# What Scam Is This? (involves PayPal, but probably a fake PayPal)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scam-is-this-involves-paypal-but-probably-a-fake-paypal/987834>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [July 30, 2023, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scam-is-this-involves-paypal-but-probably-a-fake-paypal/987834 "2023-07-30T18:41:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2023, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scam-is-this-involves-paypal-but-probably-a-fake-paypal/987834/1 "2023-07-30T18:41:28Z")

</div>

I’m sure this is a scam, so I’ve never called the number, because that seems to be what they want me to do, and so I don’t know what the exchange is like, but I assume it’s phishing for personal information, especially bank account info.

This happens to me maybe twice a year (albeit, in early 2020, it happened about twice a week). Here’s what happens:

I get an email that purports to be from PayPal, but the logo they use looks outdated (Google sear. It says that tomorrow, they are taking some large sum (in excess of $1,000, usually) from my account, as “pre-arranged.”

Then it says that if I did NOT authorize this, I need to call phone # 888-_nnn-nnnn_.

I always check my PayPal account to look for pending charges, and also my bank-- I never find any charges, so I generally ignore these warnings

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scam-is-this-involves-paypal-but-probably-a-fake-paypal/987834/2 "2023-07-30T18:43:20Z")

</div>

If they get you to call they get to go phishing for information and have a live phone number.

They try to get all kind of information from you if you were dumb enough to call them.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2023, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scam-is-this-involves-paypal-but-probably-a-fake-paypal/987834/3 "2023-07-30T18:52:09Z")

</div>

Not just a live phone number but one belonging to a presumably gullible person.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2023, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scam-is-this-involves-paypal-but-probably-a-fake-paypal/987834/4 "2023-07-30T19:02:11Z")

</div>

> [@What\_Exit](#):
>
> They try to get all kind of information from you if **you were dumb enough to call them.** -

Or malicious enough to call from a Google Voice number and make them wish they had never sent you that email.