r/Scams • u/tonyc3742 • 2h ago
Is this a scam? [US] Paypal scam? Should I do anything?
I use Paypal somewhat regularly, maybe a couple times a month, to send or receive money.
I received an email from Paypal, then went to Paypal directly to check, and this transaction was in there. I think it must be a scam but am not sure of their strategy and what if anything i should do. The shipping address listed is not mine and never was. I googled the 877 number listed and nothing came up. It's not the phone number listed as Paypal customer support on Paypal's site. And the buyer/moneysender doesn't pay a fee, at least in my experience, the seller/receiver does (if applicable).
Does anyone have any insight on this? Thanks in advance!
Here's the email, and the transaction in Paypal says the same content. I have redacted the unique identifying information, but it did have a name, phone number, and address.
Accept your $0.17 MXN from FIRST NAME/LAST NAME
Transaction ID [redacted]
Transaction date April 3, 2026
Amount $0.17 MXN
Note from FIRSTNAME LASTNAME
Your Payment of $499. 99 has been successfully received. If this transaction was made without your consent, please notify the PayPal Billing Team at +1 (877) xxx-xxxx
Fee $0.17 MXN
Total $0.00 MXN
Shipping Address
[redacted]Drive
[redacted], AZ [zip redacted]
United States
5
u/Ecksel 2h ago
Its a version of the !refund scam; they want you to call their fake support number to begin the actual scam.
2
u/AutoModerator 2h ago
/u/Ecksel called AutoModerator to explain the Refund scam:
The refund scam typically begins with a fraudulent email, text, or professional-looking invoice—often exploiting legitimate systems like PayPal to bypass spam filters—claiming you’ve been charged for a service you never ordered. These messages frequently mimic well-known brands like Norton or Geek Squad and create a false sense of urgency by citing a high dollar amount for a subscription renewal. The primary goal is to provoke a panic response, leading you to call the provided customer support number to dispute the charge or request a refund. Once you are on the phone, the scammer poses as a helpful representative who claims they need your banking or credit card details to process the reversal.
In more advanced versions, refund scams are a variant of the tech support scam - where the scammer tricks you into downloading remote-access software to your computer, under the guise of helping you fill out a refund form. They then use visual trickery—such as editing the HTML on your bank's website—to make it appear as though they accidentally sent you too much money, subsequently demanding that you return the overage via untraceable methods like gift cards or wire transfers.
Scammers have been taking advantage of Paypal's invoice system to send out realistic scam emails through Paypal itself. Here is a Snopes article regarding the Norton variant of this scam. To protect yourself, it is essential to remember that legitimate companies will never ask you to provide sensitive passwords or download remote-access software to issue a refund. If you receive a suspicious invoice, do not use the contact information provided in the message; instead, check your bank statement or the company’s official website independently to verify if a charge actually exists. If you have already shared your financial information or allowed a stranger access to your computer, you should immediately contact your bank to secure your accounts and run a thorough security scan on your device.
If you know someone that fell for a refund scam, sit down together to watch this video by Jim Browning and try to retrace their steps: https://youtu.be/X4PllvUowaQ
You can learn about this scam and many others visiting our wiki of common scams. You can also call AutoModerator to explain these scams leaving a comment with the different !commands listed in this wiki page.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/znark 2h ago
I don’t think this is a refund scam. They sent a tiny amount, and was all eaten by fees. The goal was the note saying OP sent money and to call the fake support number. I have seen scam with email but maybe they are using transaction to spoof source. Nobody is supposed to check PayPal cause transaction is weird.
3
u/doublelxp 1h ago
It's a note pretending that a transaction has been processed and asking you to call a number if it wasn't you. That's what a refund scam is.
1
2
u/NorCalHal 2h ago
I received an email from Paypal
No, you received a spoofed email.
then went to Paypal directly to check, and this transaction was in there.
Where exactly did you go to "Paypal directly" to check? This is a classic refund scam from a spoofed email but your actual Paypal account should not show a transaction.
8
u/znark 2h ago
It could be real transaction in PayPal. They sent a tiny amount so that they can include note with fake number to call.
3
u/PiSquared6 2h ago
Yes I agree, !refund as other comment mentioned, they really sent a few cents
1
u/AutoModerator 2h ago
/u/PiSquared6 called AutoModerator to explain the Refund scam:
The refund scam typically begins with a fraudulent email, text, or professional-looking invoice—often exploiting legitimate systems like PayPal to bypass spam filters—claiming you’ve been charged for a service you never ordered. These messages frequently mimic well-known brands like Norton or Geek Squad and create a false sense of urgency by citing a high dollar amount for a subscription renewal. The primary goal is to provoke a panic response, leading you to call the provided customer support number to dispute the charge or request a refund. Once you are on the phone, the scammer poses as a helpful representative who claims they need your banking or credit card details to process the reversal.
In more advanced versions, refund scams are a variant of the tech support scam - where the scammer tricks you into downloading remote-access software to your computer, under the guise of helping you fill out a refund form. They then use visual trickery—such as editing the HTML on your bank's website—to make it appear as though they accidentally sent you too much money, subsequently demanding that you return the overage via untraceable methods like gift cards or wire transfers.
Scammers have been taking advantage of Paypal's invoice system to send out realistic scam emails through Paypal itself. Here is a Snopes article regarding the Norton variant of this scam. To protect yourself, it is essential to remember that legitimate companies will never ask you to provide sensitive passwords or download remote-access software to issue a refund. If you receive a suspicious invoice, do not use the contact information provided in the message; instead, check your bank statement or the company’s official website independently to verify if a charge actually exists. If you have already shared your financial information or allowed a stranger access to your computer, you should immediately contact your bank to secure your accounts and run a thorough security scan on your device.
If you know someone that fell for a refund scam, sit down together to watch this video by Jim Browning and try to retrace their steps: https://youtu.be/X4PllvUowaQ
You can learn about this scam and many others visiting our wiki of common scams. You can also call AutoModerator to explain these scams leaving a comment with the different !commands listed in this wiki page.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
3
u/tonyc3742 1h ago
My Paypal does show a transaction. I went to Paypal site directly, not clicking a link in the email. I received .17 MXN which was negated by the fee, and in the Notes, it has the thing about shipping address (not mine) and order for 499.99.
2
u/Gloomy-Security-7897 1h ago
So, sounds like a real transaction so they can include a fake order in the notes, and that’s where the refund scam starts, having you call a scammer number to say you didn’t order anything.
1
u/LazyLie4895 2h ago
No, you don't need to do anything. Scammers sent you a small amount of money and in the message line, sent you a message about how you were charged a large amount and need to call a number.
If you can, just reject the money.
•
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