Phishing That Looks Like An Email From PayPal
Scammers will use anything they think someone will fall for. Most phishing attempts are obviously fake, but with AI, they are looking more legit every day. Phishing can take the form of a text message, an email, or a phone call. Today’s post shows you what to look out for; this time, it’s a phishing email claiming to be from PayPal.
What The Phishing Message Looks Like
The email people have been randomly receiving claims that it is an invoice for a large-dollar-amount purchase, as shown in the example below, for an iPhone. The invoice that is sent has the person’s name and email address that the scammers are trying to phish, making it feel legitimate.
The email uses a classic phishing process:
- Use a major company that everyone knows about (in this case, PayPal)
- Give a large dollar amount purchase to trigger a panic about a person’s expenses
- Give an immediate or very short deadline to take action before that large purchase happens
- Lastly, give a legitimate-looking customer support number that you need to call to correct this situation
Phishing email reality:
- The scammers want you to call, and they will respond like they are from customer service (in this case sounding like they are from PayPal)
- They will ask you to confirm your account information and the address associated with your account
- Lastly, they will say they need you to confirm the payment method you regularly use with your account, and they will also need the expiration date and 3-digit PIN to make sure they can block the card from being processed. Once you give that information, your card will be used before they even hang up with you
Since you are in a panic about the email, you probably won’t notice what the scammers are doing to take advantage of you.
Things That You Can Do To Identify Email Is A Scam
Using AI can help you identify this email as a scam.
- Ask AI if PayPal uses Stripe for payment processing. As noted by Copilot, PayPal DOES NOT use Stripe for its payment processing. There are a handful of European countries where that may change, but PayPal has a document that lists which countries those are.
- Now do a search for the PayPal address listed: PayPal Stripe, 2660 Monterey Rd, San Jose, CA 95111. You will find dozens of reports of scams (including the first one listed by the BBB) using that address.
- The funny part is that the address listed in the invoice is, in fact, for a Holiday Inn Express.
- The next thing to note is the phone number on the invoice; it is an 840 area code. That area code is for an area in Southern California (Pomona, San Bernardino, Fontana, Ontario, and surrounding areas. San Jose is in Northern California.
- Lastly, look at the purchase price of the item. There is no tax listed. If you buy something within the USA, there is a tax listed, with very few exceptions. This invoice does NOT list any taxes.
With all of that, the email from PayPal is NOT from PayPal, and yes, it is phishing.
Final Thought
If you get one of these email messages, DON’T FALL FOR IT. If it’s on the internet, it doesn’t automatically make it legit. Pay attention before clicking on links or responding to messages. If you see a message like this, block the email and DO NOT respond to the message.
Sources:
- Stripe – PayPal Payment Information
- IHG – Holiday Inn Express San Jose
- BBB – Scam Tracker
