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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →The safest way to check a suspicious PayPal alert is to ignore its links and phone number. Open the PayPal app or type paypal.com yourself, then inspect your activity, notifications, invoice, or Resolution Center. Never share your password or one-time verification code with someone who contacted you.
PayPal scams in 2026 are not limited to fake emails. Criminals also abuse genuine invoices and payment requests, impersonate customer support, target sellers with fake payments, and pressure victims into sending money through Friends and Family, cryptocurrency, or other difficult-to-reverse methods.
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Quick response checklist
- Stop communicating with the sender or caller.
- Do not click links, scan QR codes, open attachments, or call a number in the message.
- Open PayPal independently and check the transaction or notification.
- Do not pay an unfamiliar invoice or money request.
- Never provide a password, passkey approval, or one-time code.
- Report suspicious messages to [email protected].
PayPal’s scam guidance covers recurring patterns rather than seven scams newly invented in 2026. The same basic defense applies to all of them: verify through PayPal itself, not through instructions supplied by the person demanding action.
1. Fake PayPal phishing alerts
You may receive an email, text, or social-media message claiming that PayPal detected a suspicious login, blocked a payment, needs to verify your account, or will close your account unless you act immediately. The link leads to a counterfeit login page that captures your password, card or bank information, or verification code.
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Warning signs include urgency, threats, unfamiliar links, unexpected attachments, QR codes, and requests to “verify” by sending money. The PayPal account-security guidance says PayPal will not ask for your password or 2FA code by phone, email, or text.
What to do: Do not click or reply. Type paypal.com manually or use the official app, review recent activity, forward the message to [email protected], and delete it. Sender names and polished branding are clues, not proof: display names can be spoofed, accounts can be compromised, and genuine PayPal notifications can contain a scammer’s note.
2. Fake invoices and payment-request “refund” scams
A scammer sends an authentic-looking PayPal invoice or money request for an expensive item, cryptocurrency, subscription, or technical-support service. A frightening note says your account will be charged and tells you to call a “PayPal” number to cancel it.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe invoice may genuinely appear inside PayPal, which is why this scam can defeat checks based only on email authenticity. The goal is often to move you to a fake support agent who asks for card details, login credentials, remote access, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a transfer.
PayPal advises users not to pay suspicious or unwarranted invoices, not to call numbers included in them, and not to send cryptocurrency to a wallet mentioned in a suspicious request. See its guidance on invoice and money-request scams.
An unexpected invoice is not automatically fake—it could be a legitimate request sent to the wrong address—but the safe response is the same: do not pay it until you independently verify why it exists. Report it through PayPal.
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3. Fake PayPal customer support
This scam begins with a fraudulent alert, invoice, search advertisement, social-media account, or unsolicited call. The supposed agent claims to be fixing a security problem and asks you to read out a code, confirm your password, move money to a “safe” account, install remote-access software, or pay a verification fee.
PayPal identifies impersonation and technical-support scams as common approaches. An unexpected caller is not made legitimate by knowing your name, an invoice number, or part of your account information.
What to do: End the conversation. Reach PayPal only through the app, the Security Center, or PayPal’s official Help pages opened independently. Do not use a phone number supplied by the suspicious message or caller.
4. Account takeover and stolen verification codes
Attackers may have obtained a reused password, compromised your email account, or be trying to trick you into surrendering a one-time SMS or authenticator code. They may claim the code is needed to cancel a payment or secure your account. In reality, it can authorize a login, password reset, or transaction.
Two-factor authentication reduces account-takeover risk but does not protect you if you voluntarily give the code to an impostor. PayPal says it will not request a 2FA code by phone, email, or text.
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- Change your PayPal password from the independently opened official site.
- Change your email password and any reused passwords.
- Review unfamiliar devices or sessions, recent activity, automatic payments, linked cards, and bank accounts.
- Enable 2-step verification or a passkey where available. PayPal’s current U.S. path is Settings → Security → Set Up under 2-step verification.
- Report unauthorized activity through the Resolution Center.
- Contact your bank or card issuer if its account details or card were exposed.
PayPal recommends a unique password or passphrase of at least 12 characters, ideally stored in a reputable password manager. Its passkey guidance describes passkeys as phishing-resistant, but they cannot stop you from authorizing a scam payment or installing remote-access software.
5. Fake payments and overpayment scams
This primarily targets sellers. A buyer claims to have paid too much and asks you to refund the difference. Other versions use a fake payment-confirmation email, a screenshot, a payment that is later reversed, or pressure to ship before the payment is fully confirmed.
Even if money appears in your PayPal balance, it is not necessarily irreversible. PayPal warns that a legitimate account holder may later report the underlying payment as unauthorized, potentially leading to a reversal.
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6. Marketplace shipping, rerouting, and fake-label scams
A fraudulent buyer may ask you to ship to an address different from the one in PayPal’s transaction details, use a buyer-supplied label, reroute a package, reship goods, or pay a supposed customs, insurance, or release fee.
