# PayPal confirm your account number



## jasonck08 (Sep 22, 2010)

First off, I'm fully away of physhing scams associated with PayPal. I got an email from Paypal telling me that I've been randomly selected and I need to confirm my bank account. There were no suspicious links (i don't click links in bank emails like this).

I thought it was a hoax at first. I opened up a separate web browser and went to Paypal.com and logged into my account. And saw this message and it will not let me proceed!

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Paypal said:



Security Measures

Click to expand...

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Paypal said:


> We are currently performing regular maintenance of our security measures. Your account has been randomly selected for this maintenance, and you will now be taken through a series of identity verification pages.
> Protecting the security of your PayPal account is our primary concern, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
> Bank Account Information


 
It listed my bank account and the last 2 digits of my account number.

Then it wants me to enter in my "Full Account Number." I tried my checking account number and it says it was not correct. I then thought maybe its asking for the routing number. I tried routing number and bank account number. Still nothing.

There is no further explanation or help section anywhere on Paypals site!

I've used Paypal for 6+ years, and this is the first time I've been FREAKING LOCKED OUT OF MY ACCOUNT! 

Has anyone else gotten this? How did you resolve it? At this point I'm probably going to have to try to Call PayPal for this ridiculous crap!


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## roadie (Sep 22, 2010)

u better call paypal immediately ......


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## deadrx7conv (Sep 22, 2010)

When you went to paypal.com, you didn't really go there. DNS was hacked.

Use a different computer as yours is infected. 

Right now, you gave all your info to a bogus site.

Close those accounts immediately before they are drained.


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## shado (Sep 22, 2010)

PayPal says I have to be "Verified" before I can send further funds? I have spent over $10,000 in the last three months on lights :twothumbs I'm now told they are worried about my security? This process will take about five days, or so I'm now told  They have "OK"ed me to spend my money twice while I wait (About five days) for them to send two small deposits to my Bank account  This is a huge inconvenience to me and I'm not happy about it :hairpull:Hopefully they have a competitor :touche: soon and get there act together


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## jasonck08 (Sep 22, 2010)

deadrx7conv said:


> When you went to paypal.com, you didn't really go there. DNS was hacked.
> 
> Use a different computer as yours is infected.
> 
> ...


 
Nice guess. But I'm 100% sure its not a spoofed DNS. I allready tried multiple computers and internet connections and when I loaded up the site in IE, it appeared to have valid SSL encription and was Verisign secured.

Secondly, how would the crooks on a bogus site know my bank account (not a famous company) and the last 2 digits of my checking account.

I'm 100% sure this is a legit random PayPal security measure. 

I also dug up several posts on Paypals forums about this:

https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/My-account-settings/Define-full-bank-account-number/m-p/68956

https://www.paypal-community.com/t5...-accepting-full-bank-account-number/m-p/25814

Oh and my account is PayPal verified and I've done a couple thousand transactions over the years.


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## VidPro (Sep 22, 2010)

no way, get an e-mail from paypal that says "random" anything, and hey i aint even going to preview it. to the trash can.
We need to verify . . . SO, i dont care! if paypal is doing some thing even if they were i could care less. 
and sombody in nigeria has 1,000,000 dollers for you SO WHAT !
Oh look they have my information, so EITHER it is legit or i am being scammed, does paypal feed you your information in e-mails trying to pry out more info ?
cant make me budge, and if the thing has been compromised, or needs verification, and everyone on the web is lying through thier teeth, then the first thing is to get off the web, so goes the phone or being there in person. 

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1364295

very similar sounding e-mails have been SCAMS everytime. how your getting on the website and finding out that any of it is true is rather odd.
chances are you may have been compromised, how do they Get ?????? well usually they get that when you were compromised.

but think about this, Random, sure paypal would do something just randomly for the heck of it , no way. but then you get neerer to the web site, and it is no longer "random" it is now needing verification ?, then you cant verify , then its well it has been compromised, at any rate the KEY to the scam is Keep Prodding the user till they give up everything. 
Any state of confusion you might be in Scam or Not should result in getting OUT not getting in deeper depper and deeper.

Use the Phone, call them. dont enter nothing in nothing. go talk to your bank account holders, they deal with this sort of stuff often, and if they cant call paypal, then you shouldnt have any account attached to it, your actual physical presence and ID will be better than blinding around on the web.


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## Obijuan Kenobe (Sep 22, 2010)

Just my 2 cents, but this sounds like a scam to me. I'd definitely get on the horn and find out from a real person WTF is going on. 

And keep a close eye on your bank account by calling your bank too!!'

obi


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## Jay R (Sep 22, 2010)

Just phone them up and ask them. Seems you are looking for a complicated solution to a simple problem.


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## Monocrom (Sep 22, 2010)

Never got a P.P. account due to some of the horror stories I've heard from aquaintences over the years. Can't believe that P.P. actually got even crappier than it was before. :wow:


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## LuxLuthor (Sep 22, 2010)

jasonck08 said:


> Nice guess. But I'm 100% sure its not a spoofed DNS. I allready tried multiple computers and internet connections and when I loaded up the site in IE, it appeared to have valid SSL encription and was Verisign secured.
> 
> Secondly, how would the crooks on a bogus site know my bank account (not a famous company) and the last 2 digits of my checking account.
> 
> ...



