How to recognize scams like "PayPal Order Confirmation"
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is "PayPal Order Confirmation" scam?
Our team has inspected this email and found that it is a phishing email posing as an order confirmation notification from PayPal. Typically, phishing emails are utilized to trick recipients into providing sensitive information. Recipients should be aware of such emails to avoid falling for them.
More about the "PayPal Order Confirmation" scam email
This phishing email claims that the recipient has purchased McAfee Protection for $425.65. It instructs the recipient to call a toll-free number (+1 (808) 481 3754) to confirm or cancel the transaction. Additionally, the email contains the PayPal logo, a fake order confirmation reference number, and a transaction ID to appear legitimate.
When contacted, scammers may try to extract sensitive details, such as PayPal account login credentials, credit card details, or other information. They may also attempt to obtain details such as full name, address, phone number, and similar information.
Furthermore, scammers might trick individuals into downloading malicious software or visiting compromised or infected websites that can download malware on devices. Additionally, scammers may attempt to gain remote access to computers or deceive individuals into making payments (e.g., transferring "cancellation", "administration", or other fees).
Thus, the possible negative consequences of falling for such scams include becoming a victim of identity theft, losing money, having a computer infected with malware, losing access to online accounts, and more. It is important not to respond to suspicious emails or call the numbers provided in them.
| Name | PayPal Order Confirmation Email Scam |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | The recipient has successfully purchased McAfee Protection for $425.65 |
| Fraudulent Contact Number | +1 (847) 558-2729, +1 (808) 481 3754 |
| Disguise | Order confirmation notification from PayPal |
| Symptoms | Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, identity theft, illegal access of the computer. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive emails, rogue online pop-up ads, search engine poisoning techniques, misspelled domains. |
| Damage | Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Similar scam emails in general
In conclusion, phishing emails like the one reviewed in our article are designed to deceive recipients. They often include fake details such as transaction information and logos to appear credible while aiming to extract sensitive data and money or install malware. Contacting scammers can lead to identity theft, financial loss, and malware infections.
To protect themselves, recipients should avoid responding to such emails or using the provided contact information and always verify any unexpected communications through official and trusted channels.
Examples of similar scam emails are "Payment For Bitdefender Email Scam", "Bitdefender Subscription Renewal Email Scam", and "Authorization To Claim Funds Email Scam". It is important to note that emails of this kind can be employed to deliver malware.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
When cybercriminals distribute malware through email, they typically send malicious attachments or links. These attachments can be malicious PDFs, MS Office documents, executable files, JavaScript files, compressed archives, etc. The infection occurs when a user interacts with these files, such as by opening an executable file or enabling macros in an infected document.
When threat actors send malicious links, they aim to trick users into opening sites that are designed to either automatically download malware onto devices or prompt recipients to download and run harmful files or programs.
How to avoid installation of malware?
Do not trust unexpected emails from unknown addresses, especially when they contain links or attachments. Verify the legitimacy of the emails you received before taking any action. Also, download software from official pages or app stores. Avoid using other sources (e.g., P2P networks and unofficial sites) and downloading pirated software.
Furthermore, do not click advertisements, pop-ups, links, buttons, and similar content on suspicious sites. Keep the operating system (and software) up to date, and scan your computer for threats regularly. If you have already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
Text presented in the "PayPal Order Confirmation" email letter:
PayPal
Invoice id: PPLL_#57646FR2522
Date: Tuesday 23th July 2024Toll-Free:+1 (808) 481 3754
Dear PayPal Customer,
Thank you for using PayPal for the purchase of McAfee Protection of worth $425.65 The purchased McAfee has been sent to your digital wallet. The deduction will appear in your statement in the next 24 Hrs.
If you think it's an unauthorized transaction please contact the help desk number for the cancellation and for the refund of your money.
Order Confirmation Ref: MCGDF37RY5845
Transaction id Mode of Payment
PPLL_86655R4E3 OnlineDescription Quantity Unit Price Total Amount
McAfee Protection 1 $425.65 $425.65We Want to Confirm This Purchase is made by you or not and if you want to cancel this payment or Approve This Payment Kindly Call us +1 (808) 481 3754
Sincerely,
Jenny Smith,Thank You,
General ManagerPowered by PayPal
Toll-Free Help-Line +1 (808) 481 3754
Since this an auto generated email so please does not reply to this email. Instead of replying please call the number below.
Another example of an email from "PayPal Order Confirmation" spam campaign:
Text presented within:
INVOICE Wednesday, July, 31st, 2024
PayPal
454.75 USD
Amount PaidPAYMENT CONFIRMATION
Bill To :-
Thank you for your order it has been processed successfully. The specifics of your recent transaction are available here.
Product Shipping Address:
19425 W 105Th St Olathe Ks 66061-7527 UsaINVOICE NO
Date : Wednesday, July, 31st, 2024Helpline : + 1 863 354 0862
Description Qty Amount (USD)
Hp 15.6 Laptop Natural Silver Intel Core L28 1 pcs 454.75 USD
Total (USD) 454.75 USDYour patronage is valued. Thank you for choosing our services.
Kindly contact our helpline number for unauthorized purchases. Urgent Unauthorized Order Call for Help Now
Helpline : + 1 863 354 0862
All Rights Reserved © 1999-2024
+1 863 354 0862
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Quick menu:
- What is PayPal Order Confirmation phishing scam?
- Types of malicious emails.
- How to spot a malicious email?
- What to do if you fell for an email scam?
Types of malicious emails:
Phishing Emails
Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.
Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.
After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.
Emails with Malicious Attachments
Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.
In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.
If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.
While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.
Sextortion Emails
This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.
To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.
How to spot a malicious email?
While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:
- Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
- Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
- Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
- Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.
To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
Example of a spam email:
What to do if you fell for an email scam?
- If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
- If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
- If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
- If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
- Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why did I receive this email?
Scammers often send identical scam emails to thousands of addresses, hoping that at least a few recipients will fall for their scheme. These spam emails are generic and not tailored to individual recipients.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?
If you have provided financial details in response to a phishing email, contact your bank or financial institution immediately to report the incident. If you have shared your ID card information or similar details, notify the relevant authorities.
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to an email, is my computer infected?
If the file you interacted with was an executable (.exe), it is very likely that your system has been compromised. If the file was a document (such as a .pdf or .doc) or another file, you might have avoided infection, as just opening these files does not always execute malicious code.
I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Opening an email itself is harmless. The risk arises when recipients click on links or open attached files.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove nearly all known malware infections. However, sophisticated malware often hides deeply within the system, so running a full system scan is required to ensure thorough removal and protection.
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