Beware of PayPal phishing text

There seems to be a phishing text circulating purporting to be from PayPal asking you to log in and enter your login details.

Please remember to always check the authenticity of any texts or emails asking you to enter any details.

What is Phishing?

“Phishing” is an illegal attempt to “fish” for your private, sensitive data. It works by using false pretences to trick you into revealing personal or financial information such as bank account details, credit card details, and passwords etc.

One of the most common phishing scams involves sending emails/SMS that fraudulently claims to be from a well-known company (like PayPal). These often link to fake (spoof) websites where your information can be collected if you type it

Here are some helpful tips on how to spot Scam Emails:

The Senders Address: The “From” line may include an official-looking address that mimics a genuine one.

Generic Greetings: Be wary of impersonal greetings like “Dear User”, or your email address. A legitimate PayPal email will always greet you by your first and last name.

Typos/Poor Grammar: Emails sent by popular companies are almost always free of misspellings and grammatical errors.

False Sense of Urgency: Many scam emails tell you that your account will be in jeopardy if something critical is not updated right away.

Fake Links: Check where a link is going before you click on it by hovering over the URL in an email, and comparing it to the URL in the browser. If it looks suspicious, don’t click it.

Attachments: A real email from PayPal will never include attachments. You should never open an attachment unless you are 100% sure it’s legitimate, because they can contain spyware or viruses.

Tracking number: The email/SMS asks you to provide the tracking number of the dispatched item, before you’ve received a payment into your PayPal account.

Clicking on links: Never click on a link in an email that requests personal information. Any time you receive an email about your PayPal account, open a new browser, type in www.paypal.co.uk, and login to your account directly.