PayPal is impersonated constantly. Scammers know that if they trigger enough fear about your money, you will act without thinking. Here is exactly how to tell real PayPal emails from fakes.
Legitimate PayPal emails always come from @paypal.com. They greet you by your registered name, never ask for your password or financial info via email, and never pressure you to act within minutes.
From: service@paypal-secure-account.com - You sent $749 USD to Crypto Exchange Ltd. If unauthorized, call 1-855-555-0188 within 24 hours to dispute.
PayPal phishing combines fake transaction alerts with a callback number. The number is staffed by scammers who walk you through 'reversing' the charge while extracting account access.
Go directly to paypal.com (never through the email link), sign in, and check Activity. If no matching transaction exists, the email is fake. Change your password if you logged in on the fake page, enable two-step verification, and review Authorized Logins and Pre-approved Payments under Settings. Remove anything you don't recognize. If you called the fake number and shared any information, assume your account is compromised.
Real PayPal emails come from @paypal.com only, greet you by your registered first and last name, and are mirrored in your account Notifications inbox. PayPal never includes a phone number to call for disputes — disputes are filed through the Resolution Center inside your account.
No. PayPal directs all disputes through the Resolution Center inside your account. Any email with a callback number is part of the scam.
Scammers send legitimate-looking invoices through PayPal's real invoicing system for fake services, hoping you call the number in the invoice. The number is the scam — never call numbers in invoices.
Real purchases through PayPal Goods & Services are eligible for protection if disputed within the protection window. Friends & Family payments are not protected — scammers often request F&F to avoid this.
Change your PayPal password from paypal.com directly, enable two-step verification, review Authorized Logins, and check Activity for unauthorized transactions.
Forward to spoof@paypal.com — PayPal investigates every report. Also report to FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-24 by the ScamRadar editorial team. We update this page when scammer tactics change or when official agencies issue new guidance.
ScamRadar · Blog · Scam Database · Is It Legit? · About