# Is this PayPal/SDMB thing legit or phishing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 4, 2011, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-paypal-sdmb-thing-legit-or-phishing/591431 "2011-08-04T05:06:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-paypal-sdmb-thing-legit-or-phishing/591431/21 "2011-08-04T21:10:08Z")
I recently received an email from PayPal - to the correct email account - reminding me that my card was about to lapse and to register a replacement with them. I ignored it the first couple of times then logged in to my PayPal account to find that although I had logged my new card with them, upon receipt of it, I hadn’t activated it. Although I was at first suspicious it proved to be quite legit. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-paypal-sdmb-thing-legit-or-phishing/591431/22 "2011-08-06T04:55:59Z")
So, I logged in to PayPal and did the thing there. Seems legit. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-paypal-sdmb-thing-legit-or-phishing/591431/23 "2011-08-06T05:31:57Z")
Sounds like there are two versions of this email going around - the legit one, and a phishing one that is pretty much a copy of the legit one except for bad links. As others have said - legit email or not - you will never hurt yourself by typing in the url and going to paypal directly to check it out. make it a habit of Never clicking on banking/account related links within email - ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-paypal-sdmb-thing-legit-or-phishing/591431/24 "2011-08-06T07:20:48Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Sounds like there are two versions of this email going around - the legit one, and a phishing one that is pretty much a copy of the legit one except for bad links. > > As others have said - legit email or not - you will never hurt yourself by typing in the url and going to paypal directly to check it out. Assuming you type it correctly, yeah. I’m sure lots of scammers register domains which are typographically inaccurate renditions of “[paypal.com](http://paypal.com)”. ---
**Author:** ![Petek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/petek/32/1590_2.png) [@Petek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petek)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-paypal-sdmb-thing-legit-or-phishing/591431/25 "2011-08-06T14:18:52Z")
I received an email message similar to the one in the OP. I forwarded it to [spoof@paypal.com](mailto:spoof@paypal.com) and received the following reply: > [@](#): > > Thanks for forwarding that suspicious-looking email. You’re right - it > was a phishing attempt, and we’re working on stopping the fraud. By > reporting the problem, you’ve made a difference! > > Identity thieves try to trick you into revealing your password or other > personal information through phishing emails and fake websites. To learn > more about online safety, click “Security Center” on any PayPal webpage. > Every email counts. When you forward suspicious-looking emails to > [spoof@paypal.com](mailto:spoof@paypal.com), you help keep yourself and others safe from identity > theft. > > Your account security is very important to us, so we appreciate your > extra effort. > > Thanks, > > PayPal However, when I directly accessed [paypal.com](http://paypal.com) and logged in, I also was informed of the need to “consent to our Electronic Communications Delivery Policy.” ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-paypal-sdmb-thing-legit-or-phishing/591431/26 "2011-08-08T17:35:39Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Sounds like there are two versions of this email going around - the legit one, and a phishing one that is pretty much a copy of the legit one except for bad links. I received one of the phishing ones today. I knew it was a phishing one because I don’t have a PayPal account, and never did. But there were also a few spelling errors (for example, “Dear Costumer”) and awkward-sounding, almost-too-formal phrasing (“If you could please take 5-10 minutes out of your online experience and update your personal records you will not run into any future problems with the online service”) that would have sent up red flags regardless. I forwarded it to [spoof@paypal.com](mailto:spoof@paypal.com), and hopefully, they can deal with it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-paypal-sdmb-thing-legit-or-phishing/591431.md?page=1)