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SAFETY TIPS WHEN USING PAYPAL
Online fraud has turned out to be a lucrative profession, and the number of fraudsters out there is large! However, with some common sense and a few safety precautions, you can avoid being a scam victim at Paypal. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Remember the email address registered with Paypal: When you register for your Paypal account you will need to register at least one email address with the account. This email address along with your password are the two vital pieces of information required to login to your Paypal account. Fraudsters who use Paypal email scams to defraud innocent victims, use a random method of mass mailing emails to hundreds of email addresses. Some of these email addresses may never be registered with a Paypal account! When you get an email that is supposed to have come from Paypal, ensure that the email address to which the email was received is actually the email address that you registered with Paypal. If not, then ignore the email and delete it from your system. 2. Never Click An Email Link: All Paypal email scams urge you to login to your Paypal account by clicking a link on the email. The emails themselves look very authentic and display a link that relates to a valid Paypal link. However, the link displayed on the email and the actual URL that it leads to are not the same. This is a bit technical but we will try to explain it in simple terms. The displayed link on the email when clicked, would take you to a web page that is not the link being shown. This web page would belong to the fraudster and looks very similar to a real Paypal login page. When you enter your login information here, it is received by the fraudster and he can then access your Paypal account just as he pleases. The best way for you to access your Paypal account is to open your web browser and type the entire name of the Paypal website. Do not even select the website name from the list of previously visited websites that most broswers keep for future reference. Never click a link in an email to access your Paypal account, this is the most important step that will help you stay safe from most Paypal frauds and scams. 3. Changing Of Passwords: If you ever feel that the safety of your Paypal login information has been compromised, remember to change your password. To do this, enter the Paypal website through your browser as explained in (02) above. It is always a good idea to periodically change the password for your Paypal account, but this becomes all the more necessary when you notice any untoward changes or updates in your account. 4. Choosing A Password: Your Paypal account could easily become a victim of a Paypal fraud if, the password you choose for your account can be easily guessed by others. Using your first or last name or a close variation of the same is surely not a good idea for a password. Many users love to use their name or even a close resemblance to their phone number for a Paypal password. Choose a password that is difficult for others to guess and yet not so difficult that, you will need to glance at a written note each time you want to login to your Paypal account. As an example, a password created by adding the first three alphabets from your mother's name to the last three characters of your fathers name and then appending your year of birth would be a good password. Do not attempt to use the same password for all your online access like emails, Paypal account, bank account etc. 5. Periodically Check The Account: Depending on how much funds you have in your account, a Paypal fraud could be financially crippling. It is therefore a good idea to periodically login to your Paypal account and check the records for any strange or unexpected transactions. This is all the more important if you have funds in your account but do not use the Paypal account very often. If you plan to leave your Paypal account dormant for a long time, withdraw the balance that exists, into your bank account. If you see any strange transaction in your Paypal account suspect fraud and ensure that Paypal is informed about it. At the same time change the password for your account so that further damage can be stopped. 6. Using A Public Computer: It is not safe to login to your paypal account when using a public or other shared computer. Malware programs (programs written with bad intentions) can record your login details and make them accessible to fraudsters. There is really no way that you can check and ensure if the shared computer you use is safe for doing confidential financial transactions. Office computers might be safer depending on the type of computer infrastructure that is available. Most offices install various security devices that are capable of keeping out such malware programs. 7. Separate Bank Account: Paypal accounts in certain countries can be linked to a bank account and in fact Paypal accounts in all countries can be linked to a U.S bank account. It would be easy to monitor your Paypal account if you maintained a separate bank account to be linked to your Paypal account. A double check is possible for picking out suspicious transactions as the bank statement and the Paypal account history can always be cross checked. A separate bank account will also help limit damages if you ever become a victim of Paypal phishing or other Paypal email scam. Logout When Done: This is a good habit when accessing any online website that required you to login. Online payment and financial websites like Paypal and bank accounts are very confidential so treat them that way. It is not a good idea to remain logged in and merely minimize the web page. You might ultimately forget to logout and leave your account wide open for people with bad intentions. If you are not in the habit of logging out of your account, remember that this could have added dangers when accessing your Paypal account from a shared computer like in an office. Paypal frauds can be committed easily if your Paypal account is already logged in as no further login details will be required to use the account.
Why Use Paypal? (Here’s why we think Paypal is the safest way to do business on the web.)
Learn more about common Paypal Scams (These are some of the common frauds at Paypal. Learn and be safe!) |