PayPal’s Seller Protection information says eligibility requires shipment to the address shown on the Transaction Details page, among other conditions. Seller Protection is not a blanket guarantee and has requirements and exclusions.
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- 3 minute runtime and 30 minute cool down; if unit goes beyond max run time, it automatically shuts off to prevent overheating
- 4 mode control switch (auto/on, off, reverse, forward) and LED status indicators for power on, overheat and overload; easy to empty 3.7 gallon bin
- Quality tested: As part of Amazon Basics quality inspections, we test every shredder before shipping it, which means you may see some paper shreds from the testing
Ship only to the transaction address where applicable, use trackable shipping, keep proof of shipment and delivery, and do not reship goods for strangers. A buyer’s urgency or promise to reimburse you does not make a different address safe.
7. Friends and Family, romance, investment, advance-fee, and crypto scams
These scams exploit trust, fear, or the promise of a reward. The request may involve a romantic emergency, guaranteed investment returns, a job opportunity, government debt, a charity, a prize fee, cryptocurrency, or a supposed payment to unlock your account.
Scammers often pressure victims to use Friends and Family instead of a purchase-related payment option. Friends and Family is a legitimate feature for personal transfers; the danger is using it to buy from an unknown seller or under pressure. Such payments generally do not provide the same purchase protection as an eligible goods-and-services transaction.
Other warning signs include guaranteed profits, secrecy, a deadline, gift-card or cryptocurrency demands, and requests for money before a service, prize, loan, or job is provided. Independently verify charities, employers, sellers, and investment firms. Never send crypto to “secure” a PayPal account.
Using a purchase-related option does not guarantee a refund. Eligibility depends on the transaction type, PayPal’s current terms, documentation, timing, and exclusions.
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| Buyer risks | Seller risks |
|---|---|
| Fake sellers, counterfeit goods, non-delivery, phishing, and pressure to use Friends and Family | Fake payment confirmations, overpayments, reversals, stolen-account payments, address changes, fake labels, and reshipping |
For sellers, “the money is visible” is not the same as “the payment cannot be disputed.” For buyers, paying through PayPal is not itself a guarantee that the seller or transaction is safe.
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What to do if you sent money
Act promptly, but do not assume PayPal will automatically refund it. There is an important difference between unauthorized fraud—someone accessed your account or payment method—and an authorized scam—you sent the payment yourself because you were deceived.
Report the payment through PayPal and preserve the message, invoice, username, transaction ID, receipts, shipping records, and communications. If a card or bank account funded the payment, contact that institution promptly and ask about its dispute process. A PayPal dispute and a bank or card dispute are separate channels; understand how they interact before filing overlapping claims.
For an unfamiliar transaction, first check whether a family member made it or whether it came from an automatic payment or subscription. The current U.S. web path for an unauthorized transaction is:
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- Open the Resolution Center.
- Select Report a problem.
- Choose the relevant payment.
- Select I want to report unauthorized activity.
- Follow the instructions.
Labels and dispute availability can vary by country, account, device, and transaction status. PayPal says it investigates reports and sends an email within 10 days, but that is not a promise of reimbursement.
What to do after clicking a scam link
If you entered nothing
- Close the page and do not download anything.
- Update your browser and operating system.
- Run the device’s security scan.
- Monitor PayPal and email activity.
If you entered credentials, financial information, or a code
- Change your PayPal password immediately from the official site.
- Change reused passwords, especially your email password.
- Contact the bank or card issuer about exposed account details.
- Review PayPal transactions, automatic payments, linked funding sources, and devices.
- Enable 2FA or a passkey after securing the device.
- Report unauthorized activity through PayPal’s Resolution Center.
- Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
If you installed remote-access software or suspect malware, disconnect the device from sensitive accounts and remove the malware before changing important credentials when possible. The FTC’s post-scam guidance also recommends contacting the money-transfer company and asking whether a transaction can be reversed.
Purchase Protection: what it can and cannot do
A qualifying goods-and-services payment may be eligible for PayPal Purchase Protection, but requirements and exclusions apply. Friends and Family payments generally offer less protection for purchases. Cryptocurrency transfers can be difficult or impossible to reverse.
Protection is not a substitute for verifying the seller, documenting the transaction, shipping correctly, or reporting promptly. A payment you knowingly authorized to a scammer may be handled differently from an unauthorized account transaction.
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What not to do
- Do not call the number in a suspicious invoice or alert.
- Do not click the message’s link or scan its QR code.
- Do not share a verification code.
- Do not send cryptocurrency to protect or unlock an account.
- Do not refund an overpayment before independently verifying it.
- Do not ship to a different address because a buyer asks.
- Do not assume 2FA, a passkey, or a VPN makes an authorized scam payment safe.
PayPal’s free controls should come first: use a unique password, enable 2FA or a passkey, turn on bank and card alerts, and verify every request from inside the app or manually opened website. A password manager can help prevent password reuse; broader identity-monitoring services are optional and do not replace these habits.
Quick Recap
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