Problem when rejoining tbn

  • 16 May 2025 1:52 PM
    Message # 13500074

    After se Al years, I recently rejoined tbn.  When completing my membership application, I was directed to provide information to PayPal. This made me uncomfortable, as I was paying with my Visa, but I went ahead providing this information.  BIG MISTAKE…ever since I have been getting fraudulent emails.  This I just received:

    Invoice ID: ZL-2025ZL-U38R3-8911

    Support No.: +1 (805) 396-3035

    The transaction amount of $424.99 USD is complete successfully.

    Registration ID: MIKE.SHNN@GMAIL.COM,

    Thank you for your order with PayPal. Your order has been successfully placed.

    We hope you are as excited as we are!

    The charges will be shown soon in your recent activity.

    Product Description

    Order ID:

    4999586426923

    Item Name:

    B T C

    Order Date:

    Amount:

    May 16, 2025

    $424.99

    Payment Method:

    Auto-debit from your bank account

    If you did not approve this charge, you have 24 hours to do so. Please contact our

    customer care to cancel and receive an instant refund for your membership. You

  • 17 May 2025 11:09 AM
    Reply # 13500350 on 13500074
    Martin Lansche (Administrator)

    Michael,

       You may already know this, but for the rest of the reading audience, I am replying that this email you received is 99.99% likely to be entirely fraudulent. The phone number is manned by scammers. Do not call it. Do not provide any information. This article summarizes the scam well: https://malwaretips.com/blogs/the-paypal-bitcoin-order-confirmation-email-scam/

    BTW, the bottom of that page is trying to sell you a malware removal tool. I am not recommending for or against the tool. Instead, I direct readers to that page for the scam description only!

    When checking your purchases on Paypal, you should login to Paypal directly, not via a link in an email (which will invariably take you to a fake site).

    I am only guessing here, but it is likely there was some tracking cookie (they are everywhere, not just on Paypal) that was seen by a rogue site (in all likelihood disguised in any of 100s of ads that are served to our browsers everywhere we go), that noted that you had been to PayPal, and which triggered the scammers sending this email. 

    If you bring to to PayPal's attention, they may provide more details, but unless there shows a transaction at a bonafide paypal site, you have received a scam email. Mark it as scam in you email client, but welcome to the whack-a-mole game. 

    My sympathies.

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