How to Spot a Paypal Scam

1. Avoid clicking links in email messages to go to a financial Web site like PayPal. If you get an email asking you to do something on the site, navigate to the site directly by typing the URL into your browser and see if you can find information about the request there. A link in an email might divert you to a different site designed to look like the real thing.
2. Be aware of suspicious-looking email in your inbox. Signs include messages directed to the wrong email address or an email sent to an address that isn't your primary account.
3. Review the greeting within the email. If the email does not identify you by name, you might be dealing with a scam message sent in bulk to many people. A true email from PayPal and other financial institutions will typically have your first and last name included in the message.
4. Check to see that all of the links indicate a secure session by confirming that the URLs begin with "https://."
5. Messages that tell you that there is an immediate need to take action to restore account access are almost always part of a scam.
6. Keep an eye out for seemingly odd requests. Legitimate email from PayPal won't require you to provide personal or financial information through email, including Social Security numbers, account passwords, email addresses, credit card numbers, driver's licenses, bank account numbers or your full name. Never, ever, reply to an email with personal information.
7. Get used to looking for obvious signs of scam emails. You should never see obvious typos in an email from your bank, for example; paying attention to things like poor grammar, misspellings, odd-looking email layouts, and different logos might save you from being scammed.