It’s been a while since I covered PayPal scams. The latest Paypal scam involves a purchase at Target. I have to admit, it’s really clever, but it’s still a scam.
The latest Paypal scam email
Hi There ,
Your shopping at Target Inc has been successful on Tuesday, 11 May 2021
You have bought an Outdoor Projector Screen worth 619.99 USD.
Your transaction is being reviewed and soon your product will be ready for shipment.
Order and Shipping Details: –
Payment Method: [PAYPAL BALANCE]
Item Description: [Total Homefx Outdoor Projector Screen Theatre Kit]
Date of Purchase: [11 May 2021]
Product Amount : [619.99 USD]Have queries about this order?
Kindly visit “Help Section Page” and leave a note, one of our team members will contact you soon.
#To void this transaction immediately please connect with our Service Team Executive at [number redacted]
#Kindly note this transaction can only be voided within 48 hours from the date of purchase.Thanks & Regards,
PayPal Inc
Dissecting the latest PayPal scam
There are only a few minor grammatical errors in this email, so I have to admit, they’re getting harder to spot as an obvious scam. First, the sender used a Gmail address, one that an email spam service wouldn’t filter out. Second, the message didn’t include any links, which was another reason it slipped past the mail filters.
Very few of these emails make it through a good mail filter these days. Even I didn’t immediately realize this was a scam until after checking the recent transactions on my PayPal account.
There were, however, a few telltale signs:
- No PayPal logo
- It’s a generic greeting
- A hyphen after Order and Shipping Details
- Brackets around the information they probably had to fill in (Item Description, Payment Method, etc.)
- Hashtags in front of the footnotes.
Tips to avoid this scam and others
Tip 1: Be suspicious.
Even if you have the best email filter, some messages will get through occasionally. That means inspecting unsolicited emails closely before taking any action.
Tip 2: Look for the telltale signs
While the person who sent me this email did a good job, they still made a few mistakes. A legitimate email should never contain errors, misspellings, or formatting glitches. Those little signs can be a lifesaver if you’re unsure.
Tip #3: Always confirm information independently
Never trust the contact information in an unsolicited email. Once you call the number or click the link in an email, you’ve confirmed your email address or phone number. Instead, check things out via a known source. After receiving this email, I logged into my PayPal account and knew immediately that this was a scam.
While you’re here, please check out last month’s tip, Apple vs. Facebook — the media war and what you need to know. Want to know what PayPal says about scams like this? Check their post, How to spot fake, fraudulent, spoof, or phishing emails.
thanks for the post, after getting maybe 15 emails i finally googled what the deal on my emails were, the only difference is this is mentioning target, well apparently i’m buying at least 15 different electronics, from tvs to projectors to ipads, although i never get any….. lolol all the emails just reference paypal, mmmm mmm mmm scammers get a job
Thank you for confirming my suspicions about the email I got early this morning. I wasn’t sure what the scam was since there were no links. A search of the 888 phone number came up empty. It galls me that there are unscrupulous thieves trying to scam you out of your private information.
Thanks for posting this on your blog! I received this below and thought I would paste the whole email since it does not reference any actual info. I called the number and it was answered on the 2nd ring with “Paypal, may I help you” which would never happen!
Your recent order worth 529.95 USD is accepted by Target.
Your recent order for Smart HDTV is preparing for the shipment and it will be delivered soon.
We are happy to see you choosing us as your preferred payment partner.
If you have any issue with this transaction or you wish to make changes in your mode of payment, simply connect with our team at +1 (866) 489-2404.
#Transaction Details#
Order Date Aug 09, 2021
Receipt Number 6933981SY994862
Description VIZIO D-Series 40″ Class 1080P Smart HDTV
Quantity 02
Amount 529.95 USD
Payment Method PayPal Credits Online
You have made this transaction far from your usual location, in case of any issue, please connect with our team at +1 (866) 489-2404.
Please note you have 2 days to open a dispute in the resolution centre as we can not void it after the given time period.
We hope you enjoyed shopping with us!
Sincerely ,
Customer Care Team
Thank you! I just got this email today. I knew I hadn’t made the purchase, but I was concerned that someone might have hacked into my PayPal account.
Just to let you know: there are no brackets around the info, like the receipt number or quantity or description.
One thing that aroused my suspicion, is that it says, “You have made this transaction from your usual location,” instead of stating a specific place.
They cleverly said, “We will immediately cancel the order and reverse the amount after successful verification, if we find it is a case of stolen identity.”
Thanks again for having this website – very helpful!
mine looked exactly like that – but it was being purchased at Walmart and $475.99
so if you call the number – they tell you – you must open your browser and get
on team viewer – then a form pops up so you can put in your name – e-mail & etc
THEN they tell you to open up your “Chase” account – yeah cause they can see
what you are doing – because when you connect to team viewer they can see your
computer – took me a second – and my brain kicked in and I shut them off the team
viewer – ran my virus ‘s (I have two) so that way…. Man kept saying – you need to connect to the team viewer if you want me to help you…… help? no scam…..
Thanks, very helpful