Security alert - PayPal hoax

mole · May 6, 2003

Anyone got this email ?

Please verify your information today!

Dear Paypal Member.
Your account has been randomly flagged in our system as a part of our routine security measures. This is a must to ensure that only you have access and use of your paypal account and to ensure a safe Paypal experience. We require all flagged accounts to verify their information on file with us. To verify your information, click here and enter the details requested. After you verify your information, your account shall be returned to good standing and you will continue to have full use of your account.

Thank you for using PayPal!

Please do not reply to this e-mail. Mail sent to this address cannot be answered.

mole · May 6, 2003

Here is the original email header check. Since when did PayPal become so sloppy by using compuserve as a mail server?

Received: from compuserve.com [66.183.162.24] by [my mail server munged]
(SMTPD32-7.14) id AC3816900CC; Tue, 06 May 2003 13:09:12 -0400
Date: Tue, 06 May 2003 16:24:32 +0000
From: Service <[email protected]>
Subject: Paypal Security Measures
To: [munged - they left out my surname]
References: <6JGK01K1DD3B15K14@[munged]>
In-Reply-To: <6JGK01K1DD3B15K14@[munged]>
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----=_NextPart_A_BB1ID39.6FA25_KBE.H1I__"
X-RCPT-TO: <munged>
Status: U
X-UIDL: 340387855

Note:

I changed my primary paypal address to another one. This mail was sent to my old PayPal addres.

Everything looks very authentic, so please be careful.

NamePopper.com · May 6, 2003

I have not received the email - but I got a face full of warnings about it when I logged in to PP yesterday.

That's pretty serious stuff.

wyvern · May 6, 2003

I've been getting one or two of these per week, as well as the same number from E-gold telling me I've made a spend and to please verify.

All of these are fraudulent, neither company would ever contact you like that. You probably don't need to change your email address, because these emails want you to log in through their link so they can steal your password. As long as you don't do that, you should be safe. To be prudent you could log in through your normal way (short-cut, favorite, or type in www.paypal.com). then change your pw, but it's probably not necessary.