Curious: Did Anyone Else Get This From "PayPal"?
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
April 14, 2009 1:04am CST
As you know there are a lot of scams out there and often under the guise of a top site, like PayPal. The usual scenario is one gets an email supposedly by PayPal, but of course it isn't the real PayPal, but some scam to try to lure you to click on the link provided and it takes you to a site like PayPal in all appearances. The scam email usually says something like, "We've noticed unusual activity on you PayPal account and are suspending it until you can verify...blah, blah, blah...etc" I'm sure almost each and everyone of us have gotten these scam type emails.
Okay...now here's my question. Have any of you gotten an email from PayPal...I'm not even sure if it is PayPal. I found it in my bulk/spam folder and no, it doesn't ask for me to verify anything, or add a credit card, or anything like that. Supposedly, it's some kind of "survey"
Here's the email I got:
PayPal Customer Survey
In a continuing effort to provide our users with the best possible online payment experience, we randomly select registered users, like you, to participate in surveys. Your feedback will help us enhance your PayPal experience. We appreciate your taking just two minutes to respond.
To complete the survey, simply click on the Web address shown below (or copy the address into your browser).
[i](NOTE: it gives a website address to click on but I've omitted here)
[/i]
Sincerely,
PayPal
PayPal has commissioned GfK Custom Research North America, an independent market research company, to conduct this Web-based survey among its members. If you have concerns about the validity of this survey, please contact survey@paypal.com.
As you can see it does give an email to write to them to verify the validity of the survey but I'm even wondering about that. And why would the email be in my bulk/spam folder???
So anyone else get this??
16 people like this
44 responses
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
14 Apr 09
They usually ask me to participate in a survey if I buy or sell something with PayPal.
It is always the same survey... asking heaps of questions about my satisfaction level with PayPal.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
15 Apr 09
I just think this is a fake email to me, since I've never gotten something like this before from "PayPal"--and I've been over there for years.
1 person likes this
@saigonwarrior (1331)
• United States
15 Apr 09
Yes, I received it and filled it out. It had my first name in the greeting and
I was told it was legitimate if it was addressed in this way.
I had never received a survey mail before either until recently.
I have gotten the phishing mails that address me as Dear PayPal member, those I
always send to the PayPal spoof addy.
@Aurone (4755)
• United States
14 Apr 09
I think I did but I am sure I deleted it because I never link to paypal through email except when it is through and ebay email where I have sold or purchased something. I was scammed once and rely on paypal too much to be scammed again. I almost always long on through a separate portal, just safer that way.
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
15 Apr 09
This is the first time though that I got an email supposedly for some kind of survey and never got one before even though I've been at Paypal for a long time, so seemed weird to me.
1 person likes this
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
14 Apr 09
Nope....not received that one. I use outlook for my email proggy & I have a folder set up for PayPal & a rule for their emails to auto go there. Anything from PayPal that doesn't go into my folder, I copy & paste into PatPal's Security page & wait for them to tell me if it's true. I've also learned that PayPal is really good about doing things like surveys when you log into your account so you know that strange emails from them is NOT them. If you log into your account & go to their Security tab, there is a place you can copy the email & paste it & submit it to them. They will respond by email whether it is safe or not. If it's a scam, they have a way of using the info you send them to track down the scammer & get their email addy closed. PayPal is VERY diligent about protecting their site & their members!!! I do believe that I'd ignore this one Mel!!!
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
14 Apr 09
I have received a similar email and mine too was in my spam folder. I have pasted it below. I reported it to PayPal. I haven't heard anything about it because I would imagine I'm not the only one who has advised them about these emails.
PayPal claim that if you are not addressed by your name, the email is not from them and should be reported.
Yours appears more genuine but if they haven't included your name I would presume it's fake.
[i]Secure Your PayPal Account!
Dear PayPal Customer,
ZeLk23g0r11hNhw-z3Pb8bvWpyI6 -ZoBJzA
We need to inform you that during our security review we are asking every user to become ID Verified, this security measure will protect our customers from account thefts and any other fraudulent activities. To secure your PayPal account please visit the link below:
https://www.paypal.com/us/webscr.php?cmd=_login-runcmd=_secure
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and appreciate your assistance in helping us maintain the integrity of the entire PayPal community.
For assistance, log in to your PayPal account and choose the "Help" link in the header of any page.
