My PayPal account was hacked

[packrat]

ARGH. I got on the computer this morning and there were 2 emails from PayPal that there was suspicious activity on our account. There is only 1 email from PayPal that any money was sent though. I went thru the process, changed my security stuff, verified my cc, typed out everything I knew about it in the little box -and then my computer froze up. Restarted. Went thru the whole shebang again-but this time it said my cc still needed to be done, and then it wouldn''t let me. Ugh, it just makes me sick.

I did start a new window and typed in PayPal, I didn''t click anything in the emails-tho in the dispute emails there wasn''t anything to click.

Just..GAH! Why must people DO stuff like that??

It said it will take up to 10 days for resolution so we''re on limited account access until then. If they decide it was fraudulent they will refund the money. What can I do until then? Do I just have to wait until I hear something? Has this happened to anyone else?

 

[HVVS]

Never had it happen so far, but I just checked my accounts to be certain.

From a Google search, and this one seems plausible along with some kind of security breach or keystroke logger at an online business:

3. You Pay hacker to Break in your account:

You may term me crazy but it is the most dangerous strategy that hackers use. They build a business-like website and put some products for sale. You visit their site, select a product and click the payment button of any company. You may land at a fake website having copied web-pages of the concerned company. You try to log-in but that page reopens. Not having Paypal hacking idea, you submit your information now at the real site to pay him $20.00 for the product. Next day or after some time you may find your account empty.

Also see this link for guidelines for passwords:
http://tulsahightech.com/200905/paypal.htm

 

[MonkeyPie]

I had someone in India (of course) trying to sell fake stuff on my account but no money ever got transferred - I caught it right away. I''m not sure how I found it, but I did a chat with someone on paypal to confirm they were fake and I was the real owner of the account, and they cleared it up in a day or two.

 

[packrat]

That''s interesting HVVS, thank you! It''s amazing the things people like that can come up with isn''t it?? Too bad they don''t use this knowledge for GOOD.

Glad you caught it MP! What a mess it would have been.

Back in 2003 we were in Vegas and we did the Star Trek Experience and afterwards there was a thing that you could have your face put onto a picture of the crew like you were a member, if you signed up for the Star Trek Visa or whatever. We did it, and never received the cards. Apparently someone had taken our info from that and used it to make a charge in Buenos Aires! We got a bill, and JD called me at work to ask when I''d gone and to please take him next time. We had to fill out paperwork and it was taken care of. It was crazy.

 

[Maisie]

Are you sure the emails were from Paypal? Its a common scam to make you think its from PP, then when you click on the link and give all your cc details etc - thats when you get scammed.

ETA I just reread your original post and saw you didn't click on any links. Sorry! I will leave my original comment though in case anyone else might get scammed that way

 

[ArtistJess]

i have had people send messages saying they were from paypal, even though it was just a scam.

 

[PinkTower]

Call Paypal. You can get the number under "Contact Us."
I got that same email once, and the email was not from PayPal. The email was fraudulent.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

This happened to me once. IIRC, about $600 was taken out of my checking account. DH worked with our bank (a credit union) rather than PP and they replaced the funds the next day.

There wasn''t any limited account access or anything. We changed our PP password and that was about it.

 

[radiantquest]

That is no good. Firday morning my husband got on his email and there was an email from our bank telling him he was locked out of web banking since 10:30 the night before. Apparently someone was trying to get into it and locked it due to 3 incorrect tries. So scary! He called the bank and told them it was not him and confirmed that it was not me either and then changed all his passwords. Just imagine if they had successfully gotten in.

 

[asscherisme]

Oh, thats awful.

In the past 2 weeks I had both my american express card as well as Discover credit card have fradulent activity on them.

I did not see it, it was caught by the companies.

I got phone calls from both companies leaving me messages to call fraud prevention.

I called and my american express card had someone try and buy $4,000 worth of airline tickets from India on my credit card. They asked if that was me. My reply "No, I was not in India trying to buy $4,000 of airline tickets!" They shut down my card and issued me a new number. Later determined to be internet purchase from a bunch of stolen numbers.

Discover asked me if I was in Texas buying $6,200 worth of computer equipment at Office Max in store purchase. My reply "Um, do you see that charge for Starbucks that I made 15 minutes before you called in my hometown? No, it was not me"

Later found my card number was part of a large ring of counterfit credit cards being made with real numbers stolen and someone walked into a store with a fake credit card with my number on it!

I had to sign forms in both cases stating it was not me. Luckily I was not held liable for anything.

Its just creepy that there are huge rings of people trying to steal paypal money, credit cards, bank account numbers etc.

Creepy.

I checked my spyware, firewall, and virus protection were working.

 

[reader]

I had it happen before as well. My bank is a small hometown one, and did not believe me about the charges. They had quite a shock when over the course of the next year, they got hit with a rash of folks having paypal issues.

Now, every so often they randomly shut off my account and call me. It is a bit annoying, especially if I haven''t left town in a week or so, but I understand.

 

[packrat]

Ugh-the lengths people will go to, to steal other people''s money! It''s just pathetic! I called the bank this am and nothing''s been taken out. Crap, I just now checked it online and it''s been taken out. ARGH. Well, I''m off to call PP now.

 

[packrat]

On hold w/PP now. Rick is checking stuff out for me. I called the bank too and they''re thinking to be safe I should close down the account and open a new one. Ohh I''d like to smack this idiot around that took the money.

 

[D&T]

awww Packy... I''m so sorry this has happened... Really hate it when people go to great lengths to steal other''s people hard earned cash. I have had a few of scammers that I have reported to cybercrime. If a crime is being committed which involved Canada, I called Phonebusters.com there was another entity in the US, and I can''t remember what the site was, but they were the ones that referred me to Phonebusters.com anyhoot, I hope all goes well.

 

[packrat]

Thanks hon! I just got off the phone and he said he filed a claim on it and it will be 5-10 days to get it straightened out and that if it''s determined to be unauthorized they''ll refund the money. I asked about closing down the bank account and opening a new one and he said there''s no way they could get my full number, just the last 4 digits, the rest are all x''s. But, I wonder (even tho I asked him and he said no)..if I were to go into my PP account and click to change the bank account number-would the whole number show up?

hm..I just checked and it doesn''t. Still..I don''t know if I should close and reopen or not?