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Article Outsmart the scammers – here’s how…

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11 Comments

I really enjoy online shopping, and the convenience of buying things through the click of a button.

I recently purchased an item off eBay, and used PayPal to pay for the item. A few days later, I received an email that looked like this:

I knew I didn’t order a Double Screen Waterproof Camera…, but the PayPal email looked very similar to the original PayPal email that I had received for my legitimate eBay purchase.

In most cases, the instant reaction is to click through on the links in that email, and dispute the purchase… but this is exactly what the scammers want you to do! We’ve covered this topic previously, but these types of emails are becoming increasingly popular, so it doesn’t hurt to revisit this security topic.

Spot the difference

Items to look for in emails you suspect might be a scam

  • PayPal will always use your full name
  • Lack of PayPal logo
  • Lack of eBay logo
  • When you hover/mouse over the links (which will usually direct you to the website), note the website is not PayPal. It will be the website that the scammer wants you to click through to

If you are suspicious of your PayPal activity, don’t click through to your PayPal account via any emails. If in doubt, always open a new browser tab, and go directly to https://www.paypal.com and check your account.

You can also forward those spam emails to spoof@paypal.com and report those emails.

You can definitely enjoy online shopping, but be vigilant and think before you click!

Have any of these emails arrived in your inbox? Share with us below. 

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Comments

  • Very good advice, you just need to treat Paypal emails with caution as I’m fortunate I don’t have an account so know immediately this is a scam, and I also receive loads of scams from ‘Apple’.

    Reply

  • I get lots of emails that look like they’re from paypal telling me someone deposited a few thousand dollars. I hold out hope that someone has but so far no luck. I know better to click on the links in the emails though.

    Reply

  • I also find the scams are full of grammatical and spelling mistakes. The old adage rings true…..”If it seems too good to be true, it usually is!”

    Reply

  • I am extremely vigilant and careful with buying anything online – it pays to be super cautious.

    Reply

  • Oh my God that’s horrible
    Thanks for posting

    Reply

  • Interesting read and thanks for the tips.It’s sad that this is what the world is coming to and worse that it’s usually the most vulnerable that this happens to.
    I’ve had emails from Woolworths and Coles saying congratulations that I had won a $500 voucher and it was so cleverly done with my full name and address and phone number but I just followed my gut instinct and thought no this is a scam otherwise I would have received it in the mail etc etc and so I rang both supermarkets and also I’m signed up to staysmartonline….great government website that notifies you about all the latest scams going around.Definitely worth signing up for

    • Never heard of staysmartonline, but we sure can use some advice about the latest scams going around ! Thanks for the tip.

      • The government site is a good one and does list lots of scams and it is good to be aware of them and be cautious.

      • Thanks !

    Reply

  • I have has similar e-mails and l just delete them!

    Reply

  • Great post! Thanks for posting :)

    Reply
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