PayPal scams | Easy to avoid 2022

PayPal is known for its safety and security, making it the first choice for many e-commerce businesses that require an online payment method or want to provide customers with a faster process than entering their credit card details.

Unfortunately, PayPal scams and crime still happen. Like any other payment process, they face scams, hacks, and fraudulent attempts to steal money and resources from merchants and cardholders every day. However, because of its position as an online payment processor, it faces common and unique challenges, and many customers and merchants alike pay with PayPal at their own risk.

All sellers who regularly do business with PayPal should be aware of these common PayPal scams.

Suspicious website

Phishing spam emails often lead to fraudulent or “spoofing” websites in an attempt to steal personal and sensitive information. It may seem strange, and it may not match your company’s expectations, or it may appear to be true, but it can also display suspicious URLs in the web address bar. If you believe you are on a spoofing website, do not include any information.

Instead, simply copy the web address and paste it into your email message. Send it to [email protected] Our security experts will inspect the site and close it if it is a scam. This simple action will help us keep our entire community safe.

Suspicious SMS

SMS spam can be more than annoying. May contain suspicious content. Most carriers allow you to report spam by simply sending a message to ‘7726’ (the ‘spam key’ on most phones). Check with your service provider to see if this service is supported.

Suspicious email

Phishing emails and phishing scams are intended to obtain security information, passwords, or account numbers. These emails use deceptive methods to trick users, such as cheating the sender’s address. They often click on web links to ask readers for feedback, call a phone number, or steal private information. If you receive a suspicious email, please forward it to [email protected] Our security experts may check to see if this is not true. If so, I will close the email source ASAP. Reporting these emails helps protect you and others.

Below are some tips to identify fraudulent emails, but it is often difficult to determine if there is something real or false because fraudsters are cleverly plotting their tactics. Therefore, if in doubt, refer him to a specialist.

Examples of fake emails:

• “Order number ZK04769 has been confirmed and will be shipped tomorrow. Click here to update shipping details. ”But I didn’t demand it, so for detecting purpose, you sign in and just click on the presented link. Only later did you find out that the link leads to a false website.
• “Suspicious activity found in your account. Click here to review recent deals. ”Also, the link arrives you to a page that looks official but is actually a fake link.
• “We want to give you a special $ 50 coupon so you can be a good customer. This offer is limited to the first 100 people, so click here to claim your prize immediately. “Instead of a reward, you will be placed to a fake website where scammers can give your ID and password which they can use to hack your account or data.

All PayPal scams

• Advance-fee scam
• Overpayment scam
• Prize-winning
• High return – risk-free investment
• Fake charities
• Shipping scam
• Prepaid Shipping Labels scams
• Packages routing scams
• Reshipping packages scam
• Employment scam

Advance-fee scam

If you receive a free cash gift, it may be deducted. Usually, scammers will ask you to send you a small amount (taxes, legal documents, etc.)

How to Avoid It: Never send money to a stranger.

Overpayment scam

1. After the customer has sent a PayPal payment in excess of the purchase price of the order, you are requesting a transfer.
2. They may say that you paid too much by mistake, or that additional shipping costs will give you a nice service bonus, or the pressure that comes with it.
3. You can ask the shipping company to transfer the shipping costs.
4. These fraudsters may pay with a stolen credit card, bank account number, or by checking the account.
5. Just because the payment is credited to your account does not mean it is yours. If the legal account holder reports unauthorized activities, that money can be deducted from the account.
6. In this case, you will lose the money you sent to fraudsters, the products you sent, the shipping costs, and the amount you paid.

How to Avoid It:

• Do not send money to a stranger. Official buyers do not overpay their orders.
• If the customer pays and asks for the difference to be forgiven, we recommend canceling the order. It could be a scam.
• Do not send money to fake shipping companies. It is part of the scam to get money.

Prize-winning

Messages asking you to pay a small administrative fee to receive a large prize are usually scams. You spend money on management without getting anything.

How to avoid: Don’t send money to strangers. No need to pay to receive official prizes.

High return – risk-free investment

These types of investments are often scams and contain persistent “Start Now!” messages. sopping.

How to avoid: Stop communicating with this person/company.

