PayPal Prepaid Mastercard

Jegethy · 10 Mar 2014 at 12:31

I'm wondering what the application process entails as I applied for one a few days ago and this morning I received an email from "[email protected]" which addressed me as "PayPal customer."

PayPal has stressed on multiple occasions in regards to phishing emails, that all official correspondence will contain your name or email address. The one I received looks pretty dodgy as it's a plain white email with a little PayPal logo at the top and is asking for scans of documents and the front and back of the card I have on my account. Another thing that causes suspicion is that at the bottom of the email it says "Copyright © 1999-2011 PayPal" - All recent emails I have from PayPal say 1999-2014. Furthermore it says on the email "(Do not forget to include your name & address details)", which surely they would know if it were an official email?

I had a quick Google and can't find anything related to that email address or the address they asked me to mail the documents to which is [email protected].

Has anyone applied for one of these cards and received an email from that address asking for scanned documents?

Monkeynut · 10 Mar 2014 at 12:32

Scam.

Vanquish-Storm · 10 Mar 2014 at 12:47

Only info I can find: https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/PayPal-Access-Card/Paypal-Access-Card/td-p/767167

Did you get invited to apply by PayPal or that email address?

I thought they were only giving them out to businesses or people who put a lot of transactions through PayPal at the moment.

Edit: Our business card was all done for via the PayPal website, phonecalls and a Rep from PayPal based in Ireland. We never had email contact with [email protected].

xbenjiiman · 10 Mar 2014 at 12:50

I found this document, which shows paypal do actually own that domain and use it.

https://www.paypalobjects.com/webstatic/mktg/access_card/upgrade.pdf

If you look at the top, they also ask for documents. Though I don't see why they'd need a scan of your card. Sounds very fishy indeed.

Also don't forget, mail senders can be spoofed. Meaning anybody could've sent that email, pretending to be "[email protected]".

Jegethy · 10 Mar 2014 at 12:51

Vanquish-Storm said:
Only info I can find: https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/PayPal-Access-Card/Paypal-Access-Card/td-p/767167

Did you get invited to apply by PayPal or that email address?

I thought they were only giving them out to businesses or people who put a lot of transactions through PayPal at the moment.

Edit: Our business card was all done for via the PayPal website, phonecalls and a Rep from PayPal based in Ireland. We never had email contact with [email protected].

I was invited to apply and did so on Friday over the phone, then received that email this morning. Normally I would write it off as a phishing email immediately but the timing of it makes me think otherwise.

covenantuk · 10 Mar 2014 at 12:51

Why do you even need to ask?

No reputable company will ask you to email them a photocopy of your existing debit card and scans of sensitive documents.

jas72 · 10 Mar 2014 at 12:56

Why don't you visit their site and use the contact button and ask them if this mail is legit?

gt_junkie · 10 Mar 2014 at 12:58

jas72 said:
Why don't you visit their site and use the contact button and ask them if this mail is legit?

This - or better still call them back on a support number.

Vanquish-Storm · 10 Mar 2014 at 13:10

Jegethy said:
I was invited to apply and did so on Friday over the phone, then received that email this morning. Normally I would write it off as a phishing email immediately but the timing of it makes me think otherwise.

Are you sure it was actually PayPal on the phone?

bitslice · 10 Mar 2014 at 13:28

covenantuk said:
Why do you even need to ask?

I think there must be a psychological blind spot in people,
where stuff that seems obvious to everyone else just doesn't register to people actually faced with that situation.
Like a bunny in the headlights kind of thing.

This would also explain why people still vote liberal.

diamount · 10 Mar 2014 at 13:46

covenantuk said:
Why do you even need to ask?

No reputable company will ask you to email them a photocopy of your existing debit card and scans of sensitive documents.

That's not accurate. It' probably a measure to stop anyone but the account holder from withdrawing the funds. Although ideally they would only ship the prepaid to the verified address they have on record and not any address a hijacker can nominate.

TheLegendOfMart · 10 Mar 2014 at 13:57

The address is fake. probably a scam.

xbenjiiman · 10 Mar 2014 at 14:25

TheLegendOfMart said:
The address is fake. probably a scam.

The email address is legit, who actually sent it/where it was routed from is a different matter.

covenantuk · 10 Mar 2014 at 17:04

diamount said:
That's not accurate. It' probably a measure to stop anyone but the account holder from withdrawing the funds. Although ideally they would only ship the prepaid to the verified address they have on record and not any address a hijacker can nominate.

Regardless of that it's not a valid way to conduct business. If ANY financial company asked me to send them a scan of another company's debit card I'd never deal with them again. There's other ways of requesting this information. Not least asking the person to phone them back on a number that can be verified on Paypal's own website and giving that information over the phone.