# Is this legit? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 30, 2008, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-legit/479183 "2008-12-30T05:58:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-legit/479183/1 "2008-12-30T05:58:39Z")
I very recently registered for an eBay account. I tried to make one purchase, but it didn’t work. The Amount was for $12.00. I just now received this email: We recently noticed that a transaction may have been made without your knowledge or consent. We are currently investigating the following transaction: * * * ## Details of Disputed Transaction Transaction date: Nov 29, 2009 Transaction amount: -$25.94 CAD Your transaction ID: 30L\*\*\*_**F065545B Case number: PP-548-**_-111 To see the details of this case, log in to your PayPal account by following the link below. During our investigation your account access will be limited. Please verify your account details in order to lift the limit on your account. [https://www.paypal.com/login?viewdetails?user=\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*@yahoo.com&transactionID=2594](https://www.paypal.com/login?viewdetails?user= ********** @yahoo.com&transactionID=2594) The seller has been asked to provide information about this transaction. During this time the funds are not available in your account, but if the unauthorized activity claim is decided in your favor, we will fully refund you for the amount of the transaction. Sincerely, Account Review Department Please do not reply to this email. This mailbox is not monitored and you will not receive a response. For assistance, log in to your PayPal account and click the Help link in the top right corner of any PayPal page ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-legit/479183/2 "2008-12-30T06:21:26Z")
I just noticed that the date is November 29, 2009… ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-legit/479183/3 "2008-12-30T06:40:58Z")
If it really came from PayPal, it should have your name on it. The phishing attempts don’t. The wording sounds like a phishing attempt (is that redundant?) and I sure wouldn’t click on the link to verify my details. But you can log into your PayPal account the way you usually do and verify your activity. It sounds a little different than the phishing attempts I’ve seen that claim to come from PayPal but has some similarities. I wouldn’t trust it. The date makes me really suspicious. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-legit/479183/4 "2008-12-30T06:44:18Z")
You seem to have figured it out but yeah, that’s a common phishing email. Don’t ever log into paypal or ebay via one of those links. Real Ebay and paypal emails don’t provide you with links like that and will instead instruct you to open their web page and log into your account on your own (rather than follow a link). Remember that rule, because I have seem some damn fine scam websites to get your account info in my time, and some really legit looking emails that are very scary sounding. When I ran the eBay store for a retail establishment we would get 1 or two of those a week. You can report them if you like to paypal, but I am not really sure it does anything. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-legit/479183/5 "2008-12-30T06:51:07Z")
Thank you both, very much! I will not click on the link.