PayPal phishing attack launched

PayPal customers are being targeted by a new type of phishing email that tries to trick users into calling a phone line to confirm their credit card details.

Spyware analysts Sophos are warning users not to respond to the email which tells users to call an PayPal ‘account verification line’, but is really an attempt to steal financial details.

The email, which is designed to look like a message from PayPal, warns the recipient that their account has suffered fraudulent activity but, unlike the usual phishing scams, there is no weblink or response address.

Once customers dial the number an automated voice asks for a 16 digit card number.

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, said that hackers were now getting smarter and exploiting the way online companies communicate with customers.

"Though it's an American telephone number, the fact that PayPal is used globally means that anyone could potentially be tricked into making the call.

"This scam underlines a real problem for online companies in how they communicate with their customers. Many users are beginning to learn not to click on links in unsolicited emails, and only visit legitimate websites, but how many would know whether a phone number for a website is genuine or not?" he said.

http://www.sophos.com