PayPal: Importance of being safe online
In light of the report by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, into the security of the Internet, Cristina Hoole, Spokesperson for PayPal, comments about the importance of being safe online:“The security of people who use the Internet and shop online must become a top priority, not just for the Government but also software vendors, if the ongoing threat of e-crime is to be culled. Continued proactive action needs to be taken so that people in the UK are not put at risk. At present more than 27.4 million people in the UK have received a phishing email at some point, with 18.1 million people receiving an email that has purported to have come from their bank. These are worrying statistics, especially if anyone has been tricked into responding to them.
“Online companies have an obligation to consumers to help them stay safe online, so they do not become the unwitting victims of e-crime. PayPal does a number of things to help its customers stay safe online, and at the heart of our own activity is consumer education. However, a successful programme does not, and cannot stop there – Government, the police, financial services providers, internet providers, retailers, must all work together to fight the criminals who will otherwise continue to target online consumers with increasingly complicated scams.”
PayPal top ten tips on how to spot a fake email:
1.Check your account! If a PayPal user is ever sent an email which seems suspicious the immediate and most basic action to take is to log into your account and verify any activity before going ahead with any transactions.
2. Generic greetings. Many spoof emails begin with a general greeting, such as: "Dear PayPal member." If you do not see your first and last name, be suspicious and do not click on any links or button.
3.A fake sender's address. A spoof email may include a forged email address in the "From" field. This field is easily altered.
4. A false sense of urgency. Many spoof emails try to deceive you with the threat that your account is in jeopardy if you don't update it ASAP. They may also state that an unauthorised transaction has recently occurred on your account, or claim PayPal is updating its accounts and needs information fast.
5. Fake links. Always check where a link is going before you click. Move your mouse over it and look at the URL in your browser or email status bar. A fraudulent link is dangerous. If you click on one, it could:
Direct you to a spoof website that tries to collect your personal data.
Install spyware on your system. Spyware is an application that can enable a hacker to monitor your actions and steal any passwords or credit card numbers you type online.
Cause you to download a virus that could disable your computer.
6. Emails that appear to be websites. Some emails will look like a website in order to get you to enter personal information. PayPal never asks for personal information in an email.
7. Deceptive URLs. Only enter your PayPal password on PayPal pages. These begin with paypal.com. If you see an @ sign in the middle of a URL, there's a good chance this is a spoof. Legitimate companies use a domain name e.g. company.com.
Even if a URL contains the word "PayPal," it may not be a PayPal site. Examples of deceptive URLs include: paypalsecure.com, paypa1.com, secure-paypal.com, and paypalnet.com.
Always log in to PayPal by opening a new web browser and typing in the following: https://www.paypal.com/.
Never log in to PayPal from a link in an email.
8. Unsafe sites. The term "https" should always precede any website address where you enter personal information. The "s" stands for secure. If you don't see "https," you're not in a secure web session, and you should not enter data.
9. Pop-up boxes. PayPal will never use a pop-up box in an email as pop-ups are not secure.
10. Attachments. Like fake links, attachments are frequently used in spoof emails and are dangerous. Never click on an attachment. It could cause you to download spyware or a virus. PayPal will never email you an attachment or a software update to install on your computer.
If you receive a spoof email, forward the entire email - including the header information to spoof@paypal.com, then delete it from your mailbox. Please note that the automatic response you get from us may not address you by name.