I'm glad you are 100% sure it is a legit randomly selected PayPal security measure without calling them first. Then you can feel 100% certain that you know all about complex phishing/DNS hijack schemes if it turns out you have been compromised. 

The two links you posted have nothing to do with responding to an email randomly solecting you for entering all of your information. Did you at least look up the source header details of the email first?

For all those who are not 100% sure, my advice is to err on the side of extreme caution, never assume any of this is legit without your own initiated telephone conversation to PayPal, and reading these links:



http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=9;t=002007;p=0


http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1364295


http://www.bustathief.com/how-scammers-open-fake-paypal-account/


http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1364295


https://www.paypal.com/au/cgi-bin/w...ritycenter/general/UnderstandPhishing-outside
 

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webs...uritycenter/general/RecognizePhishing-outside


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## jasonck08 (Sep 22, 2010)

I called Paypal and its a completely legit security measure that they randomly take from time to time on peoples accounts.

Also I finally got my full account number to work. I had to enter in 4 zero's before my full account number. Completely stupid on Paypals part, they should tell you that if your account number is less then 10 digits to enter in zero's before your account number!


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## RA40 (Sep 22, 2010)

When I was active, I ignored these mails thinking the usual scam. This is the first I have heard of this type of security process.


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## ama230 (Sep 22, 2010)

RA40 said:


> When I was active, I ignored these mails thinking the usual scam. This is the first I have heard of this type of security process.



+1

This is a scam and paypal will never ask you to resubmit information via email or telephone. 

Its is your option to become verified when you are on the paypal account information page when you log in. 

When you did this, they now have your login and your account information. If your bank will refund you fraudulent charges then you are ok but look forward to a few large purchases, and not by you.

You are going to have to contact paypal so they can change your account information. This is the easiest scam and then paypal states they will never contact you via email ever! Be careful as this is an easy way to fall for this and have had the same thing happen to me five or so years ago and had a 1500 dollar camera charged on my bank account. Not fun as i didn't have money for a full week until things were fixed.

Do not confirm via email. Just login regularly and then you can change or add stuff if you like but at your own choice.

It is a scam and be careful!!!!


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## jasonck08 (Sep 22, 2010)

ama230. Please carefully read the thread.

This is NOT A SCAM. I NEVER submitted any information via email or clicked any links. I got the email a couple days after trying to transfer $500 from my Paypal account to my bank account.

I signed into my Paypal account directly via Paypal.com from several computers on different networks. *I even called Paypal to confirm that this is legit security verification.*

I know to NEVER EVER provide banking information over email, or click any links asking me to confirm my information. This email was different as it told me to go to Paypal.com (no links).


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## blasterman (Sep 22, 2010)

> Secondly, how would the crooks on a bogus site know my bank account (not a famous company) and the last 2 digits of my checking account.


 
If I were asked that question as part of a security / indentity fraud scenario, I would answer that all that would be required is a cancelled check. Or, given that most banks are opting for electronic/photocopied deposits, all it takes is for a customer service drone to send an e-mail from a compromised machine. At that point the bad guys have your bank account ## and have a possible E-mail address. Spam mail it out to 10,000 people, and wait for a hit. Banks claim it's all 'closed loop', but it really isn't. For this reason I have minimal information on my checks.

Good check on the DNS issue. Obviously the hyperlink in the E-mail itself doesn't mean anything though. 

I hate PayPal, but it's existence shows just how exorbitant CreditCard processing fees are for small merchants.


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## 1301 (Sep 22, 2010)

jasonck08 said:


> ama230. Please carefully read the thread.
> 
> This is NOT A SCAM. I NEVER submitted any information via email or clicked any links. I got the email a couple days after trying to transfer $500 from my Paypal account to my bank account.
> 
> ...



It also happend to me a few weeks ago.
Actually I was sure it was a scam so I just typed in words that didn't make sense ( the random test was one of the security questions (first pets name etc.))

Well, after the 10th trial I got an email von paypal telling me they would "freeze" my account until I prove them that this account belongs to me.

So I called them by myself and the person on the phone said that I would need to prove that I'm in fact the man I'm claiming to be (that was no problem.. but I was *shocked *what information she wanted to know from me to verify who I'm. to be honest: Most of my friends would have been capable of answering that (name, adress, telephone number, bank account number and iirc that's it :fail, then she gave me a number and sent an email with a link to my email adress so I could set up a new password).

So paypal is actually doing this and in this particular case it wasn't a scam.
BUT: because paypal is doing such things now I bet the scammers get a lot better chances because people are irritated if it's a legit test or a scam.
Before that you could always say that paypal wouldn ask you that question. 
(imo if you're beeing ask something in/from the paypal page after you logged on it could be legit or it could be a scam. If it's outside your logged in account is is definitely scam)

edit: btw I live in Germany and have a "german" paypal account. Let's see in which countries they're doing those tests


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## VidPro (Sep 22, 2010)

jasonck08 said:


> ama230.
> I know to NEVER EVER provide banking information over email, or click any links asking me to confirm my information. This email was different as it told me to go to Paypal.com (no links).


