I received an email from PayPal indicating that I did not correctly log into my account and that I should click on the link that the email included to log in again to correct the situation. Of course, I was grateful to PayPal until something occurred to me.
I don’t have a PayPal account.
Of course, this email was one of among many of those emails known as phishing scams. Thus, I thought I should post the information and provide you with some tips.
First, if you receive such a message, DO NOT click on the link it provides. Even if you realize that it is a scam after you click on the link, it could take you to a web site that adds spyware to your system which could record your keyboard clicks or be used to steal personal information.
If you do have an account with the company that the email reports that it is from, you should contact the company customer service and let them know that you received it and ask them if they want you to forward it to them for their investigation. You should know that if you log in incorrectly, the company web site gives you procedures to use to correct the situation.
If two people have access to that account—for example a husband and a wife—you might be tempted to believe that the other caused some problem. Do not buy it. Get in touch with the other person and ask them if they had a problem logging in. If so, contact the company by phone to correct it. If not, report it to the company customer service.
Remember that you should never give any personal information through email. A reputable company will contact you by phone if there is a problem. If you are logged onto a site that asks for personal information, make sure that the web address in the address bar begins with https://whatevercompany.com. The https means that you are on a secure page of that web site and it is considered safe. Even then, if they are asking questions that you feel that they just should not ask, do not answer until you contact the company by phone to see why.
Don't hate me because I'm right. 