Account Locked or Suspended?

Be careful if you get an email saying your account is locked or suspended, or in the case above, limited. I recently got an email -supposedly from PayPal. It told me my account had been restricted because there was a login attempt from an unknown device. Asking me to reset my account access, the email wanted me to click the link to reset my account or download the app. “Your account will be locked and your account limited,” it warns. Several links are given to reset the account or unlock access.

See the Warning Signs

Whenever I get an email like this, I look for warning signs. Most of the time, it’s not as apparent as in this email. Many times, it looks far more legitimate. This one made me laugh out loud.

Here are a few signs to look for:

• Who is it addressed to? It should list your name, not just “client.” Look at the “TO:” in the above email. This made me think it was sent to many people in a mass email. Warning…warning.
• Look at the content. Are there misspellings? Grammar errors? Formatting errors? Look again at the letter above. It has definite formatting issues, clearly sending off red flags.
• Are there foreign words in the email, or does it look like the person who wrote it doesn’t speak English well?
• Look at the sender. It should come from the company, not any place else. Although the email address of the sender looks like it’s int.paypal.com, look further to see the actual email address – iksnitjif.com! It’s not from PayPal.
• Beware of all the links. DO NOT EVER click on these links. They could contain malware or a virus.

What Do I Do?

If you get an email like this, don’t panic. Delete it. Get it off your computer.

If you think there may be a problem with your PayPal (or other 3rd party service, especially those dealing with your money), go directly to that service’s website and open your account from there. DO NOT ever click on any links that say it will direct you to the site. It’s a trap.

Checking my PayPal account, everything was just fine, as I knew it would be. Don’t fall for the gimmicks and scams. People want your information. Be wary and wise.