PayPal users who have received email messages claiming that their accounts have been restricted are asked not to follow the instructions in them. This is because the fake emails are phishing scams being sent by online scammers, and not by PayPal. The aim of the scammers is to steal the recipients' PayPal usernames, passwords and credit card information, which they(scammers) will use to hijack their accounts and use them fraudulently.
A "Your PayPal Account is Temporarily Restricted" PayPal Scam
From: service@paypal.com conssumersads.yuidc32@berakgakdiberakin03.com
Sent: September 11, 2019 6:59 PM
Subject: Result Mail Update: Unusual activity your account was used to recent billing confined paypal on Wednesday, September 11, 2019 - SSBNUJKB
PP:177:10:87933884ID PPXID:NDRHGSDCZLpD2LjN6d.
Your PayPal account is temporarily restricted
Dear Customer,
We've determined that you've used your account in questionable ways. To understand this better, we need more information from you.
To keep your account safe, you must take action in your account. We have also temporarily restricted certain features in your PayPal account.
Currently you are not able to:
• Send payments
• payouts
What to do?
Log in to your PayPal account and complete the required tasks.
Log in to PayPal
Once you have completed the required tasks, you can safely continue using your PayPal account.
Yours sincerely,
PayPal
If the instructions in the phishing scam are followed, the potential victims will be taken to a fake PayPal website and ask to sign-in with their PayPal usernames and passwords. They will then be asked to update their credit card information by entering it on the bogus PayPal page.
All the information entered on the bogus PayPal page will be sent to the online scammers behind the scam. Once they have their potential victims' PayPal credentials, they use it to hijack their accounts and use them fraudulently. This includes stealing money from their accounts, using their PayPal accounts and credit cards to make fraudulent purchases. Victims who have already entered their PayPal user names, passwords and credit card information on the fake website are asked to change their PayPal password and contact PayPal and their bank immediately for help.
Please note that PayPal will always address their users by name and will never refer to them using the following:
- Dear [Email Address]
- Dear PayPal customer
- Dear Valued Customer
- Dear Member
- Dear User
- Dear Customer
To avoid getting tricked by these phishing scams, PayPal users are asked never to click on a link in an email message to sign into their PayPal accounts. They should always go to www.paypal.com and sign into their accounts from there. After signing in, PayPal will display important messages or notifications to them.