When we pay online we can use very different methods. We can use bank cards, send a bank transfer, use a payment platform … In this sense PayPal is very popular. However, this service is not without risk if we do not take the appropriate measures. For this reason, in this article we have wanted to make a compilation of the main scams that we can suffer.
Main deceptions when paying by PayPal
PayPal is considered a reliable payment method on the Internet and is also widely used by users. But this also makes hackers set their sights here. Ultimately they attack what may have more options.
These attacks are very diverse and have no other objective than to put the privacy and security of users at risk. They can especially harm those less expert who make a payment without taking the necessary precautionary measures. That is why it is essential to be prepared and not make mistakes.
Phishing attacks
Undoubtedly one of the main deceptions that we can suffer when paying or using PayPal is Phishing attacks . It is a classic for stealing passwords and credentials. Hackers seek to carry out a strategy with the aim of robbing us.
They can carry out different methods in this regard. A very common one is to send an email in which they tell us that our account has had a problem and that we must change the password. However, by entering the key we are actually sending it to a server controlled by the attackers.
They usually use baits to make the victim fall into the trap. This is something that we can see in social networks, email and many other services on the network. Phishing attacks are very present among PayPal threats.
Pages that have suffered a previous attack
There are many pages that offer the possibility of paying by PayPal. Here we can find two very different variants: one would be a website created in a malicious way to offer a false product or service and want to charge for PayPal, while the second variant would be a website that has previously suffered an attack , although the page in yes it is legitimate.
In the latter case, they can modify that site so that the payments we make go to an account controlled by the attackers instead of the legitimate managers of that site. It is something that we can find when making a purchase on the Internet, so you always have to verify that we are really sending the payment to whom it corresponds.
Fake products
Fake products and services are unfortunately not in short supply on the Internet. Many pages are created at specific times like Christmas, with very cheap prices at first glance but in reality it is a scam.
They use PayPal to receive payments and then disappear without actually shipping the product. Hence, once again we must always verify that we are buying from a reliable page. Otherwise we could have problems of this kind.
Have malware on your computer
Another scam they can use is to simply infect our computers . In this way they could sneak in a keylogger, for example, to steal passwords in this case from PayPal. Also fake Trojans or browser add-ons that collect payment information and may steal from us. In another article we already saw some tips to avoid theft by PayPal.
In short, these are some of the main methods that can be used to scam us when we are going to buy through PayPal. They can compromise our security and put accounts at risk. We must always take action and not fall into these types of traps. You can see a tutorial where we explain how to pay safely online.
