Online Threat Alerts (OTA) - Alerting you to scams and frauds.

888-632-2011 PayPal Scam - Beware
888-632-2011 PayPal Scam - Beware

If you received a message claiming your PayPal account processed a payout with a small deposit ($0.01 mxn), DO NOT call the fake PayPal customer service number 888-632-2011, as the message instructs you to do. The message is a scam, and the telephone is not associated with PayPal. The number is linked to a call center operated by scammers pretending to be from PayPal.

The PayPal Scam

Pre-fund confirmation: USD 987.90 is pending deposit to Coinbase via PayPal. This small deposit is just used for the account activation check. For questions, Call (888) 632-2011.

Even if the message has your full name and appears to have been sent from a legitimate PayPal email address, do not call the telephone number. The clever part of this scam is that the scammer sent an actual transaction of 1 cent from PayPal to make the scam look legit. If you go to your PayPal account, you will see the transaction. But the trick is to convince you into calling the bogus customer service telephone number 888-632-2011.

If You Were Tricked

If you were tricked into calling the fake number and giving the scammers your account credentials or banking information, please change your account passwords or contact your bank for help.

Here is PayPal's legitimate Customer Support information, if you need help:

  • 1-888-221-1161

    Customer Service Hours: 6:00 AM PST to 6:00 PM PST Monday through Sunday

  • Message them: 1-402-935-2050 (if calling from outside the U.S.)
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