The Paypal Scam

I’ve been recieving this email a lot lately…

Dear PayPal Member,

Your account has been randomly flagged in our system as a part of our routine security measures. This is a must to ensure that only you have access and use of your PayPal account and to ensure a safe PayPal experience. We require all flagged accounts to verify their information on file with us. To verify your Information at this time, please visit our secure server webform by clicking the hyperlink below

Of course, the link included with the email does not take you to the official paypal website, but to an unknown IP address with a realistic looking web form setup to get your information. This page is a scam, they will steal your account information and use it to make purchases in your name. This method of stealing peoples information through mass solicited emails or messages is known as “Phishing”.

The ironic part is that the scammers even include this little paragraph in their mail (for realism):

Make sure you never provide your password to fraudulent websites.

To safely and securely access the PayPal website or your account, open up a new web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer or Netscape) and type in the PayPal URL (http://www.paypal.com/).

PayPal will never ask you to enter your password in an email.

I can see how people would fall for this… but geez, use your heads! Even the scammers are telling you that they are scamming you!