Sincerely,
PayPal Accounts Review Department
The PayPal Corp. Copyright © 1999-2009 PayPal. All rights reserved.
PayPal Email ID: 3040-320 [/i]
2 people like this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
14 Apr 09
i wouldn't trust it.
i don't recall ever recieving something like that from them.
at the bare minimum they could be phishing for "live" email boxes to spam.
@marciascott (25529)
• United States
15 Apr 09
Yes you should contact them right away. never reply, go strait to your email account in Address Bar.
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
14 Apr 09
Just forward it to spoof@paypal.com. Pay pal never asks for feedback or anything like that.
@alicia812 (646)
• Australia
16 Apr 09
Hi Pye. I used to receive the fake email telling me to verify my account and password. I just ignored that. I think I have also received the email you mentioned here but I ignored it too since it went straight to my spam folder. If it is an email from Paypal it will surely go to my Inbox since our Paypal accounts are always straightly addressed to our email address.
Paypal used to send email to their members addressing it like this: Dear (email address),... and not Dear customers nor Dear Paypal User.... It is always safe to read the security measures in the Paypal website to protect ourselves.
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
16 Apr 09
I agree that it should go to the inbox if it comes from the correct address. When I set my paypal up I marked the safe address and anything else should go to junk. Some of these scammers can get their web address to look so like paypals that you would never know the difference. I find that a worry but I believe that if in doubt ignore and if it is real they will contact again or find some way to verify it is real by having it on the account when you log in.
@Mac6999 (705)
• India
14 Apr 09
paypal does some surveys regarding customer service and customer satisfaction. they usually send surveys if you have contacted them by phone. Genuine surveys from paypal wont ask for your account information such as password, address, credit/debit card details, bank account etc. The surveys will usually ask how satisfied you are with the service that was provided.
1 person likes this
@purnima175 (435)
• India
13 Nov 09
Whenever I get a suspiscious email related to paypal I go to the website directly to see if there really is an issue and then I forward the scam mail message to Paypal so that they are aware of it. Sometimes if you move your cursor over the links in the fake emails you can see the addresses and that will tell you the email was not really from paypal.
@spimcom (1)
• France
7 Apr 10
Ok, I can confirm for sure that the e-mail is a legit one from Paypal.
I have got the french version of it. It refers to the domain paypal-survey.com and claims to have commissioned Decipher Inc. to conduct the survey.
The reasons I believe it to be right are :
- They were addressing it to me using my real first and last name.
- The administrative contacts for the domain paypal-survey.com refer to ebay addresses. (can't be spoofed)
- The domain DNS refer to Paypal.com (can't be spoofed)
- The questions did not ask me for any personal information.
- The questions were all about an actual transaction I have made on Paypal.com
So in my opinion, it is legit!
@GardenGerty (157907)
• United States
17 Apr 09
No, I did not get that one. Once a long time ago I got something, not even sure if I remember what. I suspected it was fraud and sent it to spoof@paypal.com, and they told me that it was legitimate. I would do that with this one as well. Especially since it was in your spam folder.
@ctrymuziklvr (11057)
• United States
23 Apr 09
I'm always getting an email saying their from Paypal and the first thing I do is check to see who it is to. If it's a scam my name won't be there and I know it's not from them. I immediately send it to Paypal so then can check it out.
@cortney09 (1345)
• United States
23 Apr 09
I don't think that I have gotten it, but couldn't be 100% on that one.
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
17 Apr 09
I've never gotten the email about the paypal survey, but I do occasionally get the ones about verifying my account, that someone tried to use my account, and it will be suspended if I don't verify it, like you said blah blah blah. Well I usually forward those to paypal, and they will usually respond, and tell me that it was an email scam, that they won't ever ask you for your account info. in a email. If I were you I would forward it to paypal and have them investigate it and they can tell you if its real or not.
@jdyrj777 (6530)
• United States
17 Apr 09
I have gotten thoses too. I have gotten some supposedly from ebay members too. Asking about an item i have listed. Humm when i didnt have anything listed in a very long while. I have gotten some claiming to be my bank and somebody may be trying to tap into account. Not my bank. As if i dont know my bank.
The main thing is never go to anything through a link. Always go directlt to the site then sign in.
I guess some of these scammers can be lucky if they run in inexperienced people and steal from them.