Fake charities

Scammers use the disaster to trick honest people into giving to charities. It often happens when there are refugee issues, terrorist attacks, or natural disasters (such as earthquakes, floods, or famines).

How to avoid it:

Take a good look at the background of your donation and make sure it goes to real victims. Test your help organization using resources.

Be careful if your charity does not have a website.

Search for prepaid scams online to learn more about common scams and how to prevent them. You can also learn FBI stuff about common types of scams. Most importantly, you should be careful online as you would in the real world.

Shipping scam

There are several ways scammers can include referrals in their programs. You should be recognized with the some of following:

• Consumers request to use a shipping account because they can get discounts, have a favorite supplier they have worked with for years, or because the shipping service is cheap or reliable. In other cases, the buyer may also request that they send the shipping cost to their preferred manager.
• If you are using a buyer’s shipping account, you can easily contact the shipping company to resend your order to a different address.
• The buyer may then file a complaint requesting a refund because he did not receive the order.
• We cannot verify that the buyer has received the order and that you are no longer in the product, shipping costs, and fees.
• If you ask a counterfeit company to transfer money, you could steal your money.
• After sending money, you will be able to order with a stolen card or with a bank account. You are responsible for refunding legal customers whose accounts have been stolen.

How to Avoid It:

• Use only a shipping account.
• Do not send money to a stranger. You can’t get it back easily.
• If a customer asks you to use a shipping service, please carefully review whether this is a fraudulent order. You may use a stolen card or bank account to pay for your purchase.
• Send to the address on the activity details page.

Prepaid Shipping Labels scams

• We receive orders from customers requesting to use prepaid labels to cover shipping costs. (You could say you can get the label at a discounted price.)
• By providing a label, the customer controls the location of the package. It can be sent to another country, mailbox, or other non-tracking location.
• To be covered by the PayPal Seller Protection Policy, you must submit to the address on the transaction details page.
• You may have purchased the shipping label with a stolen credit card.

How to avoid it:

• If a customer requests to use a prepaid label, carefully update the fraudulent order. Stolen cards can be used to make purchases.
• Do not accept customer shipping labels.
• Send it to the address on the activity details page.

Packages routing scams

• Buyers will reopen the package so they can file a complaint they never received.
• A buyer places an order and provides an incorrect or incorrect shipping address.
• The shipping company tries to ship the package, but it fails.
• Buyers monitor online tracking information and detect if the sender is unable to ship the package.
• The buyer contacts the shipping company and asks them to send the package to the correct address. The shipping company is bringing the packages to a new location.
• Buyers complain about not receiving the goods.
• We cannot verify that the item was delivered to the address on the activity details page because the post bounced.
• Buyers receive money and save money.
• Seller Protection does not apply because the package is not shipped to the address on the activity details page.
• Unfortunately, I lost the product, shipping, and money.
• To make things worse, you may have to pay extra for redirect transfers.

How to avoid it:

• Contact the shipping company to prevent the buyer from duplicating the package.
• Please confirm the buyer’s address before shipping.
• Send only to the address on the transaction details page.

Reshipping packages scam

• One of the most popular scams over the telephone is the discovery of electronic items, clothing, and other items from the United States.
• Many retailers do not ship their products worldwide.
• Fraudsters have to act as intermediaries to help export goods.
• They use your personal information to steal your identity or take your account.

How to Avoid It:

• Know who you are working with and do not reload the package.
• Refuse to send or return it to the sender if you do not know that you are involved in this scam until the package starts to arrive. Report a scam at the Internet Crime Reporting Center or contact your postmaster.

Employment scam

Scammers post fake job opportunities through job sites, dating sites, and spam emails.

• Someone is contacting you about a new business opportunity. You need an employee or partner to sell your camera (or other expensive product).
• Scammers trick innocent and honest people into sending you money and merchandise.
• Scammers can find you through eBay’s Trading Assistant. They will ask you to:
• List the products you want to sell on eBay or on your website.
• Use your order money to pay the supplier. Contact your provider early to let them know they will send you the money.
• Please update your PayPal account address with that address. It usually looks like a normal address, but it gives a P.O. Box.

How to Avoid It:

• Know whom you are dealing with.
• Do not add someone else’s address to your PayPal account.
• Check with your providers and don’t send money to strangers.

PayPal scams FAQs