website www.paypal.com in your web browser and sign into your account. If there are any account notification, PayPal will display it in your account.
PayPal will never ask you to confirm that you are the holder of an account by asking you to confirm your personal and credit card information.
Also, in email messages, PayPal will address you by your name and not by the following:
- “Dear Customer”
- “Dear User”
- “Dear Member”
If you were tricked into sending these cybercriminals your PayPal user ID, password, personal and credit card information, please change your PayPal password and contact your bank immediately.
This PayPal phishing scam is similar to the following: