PayPal...Is It For You?

copyright by Cheryl L. Coccaro

If you are like most eBay and PayPal users you probably have received strange emails saying your account is in trouble and you are about to be suspended. I receive at least 2-3 each day.

What do you do with these emails? I certainly hope that you do not open them up, or respond on the link that they ask you to do. I will give you instructions on what to do a little further down in this article.

Yes, it has become more frequent to receive these false emails telling us that our PayPal account is in trouble or you are about to be suspended. Will it ever email Phishing end?

No...unfortunately.

I received one email from an eBay member saying that I better make good on my bid on their auction. I usually do not buy on eBay, only sell...so I know that this is false one. When you point your mouse over the link, it clearly shows that it is someone else's link - not eBay; not PayPal.

PayPal and eBay have sent numerous emails to those that have accounts to be aware of this type of false emails and to NEVER click on that link in the false email. If there is ever a problemwith your account, you will know when you go to that site directly and log in. They will have a message waiting for you.

Should you continue to use eBay and PayPal? Yes, I will I continue to use them. Yes, but remember that they are NOT a bank, only a vehicle to transact money through. They do not offer the security that banks do. It is easy to fall in the trap of thinking of keeping your funds there as a "bank account". The key to safety is to move any money out of your account to your checking account that you have set up.. just for this purpose. A separate account that will not jeopardize your financial life.

Any false emails should be forwarded to:spoof@PayPal.comspoof@eBay. COMIn the subject area of the email, put...Is this for real?

Their team will investigate and shut down that sender's link.

How do you handle things when you find out that your account has been compromised? Within the return email from either PayPal or eBay will be instructions on what to do should you have already replied to the false email.

Has this happened to anyone? Yes, many people innocently believe that they were real and responded with their username and password. Hopefully, you were not one of them.

Have you had problems with purchases paid with PayPal funds and if a refund isrequested, do you get it?

I know one person who paid for an item through PayPal that she won in an auction, and when she received the item it was not as described! The seller swore that it was the item she won and she refused to refund the buyer. PayPal after a few emails finally wrote to the buyer for her to ship the item to them and they would refund her money. I thought that was admirable.

So keep in mind like everything in the world...there is good and bad. Protect yourself and if you are still using the same password to access these accounts, you should change them and remember to change them often. I do.

I like using PayPal for my auctions and for my websites. It provides me an almost seamless and painless way of conducting business.

To view the examples of FRAUD email that I have received, read my Fraud Email Article.