What does this Paypal message mean?

[triber]

I just had someone make a purchase, and there is a message saying "You got paid  ********** made a payment of $*** to your merchant credit card account"

I have no idea what that means. The payment appears to be in my Paypal account.

[ypdc_dennis]

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@triber wrote:

I just had someone make a purchase, and there is a message saying "You got paid  ********** made a payment of $*** to your merchant credit card account"

I have no idea what that means. The payment appears to be in my Paypal account.

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Are you saying that the money transaction does appear in your paypal account?

Is the message an email coming from Paypal? the buyer? or the buyer via paypal?

-..-

A guess: Credit card payment from a buyer who does not have a paypal account.

2nd guess: paypal fiddling around with their system again.

3rd guess: potential scam

-..-

[pjcdn2005]

You are referring to a message in your eBay messages..right?  I've seen a couple of posts from others who got that message today when a buyer paid.  They said that normally they would see that message on the mobile app and in email but now suddenly it is showing up in eBay messages too. 

[triber]

Yes, it was in my email messages. I also got the usual one from Paypal.

I don't know what it means that it has been sent to my merchant credit card account. Does that mean that this payment will go directly to the credit card I have listed on Paypal, rather than in my usual account?

It also says that it I have questions to contact my merchant credit card provider service provider. I don't even know who that is.

[triber]

You are correct ypdc_dennis. I called Paypal and they told me to send it to spoof@paypal and I just got a reply that it was a phishing attempt. The strange thing is that it came through at exactly the same time as the genuine one from Paypal.

[ypdc_dennis]

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@triber wrote:

You are correct ypdc_dennis. I called Paypal and they told me to send it to spoof@paypal and I just got a reply that it was a phishing attempt. The strange thing is that it came through at exactly the same time as the genuine one from Paypal.

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It's also possible the buyer may have a comprised computer -- so when a online purchase is made, a fake email is also sent out.

-..-

[triber]

That is possible, Paypal said they are looking into the problem. I haven't had that message on the latest purchase.

[ricarmic]

Hmm is this a PAYPAL message or an eBay message?

I also got this message from ebay tonight, as well as the normal PAYPAL style message.

I got it both in my regular email mailbox, and in my eBay message mail box (within eBay), so it looks like it is a real ebay message.

It has most of the same information on it as is on the old style paypal message, including the item, the buyers address etc.

This is probably why PAYPAL is confused, it isn't a message from them.

Not sure why it is coming out for only some transactions, my guess is that if folks are using Credit cards or using credit cards a certain way.

As far as I know a merchant credit card is a situation where one accepts credit cards directly. My assumption is that certain ways eBay accepts certain cards generates this message that probably normally goes to folks who accept credit cards directly, ie it is yet another eBay glitch.

My buyer was from New Zealand.

[triber · Accepted solution]

Paypal told me that it was a phishing email, and they hoped anyone getting it would send it to spoof@paypal.com 

It certainly looked genuine to me, but confusing, I think it's too much of a coincidence that we would both get it on the same day for the first time.

[ricarmic]

Hi! Well I suspect the PAYPAL support person was just lumping it in with the hoards of phishing emails they get.

Unlike any other phishing email I've received, and unfortunately I do get a lot, there is nothing in it that asks me to click on anything, and the information it contains is all genuine. (ie that buyer did buy that item for that price from my store)

Anything phishing I've gotten in the past is for some unknown transaction or action and it wants me to click on something to fix it or learn more about it. This email doesn't ask me to do anything, and it came both in regular mail and through the ebay messaging system. No phishing email has ever done that before.

I'm still putting my money on the fact it's an ebay glitch and eBay is mistakenly sending the wrong message out in some circumstances...

If you hear back from PAYPAL I'd like to know if there's more to the story. I will advise here if I get any more of the messages....

[triber]

I did hear back from Paypal:

Thanks for forwarding that suspicious-looking email. You're right - it
was a phishing attempt, and we're working on stopping the fraud. By
reporting the problem, you've made a difference!

My concern is that it had the buyers name and address and the correct purchase and price, that seems strange for a phishing email, but as you see, Paypal agrees that it is.

[cumos55]

When one gets something strange....

(1) Do not respond...  One must confirm its correctness.

(2) Ask questions.... in this case it was Paypal.that was contacted....  first look at your  account  and then contact someone at Paypal

(3) emails such as these can look real....  but one should check `the  email to verify if it was not the  real-correct sender... Paypal in this instance 

(3) and... if it is a "problem"  email......  let it be......  and perhaps delete once its source is identified...  but only  if the email is not correct  after confirmation

(4) know what a correct email should look like ... There is an expected sequence of emails  when a sale occurs..... Does it look right?   Does it sound right?

People on the internet are getting more and more expert in making something look right... and the person receiving the email  just might think everything is OK.

Know what information each site will NOT ask you to confirm.....  such as personal information, banking information....  password

If it does not look right... check  and confirm.

Got my first unusual email  within 6 months of my first sale... and that was in 2003.....

 Strange emails are nothing new... just ... Be careful...   This is more important now than  years ago  because technology today  makes it more easy to create things that look just too good to be true.

Be careful ... but also recognize that it could be be correct... verify ... verify... verify...

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Scammers used to use the telephone... and probably still do.

It was several years ago that my mother got a call about her credit card  and the problems she has/could have....  She strung the caller along  ... and then after 5 minutes... she told him ... she never had a credit card... That is when the caller picked himself off the floor and hung up.

I have also received credit card calls

Once got a call....  I asked for  information from the caller... address  and so forth....... so that I can bill her for $100 a minute..... Caller was floored... and hung up within seconds...

Now it is internet contacts!

[pjcdn2005]

I'm confused  Wasn't this in your eBay messages?

[ricarmic]

In my case it was. I got an email and the same message in eBay messaging.

I am 99% sure it is a glitch (real though) message from ebay.

This also explains why PAYPAL didn't know what it was, and issued form letter 101, which they probably do for everything they don't recognize.

I haven't gotten any more of those messages, but not much has sold since either......

[triber]

Yes, mine was in my email messages also.

[pjcdn2005]

I think it was probably just a glitch then as ric mentioned. I've never heard of a PayPal spam email also showing up in eBay messages. I've seen both eBay and PayPal say a message was spam when it turned out it really wasn't.  It's usually a case of the right hand not knowing one the left hand is doing.

[cumos55]

Look at the  address when it was received in your regular emails..... 

and compare to how the address of an actual message sent  through eBay is shown in your regular emails...

such as when you receive a message from a potential buyer 

Can someone send a message through eBay massages  and make it look like it came from Paypal?

All messages sent through eBay massages  show up in regular emails 

[ricarmic]

Both messages are from ebay.com (I sell on .COM)

Message title says:

You got paid! 999item#999 - NEW ZEALAND rest of the description, see pictures

The bulk of the pertinent text:

================================================================================

Dear ricarmic, You got paid! XXXXX has made a payment of $99999 to your merchant credit card account.

Please ship the item(s) listed below to the following address:

The buyers actual address

was

in these

lines

It may take a few moments for this transaction to update and appear in your account information in My eBay. If you have any questions about this payment, please contact your merchant credit card services provider.

Thanks for selling with eBay!

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