Many gaming fans use the service provider Paypal to make payments. There is currently a dangerous trick circulating that criminals are using to intercept sensitive data. You should be suspicious if an email lands in your inbox that is supposedly about a necessary security update goes.
According to its own information, Paypal has over 30 million customers in Germany alone, including many gaming fans who use the service to pay in shops or for game subscriptions. Paypal also regularly sends its customers information by email. Criminals know this and use this channel to launch a fraudulent attack on sensitive data. Anyone who uses Paypal should therefore be cautious if emails seem strange at first glance. In this case, it is very likely to be phishing. However, the attacks are not always so obvious. The consumer advice center is currently warning of a scam in the name of Paypal, in which an email "initially appears inconspicuous" and "does not directly indicate criminal intent."
Caution: “Urgent action required: Secure your profile”
Paypal customers are regularly targeted by criminals, and internet-savvy users in particular are therefore often alert when opening emails and can easily see through attempted fraud. However, if there are no direct demands for money or threats, some gaming fans might doubt that a message might not actually come from Paypal. A consumer warning is currently about such a case.
According to experts, an email with the subject "Action required: Unauthorized activity detected" can land in your inbox. In this case, you need to be particularly careful! The message begins with a note that there is supposedly an "urgent need for action". You should "save your profile".
One might become skeptical because, in contrast to the content of the subject, the scammers in the fake message do not address any unauthorized activities, but only supposedly necessary security precautions.
You are addressed impersonally. This is already an indication of phishing.
"This is followed by a note that security incidents at cooperation partners could lead to a security risk for your own profile data," says the NRW consumer advice center. Then comes what often happens with such fake emails: you are asked to carry out a certain action, with which criminals want to intercept sensitive data in a further step.
In the specific case of the fake email in the name of Paypal, you should "lose no time" and use the link in the message to increase the security of your Paypal profile. To emphasize this demand, the criminals have inserted a button with the conspicuous inscription "Act now". However, you should not click on it. This is clearly a perfidious attempt at fraud.
Consumer protection agencies recommend putting the message in the spam folder. The missing farewell phrase and especially the sender address indicate a phishing attempt.
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