# Is this a scam?  Either way, what's the point?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-either-way-whats-the-point/841427>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 7, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-either-way-whats-the-point/841427 "2019-10-07T16:55:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-either-way-whats-the-point/841427/21 "2019-10-10T16:43:09Z")

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> [@Musicat](#):
>
> Excellent. Paypal rebates should include references to the source, like a phone # or URL. Have you pursued this for clarification?

Mystery solved. Mr. Middon ordered software using Paypal with a $20 rebate. The confirmation email on the rebate went to his email address, but our Paypal account uses my address.

I still don’t know why Paypal initially called it a “claim.”

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**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2019, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-either-way-whats-the-point/841427/22 "2019-10-10T18:44:54Z")

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> [@Anny\_Middon](#):
>
> Mystery solved. Mr. Middon ordered software using Paypal with a $20 rebate. The confirmation email on the rebate went to his email address, but our Paypal account uses my address.
> 
> I still don’t know why Paypal initially called it a “claim.”

Did not expect this to have arational explanation, thanks for letting us know.

We had an analog version, where we got expensive binoculars in the mail. No return address, and no one never asked for payment! USPS said “This happens, probably a scammer trying out a stolen CC, but no one to return them to, so they’re yours.”

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**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-either-way-whats-the-point/841427/23 "2019-10-12T18:47:32Z")

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> [@Roderick\_Femm](#):
>
> I would be surprised if there were any effective way of Paypal preventing scammers from spoofing their site. I’m not at all clear how they would do that. The actual email address of the scammer/spoofer would have no connection to Paypal.

The scammers simply ask you to click a link. Needless to add, it does take you to the real PaypPal site, but to a very convincing fake instead.

Whatever program you use, check the e-mail by using soemhting like Raw view, or whatever your program calls it. This shows the HTML or XML code of the e-mail, and you can then check who actually sent it, and where that supposed link actually goes to.

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