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PayPal, one of
the leading companies in online payment solutions,
has created a very
useful resource for understanding "spoof"
emails. Spoof emails are most often fake emails
designed to look like an authentic request for
information. For example, an email stating that you
need to update your bank account information by
clicking on a link when, in fact, the email is not
from your bank and is instead an attempt by a person
to trick you into surrendering your personal
financial information. As PayPal deals with this
issue daily, it has compiled the following 10 ways
to recognize spoof emails:
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Generic greetings.
Many spoof emails begin with a general greeting,
such as: "Dear PayPal member." If you do not see
your first and last name, be suspicious and do
not click on any links or button.
-
A fake sender's
address. A spoof email may include a
forged email address in the "From" field. This
field is easily altered.
-
A false sense of
urgency. Many spoof emails try to deceive
you with the threat that your account is in
jeopardy if you don't update it ASAP. They may
also state that an unauthorized transaction has
recently occurred on your account, or claim
PayPal is updating its accounts and needs
information fast.
-
Fake links.
Always check where a link is going before you
click. Move your mouse over it and look at the
URL in your browser or email status bar. A
fraudulent link is dangerous. If you click on
one, it could:
-
Direct you to a spoof website that tries to
collect your personal data.
-
Install spyware on your system. Spyware is
an application that can enable a hacker to
monitor your actions and steal any passwords
or credit card numbers you type online.
-
Cause you to download a virus that could
disable your computer.
-
Emails that appear
to be websites. Some emails will look
like a website in order to get you to enter
personal information. PayPal never asks for
personal information in an email.
-
Deceptive URLs.
Only enter your PayPal password on PayPal pages.
These begin with https://www.paypal.com/
-
If you see an @ sign in the middle of a URL,
there's a good chance this is a spoof.
Legitimate companies use a domain name (e.g.
https://www.company.com).
-
Even if a URL contains the word "PayPal," it
may not be a PayPal site. Examples of
deceptive URLs include: www.paypalsecure.com,
www.paypa1.com, www.secure-paypal.com, and
www.paypalnet.com.
-
Always log in to PayPal by opening a new web
browser and typing in the following:
https://www.paypal.com/
-
Never log in to PayPal from a link in an
email
-
Misspellings and bad
grammar. Spoof emails often contain
misspellings, incorrect grammar, missing words,
and gaps in logic. Mistakes also help fraudsters
avoid spam filters.
-
Unsafe sites.
The term "https" should always precede any
website address where you enter personal
information. The "s" stands for secure. If you
don't see "https," you're not in a secure web
session, and you should not enter data.
-
Pop-up boxes.
PayPal will never use a pop-up box in an email
as pop-ups are not secure.
-
Attachments.
Like fake links, attachments are frequently used
in spoof emails and are dangerous. Never click
on an attachment. It could cause you to download
spyware or a virus. PayPal will never email you
an attachment or a software update to install on
your computer.
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