Foo - are phishing attempts common with paypal?

i only used paypal once recently, setting up an account just a couple of weeks ago. then, soon after i got this email which looks like a phishing attempt:

We recently have determined that different computers have logged onto your Paypal account, and multiple password failures were present before the logons. We now need you to re-confirm your account information to us. If this is not completed by March 14, 2008, we will be forced to suspend your account indefinitely, as it may have been used for fraudulent purposes. We thank you for your cooperation in this manner. To confirm your Online Banking records click on the following link:
>>> Click here <<<

Thank you for your patience in this matter. Paypal Customer Service. Please do not reply to this e-mail as this is only a notification. Mail sent to this address cannot be answered. 1999-2008 PayPal. All rights reserved.


is this something that i'm just going to have to get used to?

is this something that i'm just going to have to get used to?


Yes. eBay and paypal are very common. You'll also see various banks. I'm told that phishing for WoW accounts is popular too.

Never click any link emailed to you that will eventually ask for a password.
If you are concerned about your account, log in the regular way.

And in case you are concerned, it probably has nothing to do with the fact that you have a PayPal account.

I have received requests for financial institutions where I have accounts at far less frequently than institutions where I don't have accounts.

The phishing attempts tend to try to look like major institutions, which os why certain "banks" show up in my inbox more than others.

that email is fake. paypal never sends those emails. let them suspend your account if they threaten to.

Go to the PayPal site, and click on "Security Center". They have a "Report fake (phishing) email" link.

It says:

Forward fakes to spoof@paypal.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Together we can help stop fraud.

If you think you’ve received a phishing email:
1) Forward the email to spoof@paypal.com
2) Delete the email

Be on the safe side
Go to the My Account tab and click History to check your transaction history for inaccuracies.

I've been on paypal for 5 or 6 years now. I haven't gotten many phishing attempts at all, and none within the past year.

forward it to spoof@paypal.com, as well.

Buy this for $5 if you use PayPal and eBay -- it works on both:

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=xpt/cps/securitycenter/general/PPSecurityKey-outside

Phishing attempts are extremely common with PayPal, and on one E-mail ID I've had for over a decade, I get 20-30 a day from different IPs, all I forward to PIRT and PayPal.

The advantage of a hardware token is twofold. If someone snarfs your PayPal ID via a keylogger, or you accidently respond to a phishing E-mail, your account is still secure.

>>> Click here <<<

Everything you need to know about whether or not an email that purports to be from paypal is legitimate or not is contained right there. DO NOT CLICK ON PAYPAL LINKS IN AN EMAIL!!!

There are several ways to disguise a link to look like it will take you to paypal's website. Some of them actually go to exact and up-to-date copies of the paypal website.

If you see one of these emails and you think it might be legitimate:

1.) Do not click any links
2.) Open a new browser window
3.) Type "https://www.paypal.com" log in, and check for any notices or unexpected withdrawals.

Paypal used to have a policy of not including links to their login page in their emails, although they seem to have abandoned that. However, the above procedure is still in their recommendations.

try comodo verification utility. it doesn't work with opera. http://www.comodo.com/products/free_products.html