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Can someone advise me on this? I got a notice from Paypal that there's a problem with my account--I know, it sounds like a scam, but this appears to be real. The problem, apparently, is that they need to verify my identity (according to a new law, as of April 2012), and to do this they need me to upload proof of my social security number.
Here's the weirdest part: Apart from the fact that this sounds like a scam, the document needs to be less than 6 months old (see attached screenshot).
Can anyone tell me how to prove my social security number with documents that are less than 6 months old?
Finally, the vague "we will handle this information in accordance with our privacy policies" is a bit ominous.
Jim
Follow Ups:
I don't know how to get you off the No Fly list, just don't ask about that one again. My lips are sealed.
Short’s the best position they is. Bullet in the Brain
I think you can just go to a Bank Mortgage person and request they pull an Id or SSN Investigation. It's cheap, let it do the digging. Anyway all it does is verify the SSN to you, mostly by simple name and identity checks.
Short’s the best position they is. Bullet in the Brain
I would never respond to an email request. I would call them.
Several times I have had requests and reported them to PayPal and heard nothing. I don't think they give a shit about your money.
All that's missing is a URL in Nigeria
Too much is never enough
I just bought a book using Paypal a week ago without issues. It seems this scam is for folks who add money as needed for purchases.
"Apparently, people now believe that mental telepathy is the foundation of communication and magic is the source of daily events. Consequently, we no longer have to participate in our own lives."
Would be weird for Google to take a position on this.
Jim
then decide. Don't assume.
"Apparently, people now believe that mental telepathy is the foundation of communication and magic is the source of daily events. Consequently, we no longer have to participate in our own lives."
... AND having 200 sales, both in a calendar year. Google PayPal for info.
Take it with a grain of salt.. Paypal SSN info
may the bridges I burn light the way...
Sounds like "inquiring minds" at both the IRS and the DHS want to know!
SCAM! When you say you have contacted PayPal directly, are you getting there by going to www.paypal.com, or are you clicking on some link in the scammer's email?
And as I wrote in my followup post, I first encountered this "warning" while I was logged into Paypal. The only embedded link in the email I received (later) was to the Paypal Help Center (https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/helpweb?cmd=_help -- and yes, the link matches the text)
Sounds exactly like a scam. But this is actual Paypal.
jca
I believe that if you are (or plan to be or prospectively could be from PP's POV) involved in cash transactions of $10,000 or more Paypal is responsible for reporting them to the FED's, just as your bank must do. If that is correct the need for your SoSec# or a Tax ID number would be reasonable. FWIW.
Chuck, I think that's true, and it's been that way for a while--but it doesn't describe me. I think this is something that regular low-level Paypal users like me are going to encounter soon if they haven't already. It clearly is related to the connection with your bank account: If you have no bank account linked, it isn't necessary, apparently.
Jim
And if you gave them your info, they just caught one.Please forward it to www.spoof@Paypal.com
Edits: 07/25/12
is amusing.
How many times to I have to write that I have checked this out with Paypal on their Web site and by phone?
I agree it's questionable whether to give SS# to Paypal--the real one. But your claim that this is a spoof is just plain wrong. This is Paypal we're talking about, not some guy in Nigeria.
jca
In your OP you stated, "Apart from the fact that this sounds like a scam, the document needs to be less than 6 months old (see attached screenshot)."
Now, I'm confused as to what you had hope to accomplish.
You're right--I was out of line. The reason is, I had already posted a followup with more information, and without really thinking about it I was assuming that people had seen that followup post, too.
The followup post makes it clear that this really is a Paypal thing and not some third-world scam. (Put another way, it might be a first-world scam, the kind respectable financial institutions inflict on their customers. But it's not someone pretending to be PayPal.
I will also repeat that according to Paypal, this is required by law. They wish they didn't have to do it. Believe it, or not, as you wish.
jca
.
reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.
(nt)
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reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.
There's an intelligence test for using it and I'm afraid you just failed.
"Lock up when you're done and don't touch the piano."
-Dr. Greg House
I've been using the Internet since before it was available to the general public.
So, care to explain how I just failed an intelligence test? What do you think that you understand that I don't?
jca
I agree. The first time Paypal would ask for my SS# would be the last day I would use the service. I don't even give that out to my Dr., why the hell would anyone give it to Paypal?
Thanks everyone for your advice on this. I was, as you could tell, very wary. But in fact it is not a scam, apparently.
Part of the problem is that the information I provided was inadequate. I first encountered this issue when I was logged on to the Paypal Website. The image I included in the original post was from the Website--and this was before I received any emails; I was definitely on the real paypal site.
Almost immediately, I received an email explaining that
As of April, 2012, new Federal Regulations require Money Service
Businesses, such as PayPal, to verify the identity of a customer before we
can provide various services or product offerings. As a result, PayPal must
ensure we have collected and verified important data such as customer name,
address, date of birth, and national tax ID or social security number.
Because we were not able to fully confirm your identity based on your
current account information, we need to request additional supporting
documentation from you.
You will continue to have full access to your PayPal account, but until we
are able to confirm your identity, we may be unable to process certain
types of customer initiated requests such as adding funds to your PayPal
account.
