HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday issued an advisory to Pennsylvanians to be on the lookout for a trending cyber scam that involves the scammer sending “invoices” through PayPal.
As part of the ruse, the scammers use PayPal to send requests
for payment to a target’s email inbox, sometimes repeatedly, making the matter
appear urgent. The messages attached to the requests often contain a toll-free
number and a directive to call — that call line goes to the scammer, who will
try to obtain personal information.
“Scammers are well aware that many Pennsylvanians rely on PayPal
to send and receive money to their friends and family, or as part of a small
business,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said. “This is another example of the
sophistication of cyber scams, and a reminder to pause and be vigilant before
offering personal information or sending money online. Our Bureau of Consumer
Protection is standing by to assist Pennsylvanians who are harmed.”
Consumers are advised to take two steps: first, check the email
address. If the email is not from “service@paypal.com” email address, ignore it. Second, check the
request. Even if the invoice appears to be coming from a legitimate address, if
you do not recognize the payment being requested, it is always safest to ignore
it.
If you receive a concerning invoice from PayPal, contact PayPal customer service at PayPal.com. Consumers may also file a complaint with the Office of Attorney General, as spreading the word about cyberfraud can help stop your fellow Pennsylvanians from falling victim to similar scams.
