PayPal Phishing Scams - "Unauthorised Activity, We Need Verification" and "(Notice) Unauthorized Account Use"

PayPal users who have received the following messages: "Unauthorised activity, We Need Verification" and "(Notice) Unauthorized Account Use," should delete them. The messages are phishing scams, sent by cyber-criminals to trick PayPal users into visiting a fake PayPal where their account credentials (usernames and passwords) will be stolen by the same cyber-criminals. The cyber-criminals will then use the stolen credentials to hijack their victims’ PayPal accounts and use the accounts fraudulently.

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PayPal Phishing Scams - Unauthorised Activity, We Need Verification and (Notice) Unauthorized Account Use

The Phishing PayPal Email Messages

From: admin@inct-paypal.com
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 2016 18:01:25 +0000
Subject: Unauthorised activity, We need verification

Paypal

Reference #PP-003- 523- 016-361

Account Status Update Response required

Confirm your account information

Verification Required Log in to Your Account

This email contains important information about your Paypal account. Paypal is constantly working to ensure security by regularly screening the accounts in our system. We recently reviewed your account, and we need more information to help us provide you with a secure service. Until we can collect this information, your access to sensitive account features will be Iimited. We would like to restore your access as soon as possible, and we apologise for the inconvenience..to help protect your account, no one can send money or withdraw money.in addition, no one can close your account, send refunds, remove any bank accounts, or remove credit cards.

What's going on?

We're concerned that someone may be using your PayPal account without your knowledge. Recent activity from your account seems to have occurred from a new location or under circumstances that may be different to usual.

What to do?

Log In to your Paypal account as soon as possible. We may ask you to confirm information you provided when you created your account to make sure you're the account holder . You should also do the following for your own protection:

Log In : Check your account overview (cardholder name, credit card, etc.) to make sure they're accurate.

Review your account activity to make sure you recognise the transactions recently made.

Report any unknown or unauthorised activity. Go to the Resolution Centre and click Dispute a Transaction.

From: customers@paype.com

Subject: (Notice) Unauthorized account use
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2016 15:10:05 -0800

(PP Issue Date: Wed Feb 17 04:57:48 2016)

Dear Customer,

Protecting your account and money is important to us. We constantly review all accounts to help ensure PayPal remains a safer place to transact.

When an account is limited, you may not be able to make a payment, receive or withdraw money.

To lift a limitation, you usually need to provide information to PayPal. We'll ask you to fill in a form that could verify your account as part of our Resolution Center plan.

Case ID Number: PP-680-642-318-651

We have sent an attachment (form) through this email. Please download and open it in your browser to verify your account.

After PayPal verifies your information, the limitations will be lifted. However, if we request more information, continue to respond promptly to speed up the resolution process.

We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused. We hope this issue gets resolved today.

Sincerely,
PayPal Security

Copyright 2016 PayPal Inc. All rights reserved. PayPal is located at 2211 N. First St, San Jose, CA 95131.

PayPal users, who were tricked by the phishing email messages, should change their passwords immediately and check their accounts for discrepancies, and report those discrepancies (if there is any) to PayPal.

Check the comment section below for additional information, share what you know, or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. And, to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search Search engine.

Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.

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Comments, Questions, Answers, or Reviews

Comments (Total: 2)

To protect your privacy, please remove sensitive or identifiable information from your comments, questions, or reviews. We will use your IP address to display your approximate location to other users when you make a post. That location is not enough to find you.

Your post will be set as anonymous because you are not signed in. An anonymous post cannot be edited or deleted, therefore, review it carefully before posting. Sign-in.

April 9, 2016 at 9:20 AM by
PayPal Phishing Scams - "Unauthorised Activity, We Need Verification" and "(Notice) Unauthorized Account Use"
an anonymous user from: Riyadh, Ar Riya?, Saudi Arabia

Sir, I earn $1600 but I cannot complete survey for payout. I click the download payout form but it is not working sir, please help me receive my money from invite2job.com.

Delete

April 9, 2016 at 9:45 AM by
PayPal Phishing Scams - "Unauthorised Activity, We Need Verification" and "(Notice) Unauthorized Account Use"
info

The website is a scam, therefore, you will never receive money earned from it.

Delete

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Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

PayPal Phishing Scams - "Unauthorised Activity, We Need Verification" and "(Notice) Unauthorized Account Use"