Paypal is a great resource. It allows you to take credit card payments without a merchant account. It’s very convenient and economical.
Unfortunately hackers or phishers try to trick you into giving them your paypal info so they can use your account. Phishers (read fishers) send emails to you that look like they are really from paypal. The emails usually sound urgent (e.g. your account will be closed if you don’t respond immediately), and want you to follow a link from the email (the link will take you to a fake paypal account when you put in your login info, they have it to use for their own).
Paypal is aware of the problem and puts out a list of how to spot a potential scam. The easiest 2 things are: a real paypal email will address you by name ( e.g. Dear Sally Jones, not Dear Paypal Member), and a real paypal email will never ask you to follow a link to your account. Always, always, always, type in www.paypal.com into your browser if you’re going to login to your account.
Here is the most recent list of Paypal info. Yes, the links go to paypal, but it’s not asking you for your login info. And if you actually follow these links and read what they have to say, you’ll find these are “safe” links.
Learn how to identify and avoid fraudulent—or spoof—emails and websites in PayPal’s Identity Theft Protection Resource area.
How to spot spoof emails
How to report spoof emails
Five ways to protect yourself from identity theft
What to do if your identity is stolen
Tools to protect yourself
