Paypal users are being hit by phishing emails from scammers impersonating PayPal. The email claims the recipient have a payment request from ProTempus. It further asks the recipient to call a number if they do not recognize the seller.
This has caused lots of panic in the community, especially as it contains Paypal official email address ([email protected]). The ProTempus PayPal Money Request email is a phishing scam designed to steal your money, personal info, PayPal login, and credit card details.
If you’ve gotten one of such email, here’s why it’s a scam, how the scam works, and how to stay protected;
Protempus PayPal Invoice Email – What makes It a Scam?
The email has many tell-tale signs of being fraudulent. One, It has A false sense of urgency. It claims the order you did not authorize will be processed right away if they didn’t hear from you.
Two, It contains A Fake Telephone Number ((833) 711-3815) – the number you’re requested to call immediately for assistance isn’t the legit Paypal customer service number. It’s a spoofed line that redirects to India.
Three, There are things that do not add up in the email. Why the hell does it contain a faux sender address xccbot.io?
How Does This Paypal Scam Email Work?
The Protempus PayPal Invoice Email attempts to make victims pay for service/product never ordered, and also give up their Paypal account, credit card or bank information. The scam works these ways;
- The invoice contains a fake Paypal customer service number which victims are directed to call. Upon calling the number, a scammer would fool them into paying the invoice or giving up personally identifiable information (PII), including financial data, such as PayPal account, credit card, or bank information.
- In some cases, the criminals ask victims to install software they claim will help with the recovery process. The malicious download may contain spyware — dangerous malware designed to steal information like; Credit card numbers, Bank account details, Passwords, Usernames, Social security numbers, and Other sensitive data. This software could also record the victim’s keystrokes or give the criminals remote access to the victim’s computer.
- The fake Paypal Invoice may contain a spoofed URL which looks like paypal.com but is actually paypaI.com (capital ‘I’ in the end of PayPal instead of small letter L). Clicking on it takes the victims to a malicious website which would request for their Paypal account details. Then the scammers would use the account details provided to carry fraud attempt on the account.
Also, some types of malware may also give the attackers remote access to your device. Once your computer is infected, the cryptojacker starts working around the clock to mine cryptocurrency while staying hidden in the background.
What to do If You Got The Scam PayPal Invoice Email
Report
Send an email to [email protected] with a screenshot of the scam email as an attachment. This can help them warn other customers and stop future scams.
Delete
Deleting the scam email will prevent you from mistakenly responding
Block
The final step you should take is blocking the email address that sent the scam email. You can do this by adding the email address in your phone’s spam list.
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Nora