Apparently this was triggered by an attempt to add funds; I wasn't actually doing it--just investigating how that worked.
Still logged onto Paypal, I located their customer service phone number (got a security code for the call) and called them. They gave the same explanation and said that it's a new law and it applies to everybody.
I shouldn't have said it's not a scam, maybe. Maybe it is a scam, but if it is, Paypal--the real one--is in on it.
Thanks all.
Jim
Bought an amp and later sent flowers to a friend but they didn't ask me for my SSN in either case.Also, I couldn't help but notice they didn't supply the title and/or code for this required US regulation/law...easy to verify and research if they had provided such...therefore that sets off my spidey senses...weird
Not doubting your judgment and it sounds like you covered all bases...just seems weird
may the bridges I burn light the way...
Edits: 07/25/12 07/25/12
It does seem weird.
Is your Paypal account linked to a bank account? Not meaning to cause problems for you, but try transferring money INTO your Paypal account. See what happens.
Thanks,
jca
it won't let me add funds unless I send the proof you mentioned prevously.
And I logged on straight from their site, not a link from an email or webpage.
I have no need to add funds now, there's enough in there for any impulse audio equipment purchases and when it runs out I'll decide if I need to add more funds...gonna lay low for a while and see how this plays out.
may the bridges I burn light the way...
What sucked me in was their vagueness on precisely what features were restricted. I was about to make a purchase that would require partial payment by credit card--and I was afraid that would be restricted, too.
It seems to me that Paypal has a monopoly online that needs to be addressed. There needs to be a competing service, and eBay needs to be forced to offer it. (Although if Paypal is to be believed, the new service would be forced to do the same thing.)
Of course, now that you've helped me out, you'll be harassed by warning messages in your Paypal account. Sorry 'bout that.
Thanks,
Jim
if they want to shut me down thats fine with me...truth is I've probably used paypal 4 times in the past 3 years. If it went away tomorrow I wouldn't lose any sleep (as long as I got my money back thats in there!).And they can send me all the emails they want; they can't force me to do jack-shit.
may the bridges I burn light the way...
Edits: 07/26/12 07/26/12
I am so outta there! There's no way in Hell I'm giving them my SS #.
Jim
Simplify.
Social Security number by law is not for identification. No company can ddemand it. The ycan "ask" but if you say no, they cannot deny services based on the denial.
Though maybe with the current Fascist leaning state of USA, that has changed..
Elizabeth, I wish you (or someone) would look into this. I would, but I just don't have time right now. PayPal says that they are REQUIRED to do this by a new banking law that went into effect in April. As someone has pointed out here, it is peculiar that they don't say exactly which one. It's also peculiar that there's nothing (that I could find) about this in their own documentation, even though there are lots of complaints on their discussion forums.
So, it's a very unusual thing. I think it's quite possible that PayPal is doing something bad and possibly illegal, and if they are, it's a major story. Even if they aren't, it might still be a major story.
Jim
After we elected a new officer to our local Homeowners Association last year we attempted to add his info and signature to our account at the local bank. We have had this account for over twenty years and have been adding a new officer and deleting the outgoing one every two years since the account was opened. This account normally has a high balance of about $50K.
Much to my surprise this time the bank VP instructed us that in order to use our account in the future we would have to register our account and all of the account holders names, ssn's, dob's, etc. with the State and Federal Govt's. Something to do with a new law that the Department of Homeland Security rammed through Congress that would help them to identify bank transactions that were being employed by terrorists to funnel funds overseas to their organizations.
I wonder if PayPal has somehow been affected by the same (or similar) new banking regulations?
It is a scam ,don't respond to it at all . I get something similar sent about every other month to my yahoo email.
Edits: 07/25/12
It's a scam that I have received in the past. Report it to payPal's fraud/Phishing dept. DO NOT send them your SS # !!!!!!
This is definitely a scam. Log on your real PayPal account (not thru the scammers link) and see if there is any mention of an issue with your account. I doubt it.
Do not respond to this in any way. Contact PayPal directly, and ask them about it. They are the only ones who can tell you if this is legitimate (which I highly doubt).
Jim
Simplify.
....and looks like a hook, then its...Phishing
Phishing is attempting to acquire information (and sometimes, indirectly, money) such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT administrators are commonly used to lure the unsuspecting public. Phishing emails may contain links to websites that are infected with malware.[1] Phishing is typically carried out by e-mail spoofing[2] or instant messaging,[3] and it often directs users to enter details at a fake website whose look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate one. Phishing is an example of social engineering techniques used to deceive users,[4] and exploits the poor usability of current web security technologies.[5] Attempts to deal with the growing number of reported phishing incidents include legislation, user training, public awareness, and technical security measures.
A phishing technique was described in detail in 1987, and (according to its creator) the first recorded use of the term "phishing" was made in 1995. The term is a variant of fishing,[6] probably influenced by phreaking,[7][8] and alludes to "baits" used in hopes that the potential victim will "bite" by clicking a malicious link or opening a malicious attachment, in which case their financial information and passwords may then be stolen.
Edits: 07/26/12
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