 

I understood, the e-mail was a scam still, *you didnt get scammed BY the e-mail*.

paypal themselves didnt send you a E-mail warning about randomly secure accounts and requiring verification, that just got you wondering to log in PROPER directally to deal with the verification RIGHT?


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## OneBigDay (Oct 4, 2010)

This question is half rhetorical but there are a lot of smart folks out there and the "security" space seems to be living, breathing, changing by the minute.

Is there an alternative to paypal?

I started here on CPF buying a few misc items using postal money orders and it worked fine. This got old and tired quickly as it takes considerably more effort to do this than setup an electronic transfer method. Eventually I went and talked to my bank. I opened up a seperate "account". I can transfer immediately from a different account into paypal. The bank assured me  (this is where it gets sticky in my mind) that nobody (think paypal) that has access to this new account could "cross over" and affect my other accounts. I still wonder if this is true and have thought many times about going to another bank and opening something totally seperately for paypal only. Can anybody verify or deny that the account associated with paypal transfers is the only account that can be affected if paypal decides to "randomly" harass you?

Also could somebody clarify when you speak of paypal freezing your account, I assume this is limited to freezing your use of paypal itself to transfer funds, but not affecting the underlying bank account and your ability to withdraw, use, transfer funds from the bank directly. Any comments here?


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## Monocrom (Oct 4, 2010)

OneBigDay said:


> . . . Any comments here?


 
Yeah, using Postal money orders can be a pain in the neck. You have to wait an extra week to get what you bought. Wait on line at the post office. Some sellers will only do PayPal.

However, you don't have to deal with PayPal or any of the B.S. associated with it. If you have a good reputation on the forums you frequent, some sellers won't make you wait that extra week until they get your M.O. before shipping out the item. Don't stress out by going to the post office on your lunch break when everyone else is there on theirs.' And if you ask nicely, quite a few sellers are willing to drop the "PayPal-only" clause.

I still use money orders. I know some will disagree, but PayPal isn't a huge improvement over that old method of payment.


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## Manachi (Aug 21, 2012)

jasonck08 said:


> I called Paypal and its a completely legit security measure that they randomly take from time to time on peoples accounts.
> 
> Also I finally got my full account number to work. I had to enter in 4 zero's before my full account number. Completely stupid on Paypals part, they should tell you that if your account number is less then 10 digits to enter in zero's before your account number!



I had the exact same thing happen to me last night. However mine wasn't initiated from an email, but rather was part of a checkout process on a website. (And yes I checked the url, and the secure signed SSL icon/certificate info etc).

I was ordering something online that I was hoping to receive ASAP and it prompted me for my account number, supplying the last 2 digits for me. I dont know my account number off by heart so I had to go dig it up, and then the MORONS didn't accept it. And then the payment didn't go through and I had to email the supplier explaining the situation and pay manually. 

PayPal are idiots. Turned out that like you I had to PAD the account numbers with 0's on the left. REALLY? I mean REALLY? What an absolutely ridiculous system. As you say they provide NO extra help whatsoever, no explanations. It's utterly absurd. PayPal Suck. I would drop them in a second if it wasn't so widespread & necessary when shopping online.


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## Monocrom (Aug 22, 2012)

Manachi said:


> {PayPal} I would drop them in a second if it wasn't so widespread & necessary when shopping online.



Widespread? Yes.

Necessary? No.

I've bought more items than I can remember off of the internet with postal money orders. Shops that don't have an M.O. option will usually accept one if you call them up and ask. Individual sellers tend to be open-minded too. Just have to ask. Trip to the post office is all that's needed. I've never lost out on anything I truly wanted by using a money order.

Never had a PayPal account, never will.


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## WriteAway (Aug 22, 2012)

One alternative I have used in buying pens and lights online (in the US) is to purchase prepaid VISA gift (debit) cards, and use those to make purchases *where the vendor allows* (i.e., Ebay, and others). It's a hassle, and not always accepted, but it has worked for me many times.


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## HotWire (Aug 22, 2012)

I received a similar email from "Paypal" earlier this week. It was stuck in the spam detector. I deleted it forever without opening it. PayPal does not email your for account information. You should check with your bank. They may issue you new account numbers, new credit card, etc. Check your bank account DAILY for awhile just to be sure. I've used my paypal account several times after I trashed the email and have had no problems. A way to check your account without a computer? Go to an ATM and ask for a little money and a receipt.


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## Slazmo (Aug 22, 2012)

Easiest way to tell is if it is actually written to you - using your name eg: Dear "Joe Banks". When its a phising email it will be eg: Dear Pay Pal user or something similar...

Otherwise forward the email to their [email protected].(your country denotation eg: au)

Sorted...


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