Internet is full of people clever. But even smart people that don’t keep relaxed their guard against scams can be duped sometimes. Recently, I received an e-mail from Paypal. 
Image credit: Zero g
I was perplexed by a notice from them, however….
Subject: PayPal Security Advisory
Military Grade Encryption is Only the Start
At PayPal, we want to increase your security and comfort level with every transaction. From our Buyer and Seller Protection Policies to our Verification and Reputation systems, we’ll help to keep you safe. We recently noticed one or more attempts to log in to your PayPal account from a foreign IP address and we have reasons to belive (sic) that your account was hijacked by a third party without your authorization.
If you recently accessed your account while traveling, the unusual log in attempts may have been initiated by you. However, if you are the rightfull (sic) holder of the account, click on the link below, fill the form and then submit as we try to verify your identity.
==> (URL that looks like it goes to the PayPal Security Center)
If you choose to ignore our request, you leave us no choise (sic) but to temporaly (sic) suspend your account. We ask that you allow at least 72 hours for the case to be investigated and we strongly recommend to verefy (sic) your account in that time.
Unfortunately, I lowered my guard, and I logged to my account up to be a victim of “phishing”.
Phishing Scams In Plain English
What is phishing? Before you fall in these traps, I urge you to watch this short video Phishing Scams in Plain English, which explains how these scams operate, and help you on how to protect yourself from the scammers.
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This video provides some advices that help you to minimize risk of being scammed. In brief:
- Choosing company you trust.
- Don’t worry if you receive a e-mail scam. You have a few risk only when you respond to phishing attempts.
- If the e-mail message contains a link or a form, then never click it or fill it.
- Always go directly to the site.
- Forward the suspicious e-mail to reportfishing@antiphishing.gov or spam@uce.gov.
My story was mundane mistake. The message I received from Paypal was a real spam message, and it was phishing.
Unfortunately, I’d suffered a momentary lapse. Despite my constant vigilance, and my frequent monition to others, I left my guard down, and it’s sufficient to become a victim.
