Scam Spotlight: PayPal Scammers

DATCP has received reports from consumers who received fake PayPal invoices from scammers. One consumer received a convincing invoice for a cryptocurrency purchase they did not make, and it included a customer service number they were encouraged to call if they did not recognize the purchase. However, the number was not for PayPal’s actual customer service department – and was likely a fake number set up by the scammer.

Scammers try all sorts of variations of this scam to convince consumers to send them money, personal information, or private data such as bank account numbers or account login details. If a consumer receives a suspicious invoice, they shouldn’t react right away. Instead, they should pause to think about the situation, check records to see if they made any purchases that match the description, and talk about the invoice with someone they trust.

Never open any links or use any contact information provided in these requests – instead, only use information found on PayPal’s official website. Consumers can verify whether a questionable message was truly sent by PayPal by contacting the company’s Help Center, also found on the official website.