HACKED PAY PAL ACCOUNT

[ambrola]

Just a friendly warning to all you guys. One of my Pay Pal accounts got used in the UK at some Travel Lodge. I got a suspicious activity alert from my bank or I wouldn't even have known. Needless to say, I had to go to the bank and close the account. Then go through all the steps with Pay Pal to get my money back. Surprisingly, they were very helpful. I told them that I never open any e-mails that I don't know who it is. They said if you stay logged into forums and such, they get them there and then go to PP to see if you are using the same password. So now I will not stay logged in to any forums and I will use multiple passwords.

[epigramophone]

I nearly fell for a scam email which purported to come from PayPal.

It was in the form of a very convincing looking "receipt" for a payment to Skype and contained a link to obtain a refund. After a moment's thought I remembered that Skype is free, but as a precaution I immediately checked my PayPal account and of course no payment to Skype had been made. As an additional precaution I also changed my PayPal password.

I then reported the scam to PayPal and blocked any further emails emanating from the scammer.

[52089]

My PayPal password bears no similarity to any of my other passwords for exactly this reason.

My favorite password trick uses song lyrics, using the first letter of each word. For example, I long used a variation of "itbrmovottotlp" as a password because it was long and nonsensical, but easy for me to remember. Sing along: "In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, on the Trail of the Lonesome Pine"...

[ambrola]

My PayPal password bears no similarity to any of my other passwords for exactly this reason.

My favorite password trick uses song lyrics, using the first letter of each word. For example, I long used a variation of "itbrmovottotlp" as a password because it was long and nonsensical, but easy for me to remember. Sing along: "In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, on the Trail of the Lonesome Pine"...

That is what you must do to keep them safe. Use a strong password and don't use it again. I was lucky it didn't cost me anything but time, but could have cost a bunch.

[Raphael]

I agree with everything said, but in addition, for many years, I have:

-kept a zero balance in my PayPal account. As soon as money is received, I transfer it out to my bank.

-use a credit card for my PayPal purchases.

-gone on line every morning and checked my credit card, PayPal and bank account. If you do this every day, it is quick and easy to remember what you did the day before.

The moment anything suspicious occurs, you can be on top of it. Takes me less than 2 minutes each morning over coffee to check the accounts and be assured that everything is OK.

Raphael

[HisMastersVoice]

Staying logged into forums isn't going to allow someone to hack your PayPal Account. It's just not possible. On the other hand, weak passwords and/or entering your password into a spoof site absolutely will. You should also never use the same password for financial institutions as anything else. I know my money is important enough to me to deserve its own password.

[ambrola]

Staying logged into forums isn't going to allow someone to hack your PayPal Account. It's just not possible. On the other hand, weak passwords and/or entering your password into a spoof site absolutely will. You should also never use the same password for financial institutions as anything else. I know my money is important enough to me to deserve its own password.

My passwords are pretty strong, although I would use the same one. After all I have been through, I will take the Banks advice and never ever stay logged into any forums. Not saying this one is where they got it, I have many I belong to. I am an avid Guitar collector as well and stay logged into the Les Paul forum as well. I am just relaying what I was told, that they get them from forums. Not all of them may be protected as well as phpBB hosting. Just don't wish anyone to have to go through the crap I did. And Brandon is 100% correct about the spoof e-mails.But I never open anything from Pay Pal real or not. Just be safe guys.

[marcapra]

I will take the Banks advice and never ever stay logged into any forums.

What do you mean by this? You were logged into a forum when you wrote this, right? Does that mean you will never log into this forum again?

[Retrograde]

I will take the Banks advice and never ever stay logged into any forums.

What do you mean by this? You were logged into a forum when you wrote this, right? Does that mean you will never log into this forum again?

focus on the word "stay".

[ambrola]

There's one in every crowd.