PayPal red alert for all users as 10 new rules are introduced
A red alert warning has been issued by security experts to anyone with a PayPal account. An influx of cyber crooks trying to use the platform to scam people has been seen this year, and users are being warned to stay vigilant. The team at McAfee Labs says there has been a staggering 600% increase in PayPal attacks since the start of the year. Most scams arrive as worrying emails that suggest accounts have been suspended, with users urged to update their details to get things back up and running, reports the Express. Other methods used by scammers include fake PayPal gift card offers, fraudulent invoices and customer support scams about billing issues. 'While PayPal works diligently to protect its users, scammers are constantly evolving their tactics and often capitalise on well-known companies, especially if they've been in the news recently,' McAfee explained. "The recent surge has been traced to a single, highly effective campaign where attackers send official-looking emails with 'action required' warnings, demanding users update their account details within 48 hours or face account suspension." McAfee says it is now vital users take care when opening messages claiming to be from PayPal and watch out for links to websites that are not official PayPal domains. Some useful advice has also been issued, along with 10 new rules worth knowing if you use or are planning to use a PayPal account. Never click links in emails or texts claiming to be from PayPal. Instead, open a new browser window and log in directly at Pay, Send and Save Money with PayPal, or use the official PayPal app to check for notifications. Legitimate PayPal emails will come from addresses ending in @paypal.com. Be wary of similar-looking domains like paypal-account.me or service-ppal.com. If you need to contact PayPal support, use only the official contact methods listed on their website: PayPal Contact Us | PayPal US Some scammers spoof email addresses or use real PayPal tools like their invoices to trick you. Frequent monitoring allows you to spot unauthorised activity quickly and report it before significant damage occurs. Legitimate companies do not typically threaten immediate account closure or demand urgent action within short timeframes like 24 hours. Familiarise yourself with PayPal's security centre and take advantage of their fraud protection tools. If you receive a suspicious message or notice unauthorised activity, report it to PayPal and change your password right away. If you activate two-factor authentication, someone who gets hold of your password still can't access your account without a code sent directly to your phone or an authenticator. PayPal doesn't typically send these, but scammers often do.
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