Paypal requiring photo id????

[marnotom!]

This page was the top search result when I Googled "PayPal Photo ID":

https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/Limits-and-verification/Request-for-Photo-ID-and-proof-of-addres...

There's a dozen more pages of discussion that follow it, though, and I didn't have the patience to read them all.

Having said that, the line in the message you received about returning your account to "regular standing" sounds a bit fishy to me.
 

[ricarmic]

Hmm that is interesting.

If it were me, I would phone PAYPAL before I did anything.

I've never heard of anything like this before.....

(I have logged in 3 times today and nothing like this so far....)

PS have you had any problems with your PAYPAL account (sending or receiving money) or the things that back it like bank account/credit card recently??

[rose-dee]

This whole thing sounds very, very fishy to me.  I agree with 'ricarmic' -- phone Paypal yourself.  Make sure you read off to them exactly what you were being asked to supply.  I've never heard of such a thing from Paypal. 

With all the hacking that's going on internationally at the moment, it's best to be extremely cautious about such requests.  

[sylviebee]

When you see instructions that you have to do something "to return your account to regular standing" that's a pretty good indication that it's a hoax.

[widgetc]

It sounds funny to me too. I have to work right now so can't be tied up on the phone. I will have to deal with it later.

It is definitely the real paypal site as it has all my transactions and I logged in directly.

They wanted

1. photo id

2.A copy of a utility bill to verify my address

3.. A yes/no question about id I were involved in politics.

Very strange. Itoo see lots of internet stuff on this inclusing images of some of the pages.

If anyone else has input please post. I will call paypal when I can.

[2nd-time-around-jewelry]

It sounds like a scam to me. Got this warning off of PayPal's site.

Any email from PayPal will address you by your first and last name or your business name in the body of the email. We will never address you as “Dear valued customer” or “Dear buyer”. An email from PayPal won’t ask you to send sensitive information like your password, bank account, or credit card. If information is required to confirm or maintain your account, you will be asked to visit PayPal.ca to log into your account securely.

Is that email really from PayPal?

Unfortunately there are fraudsters out there who try to use our trusted name to get information from you. This is called “phishing” because the sender is “fishing” for your personal information. The goal is to trick you into clicking through to a fake or “spoof” website, or into calling a fraudulent customer service number where they can collect and steal your sensitive personal or financial information.

If you have opened an email that you don’t think is from PayPal, and haven’t clicked on any links, you shouldn’t have anything to fear. If you have clicked on a link, or you have downloaded an attachment, learn more about Identity Protection.

[i.am.vivian]

Have you tried actually using your account, like processing a label or something?  Do you see that message every time you log in?  Reading the link of PP comments posted above from other PP users with the same issue it looks like a PP rep said that they "typically" ask for this info.  This is the first I've heard of them asking for all that personal ID including a utility bill?!!  Have you reached any kind of "receiving limit"?  I didn't know there was one. 

[mr.elmwood]

We Scotsman have a word for it. Aye it's **bleep**!

[mr.elmwood]

That was hardly necessary.

[marnotom!]

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@dustmite007 wrote:

It sounds like a scam to me. Got this warning off of PayPal's site.

Any email from PayPal will address you by your first and last name or your business name in the body of the email. We will never address you as “Dear valued customer” or “Dear buyer”. An email from PayPal won’t ask you to send sensitive information like your password, bank account, or credit card. If information is required to confirm or maintain your account, you will be asked to visit PayPal.ca to log into your account securely.

Is that email really from PayPal?

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If I'm understanding the OP correctly, it's not an email but a message that appeared after they logged into the PayPal site.

[widgetc]

I can access paypal, print packing slips, see what I sold but am not allowed to transfer funds.  It is NOT an email link...it is while actually logged into the site.  I am at work right now. I can occasionally access the internet but can't make a phone call until I get home. I'll post an update. If anyone knows more I'd like to hear about it.

[widgetc]

I am not alone in this:

https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/Limits-and-verification/How-long-do-PayPal-take-to-review-docume...

Supposedly this happens once you reach a certain receiving limit for the year.

[i.am.vivian]

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@widgetc wrote:

I am not alone in this:

https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/Limits-and-verification/How-long-do-PayPal-take-to-review-docume...

Supposedly this happens once you reach a certain receiving limit for the year.

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This is the most bizarre thing I think I have seen on eBay so far.  Did you read through all the comments?  It goes pretty quick, big type and not a lot of words.  It sounds genuine enough and if you can't transfer funds probably is.  My only other thought was if it was "phishing" even from your account to change your password right away.  Lots of sellers here sell way more than the $3200 per year that the other person seems to be saying was their limit.  Why don't they all have to show utility bills?  Has there been any "unusual activity" on your account lately?  People are annoyed and I don't blame them from the way they describe how they've been handled. 

[sylviebee]

Since scammers regularly get their claws in by asking their victims to do something to "return the account to regular standing," that's a very poor choice of words for PP to use if it's a legitimate request.

[marnotom!]

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@sylviebee wrote:

Since scammers regularly get their claws in by asking their victims to do something to "return the account to regular standing," that's a very poor choice of words for PP to use if it's a legitimate request.

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I agree.  That's what made it sound fishy to me, as I noted in an earlier post.  You did a better job of explaining why than I did, though.

[i.am.vivian]

It does sound fishy but maybe that's just a red herring. I cod hardly believe a plaice like PayPal would skate over a tuna customer concerns and snapper at people like that. No wonder a grouper people have haddock up to here and are getting crabby. Not to carp on about it but salmon from PayPal should come along withtrout delay and get the dory straight. Eel need to mackeral sole changes because this is total pollocks and no conger acceptable. Maybe if they stop being koi and mullet over, they will hake responsibility for a tench situation that barracuda seemed a lot worse. Its a blowfish to their image but PayPal won't flounder and it gives people a ray of hope. ....... Now I'm kippered and need more coffee. 🙂

[muscoviteman]

Yey...smells fishy!...but it is real.

Go to the Paypal Community forms and search photo id. Lots of really P'd customers!

[muscoviteman]

oops...forgot the link

https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/US-PayPal-Community/ct-p/US

[ypdc_dennis]

One of the posts on the paypal forums indicates they got the issue to go away by updating their expired credit card information.

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