Phishing That Looks Like A Text From PayPal
We have said this in several posts, but we will say it again. 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 text claiming to be from PayPal.
What The Phishing Text Message Looks Like
The text message randomly arrives and claims that you have a large-dollar-amount purchase pending, as shown in the example below. The text has limited details, but the large dollar amount of the “supposed” purchase is intended to get your attention.
We have a post about a fake email claiming to be from PayPal. The goal is the same: to trick you via either a text or an email.
The text uses a classic phishing process:
- Use a major company that everyone knows about (in this case, PayPal about a purchase at Walmart)
- 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, and if you don’t have an account, they will ask for your home address, phone number, and any card information that you may have used at either PayPal or Walmart, so they can “search to see if they can find the transaction”
- Lastly, if you do have an account with either, 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 text, you probably won’t notice what the scammers are doing to take advantage of you.
Things That You Can Do To Identify Text Is A Scam
In the case of the text, it doesn’t list any account information or transaction information, but there are 2 numbers listed.
- The first thing to do is look at the area code and numbers listed.
The number that messaged you is a 505 area code number. That area code is for New Mexico. The number they are asking you to call back is an area code 843 number. That area code is for South Carolina. With call spoofing, the message and the number you are calling back could be anywhere in the world.
So think of it: a major company like PayPal is messaging you from random numbers in 2 different states. That should be a red flag about the text message.
- The next thing to do is search online and get the actual support number from the company that is listed in the text. If you search, PayPal lists the support number on their site.
- If you search online, you will find that PayPal is based in San Jose, California, and Support is in La Vista, Nebraska.
Final Thought
If you get a text message, an email, or a random phone call, 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 sender and DO NOT respond to the message.
- PayPal – Contact Us Page
