A local Bexley resident received a phishing scam email claiming to be from PayPal and seeking personal or banking details to be completed by clicking on a link.
Fortunately they did not.
PayPal have the following to say
“At PayPal we go to great lengths to protect our customers in the UK, but there are still a few simple precautions we should all take to avoid falling victim to scams.
“Be aware of any emails or text messages that ask you to provide personal information directly in response. Scammers often use a false sense of urgency to prompt you to act on a phishing email. All communications from PayPal to account holders would be sent to the secure message centre within their PayPal account. You will have a secure message waiting if PayPal does need you to take any action.
“A genuine PayPal email will only ever address you by your full name – anything that starts differently should immediately raise your suspicions. Look out for spelling mistakes, which are a common tell-tale sign of a fraudulent message. If you have any concerns regarding an email you have received, you should send it to spoof@paypal.com.”
What to look out for and what you should do if you receive a phishing message
- Official organisations, such as your bank, won’t ask for personal or financial information by text or email. If you receive an email you’re not quite sure about, you can report it by forwarding the email to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service at report@phishing.gov.uk.
- Do not click on links or attachments in unexpected or suspicious texts or emails.
- Confirm messages are genuine by using a known number or email address to contact organisations directly. You might find these on organisation’s official website or from a letter you have received in the past.
- To keep yourself secure online, ensure you are using the latest software, apps and operating systems on your phones, tablets and laptops. Update these regularly or set your devices to automatically update so you don’t have to worry.
Please be aware of such phishing scams or report to spoof@paypal.com or report@phishing.gov.uk.
For more details visit Action Fraud.