PayPal users, the email with the subject: "Your Transaction Needs Verification," is a fake and a phishing scam. The email message claims that the recipients' billing address doesn't match their credit card billing address, and they should update it because PayPal will not be able process their payments. But, the email message was not sent by PayPal and is a scam created by scammers to steal the recipients' PayPal usernames, passwords and credit card information, which they(scammers) will use to hijack their accounts and use their credit card information to make fraudulent purchases.
The PayPal Phishing Email Scam
From: servces paypal [mailto:info@fanandish.com]
Sent: 20 April 2015 16:31
Subject: Your Transaction Needs Verification
Verify mailing address
Dear Customer,
Please confirm your billing address as we cannot match it to your card billing address. Did you change/update your billing address. We cannot process any payment for your purchase. You need you to confirm this action now.
Take a minute to confirm this address so we know it belongs to you. Once you confirm it, you can use this email address to receive alerts and updates concerning your account to avoid account blocked.
Confirm My Address
It's important because it helps us make sure no one is getting into your account without your knowledge.
Sincerely,
PayPal
If you follow the instruction in this scam, you will be taken to the fake PayPal website and ask to sign-in with your PayPal username and password.
You will then be asked to update your credit card information by entering it on a bogus PayPal page.
All the information entered on the bogus PayPal page, will be sent to the cybercriminals behind the scam. Once they have your PayPal credentials, they use it to hijack your account and use it for fraudulent purposes. This includes stealing money from your account, using your PayPal and credit card to make fraudulent purchases.
If you have already entered your PayPal user name,password and credit card information on the fake website, please change your PayPal password and contact your bank immediately.
Please note that PayPal will always address you by your name, and will never refer to you using the following:
- Dear PayPal customer
- Dear Valued Customer
- Dear Member
- Dear User
- Dear Customer
To avoid getting tricked by these 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: