Whether you want to start an online business or shop online securely, Pay Pal is undoubtedly one of the safest and most practical platforms. Since its inception, PayPal has become the factual way to send / receive money online. Although PayPal is a very reliable service, scam artists still manage to spot loopholes and exit routes to avoid PayPal's anti-scam defenses using cheap tips.
Let's face it, PayPal scams are happening and scammers should fool you if you regularly use this platform for online transactions. With this blog, we aim to get your attention in a few ways that fraudsters cheat on PayPal and try to avoid PayPal scams.
Avoid PayPal Scams
Criminals are stubborn, but you can avoid falling into their traps by being proactive and knowing what to watch for. Be aware of these most common scams with PayPal.
- Fraud with anticipated fees
- Email scam
- User name falsification
- False charities
- Payment scam too much
- Shipping scams
- Job scam.
Let's take a closer look at all these PayPal scams:
1) Fraud with anticipated charges:
As humans, we are very cautious about strangers in the street. Unfortunately, in the virtual world, we are not so cautious. One of the most common users of the PayPal scam should be mastered is the "advanced fee fraud". Here, fraudsters will ask you to send a smaller amount (for legal documentation, taxes, etc.) before you can transfer your millions – In truth, these irresistible offers are scams.
Here you can receive an e-mail with a subject line in ALL CAPS stating that you have earned an inheritance. When you open such emails, you can find an official letter from someone who holds a high-profile political position telling you that you are owed a foolish amount of money for some reason of phishing. What happens next? You are prompted for basic information that explicitly opens the lines of communication. In the end, the scam that successfully collects your personal information can be used in identity fraud while recovering money from the victims.
How to avoid – Do not pay money to someone you do not know. A legitimate price will not require you to pay a sum to receive it.
2) Email Scam – "Your account is about to be suspended" or "Problem with your account":
Another PayPal scam comes in the form of emails; Many crooks send hoax emails to signal that an account is about to be suspended or that the account is causing problems. The account holder is prompted to open the email and click on a link that directs him to a phishing website. In addition, the victim must enter the password of his PayPal account in the spoofed web page.
How to avoid – PayPal will never ask you to enter your login credentials, except on the login page. Report any suspicious emails by sending them directly to [email protected]. Plus, it's a good idea to change your password frequently.
3) Usurpation of the display name:
Also known as "friendly names" scams, fraudsters use a messaging systems feature that allows the shipper's full name to hide behind a "friendly name," giving it an authentic look. Cheats can easily simulate the "friendly name" in the sender's e-mail address. For example, an email may appear to come from "PayPal Services", but [email protected].
How to avoid – Open the suspected email, but NEVER click on any link in the email. In addition, if you hover the mouse over the display name in the e-mail, the actual address will appear to let you know if it's of a hoax.
4) fake charities:
Fraudsters also tend to play with the emotions of the victims; in a few cases, it may be to encourage generous people to donate to fake charities. Many charities spring up from nowhere after a refugee crisis, terrorist attack or natural disaster (such as an earthquake, flood or famine). In such frauds, these charities may have a fake website or simply send information on the web – ultimately, ask victims to pay via their PayPal account.
How to avoid – Before making a donation, check the background of the charity. To verify charities, PayPal itself recommends using one of the following websites:
- http://www.charitynavigator.org
- http://www.bbb.org/us/charity
- http://www.charitywatch.org
Note that if you can not check the charity through any of these options, it is expected to be a fake.
5) overpayment scam:
PayPal sellers should be worried about this scam. What is happening here?
- The seller sells a product / service to an individual / company
- The buyer makes a payment but sends more money
- The buyer then asks the seller to return the difference
But the problem is that this time, the buyer wants the refund on a different account.
How to avoid – A legitimate buyer will never pay too much for an order. If a customer is paying you too much and asking for a refund of the difference, consider canceling the order and not shipping the product. And never return money to another account.
6) Shipping Scams:
Shipping scams occur in two ways: service scam and address scam.
The buyer may ask you to use a specific shipping service. They can claim to have a more reliable preferred supplier or get a discount. In all certainties, they can easily contact the transport company, reroute the order to another address and then file a complaint for not having received the item at the address of origin.
How to avoidUse only your shipping account, verify and validate the buyer's address before shipping the product.
Here, the scammer tempts you to make a delivery to an address different from that registered with PayPal. They will make payment through their PayPal account, but the item must be delivered to a different address. Once the article is delivered, these fraudsters will open a dispute that they have never received the product.
PayPal's security guidelines clearly state that you must never deliver an item to an address other than the one with which it is registered on PayPal. This platform declines any responsibility for the delivery of goods that have not been delivered to the address registered with the PayPal account of the buyer. Now, even if you provide a shipping receipt, PayPal will not do anything about it.
How to avoid – Never deliver an item to an address other than the one on which it is registered on PayPal.
seven) Job scam:
This happens when someone offers you to become their partner or employee. They ask you to exchange products on eBay or on a website, to pay their provider and update the address of your PayPal account to their address. These fraudsters can carry out fraudulent transactions and engage your responsibility.
How to avoid – First thing, check these providers. Never pay on behalf of anyone you do not know and never update the address of your PayPal account at anyone else.
Lily: How to create a personal URL for PayPal payments.
Detect fake PayPal emails
Although the PayPal scams mentioned above are the most common, you should know that many fake emails are frequently used to deceive users around the world. There are now hundreds of ways for fraudsters to use fake emails to deceive people. However, adherence to email fraud prevention rules can help prevent such dodging. You will find below some clues to detect fake PayPal email scams:
- A PayPal email will always come from paypal.com and not from [email protected].
- Phishing emails will request confidential information, such as bank details, PayPal login information, full name, answer to your security question, and other similar information that may be exploited.
- PayPal emails will never contain attachments and will never ask you to install or download anything.
- PayPal emails will always be sent to you by your first and last name, or your business name.
- The content of fraudulent emails creates a sense of urgency. For example, "Click now to get a $ 100 coupon" or "We have noticed a cautious activity in your account, click the link below to confirm".
Always make sure your spam filters are turned on, this will automatically send emails from unknown sources to unwanted folders / spam. In addition, when you receive suspicious emails, add them instantly to your blocked senders list.
Last words
In case of fraud, your best option is to contact PayPal.com directly. PayPal offers fraud protection to all buyers and sellers who use their services. If you think that a correspondence or fraudulent activity is inconsistent, report it to PayPal within 60 days. The company will investigate the problem and verify the information.
It is also very important that you keep track of your PayPal account even if you do not use it often. Log in securely once in a while and check the history of your payments. Be sure to also create a very strong password to secure your account. Even though PayPal is the most reliable payment service on the Internet, there are ways to get around its security that can lead to a breach.
Now that you know how these scammers work and the tips they use, be careful!