By Catherine Clark, Newsweek | PayPal users are warning others about a surge in scam emails designed to look like legitimate payment notifications, pressuring recipients to call a fake customer support number and hand over sensitive information.
The scheme has been widely discussed on Reddit, with users saying the goal is not to trick victims into clicking links, but to get them on the phone.
Multiple reports surfaced in the r/PayPal subreddit, where users described receiving emails claiming a payment had been received or a large deposit was pending. The messages often include an urgent warning to call a listed phone number if they have questions.
‘They drain you’
“I got it, too… I think they’re trying to get you to call them and then they’ll ask how much the deposit was and that’ll be how they confirm your PayPal account into an [automated clearing house] system,” one Reddit contributor hypothesized.
“From there they drain you.”
Another commenter reassured others that the threat is largely bluff-based: “As long as you don’t call the number, you are totally fine. You can ignore this email.
“There is not actually a pending charge. Just a high pressure tactic that is supposed to override your logic and call that number thinking it belongs to PayPal.”
The discussion has drawn hundreds of comments from commentators reporting similar messages.
Why it Matters
PayPal remains one of the most widely used digital payment platforms, making it a prime target for scammers impersonating trusted brands.
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Read more on this scam here (a lot of musicians have Paypal accounts):
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/thousands-targeted-by-new-paypal-scam-what-to-do-immediately/
