MW My Paypal account received money from the Philippines with two phone numbers listed. I called them. Big mistake.
By Quentin Fottrell
'I know my information is on the dark web, and I have taken steps to be cautious'
"When he said he needed to take remote control of my computer, I knew I was talking to scammers, not PayPal." (Photo subject is a model.)
Dear Quentin,
A few weeks ago, funds appeared in my PayPal account from the Philippines.
It was a small amount. The transaction included an email address and listed two phone numbers to call if I had not authorized it. I looked up PayPal's number using another source and saw that it matched the first number in the email. A bot answered and wasn't helpful.
So I tried the second number in the email, even though I couldn't confirm it was a legitimate PayPal number. It was answered by a human who said, "Security." Not wanting to be scammed, I said I was calling to report a fraudulent charge, but I never mentioned PayPal or the charge.
The person I spoke to seemed to know who I was - possibly from caller ID - and appeared to have information about me and the fraudulent charge. I know my information is on the dark web, and I have taken steps to be cautious.
When he said he needed to take remote control of my computer, I knew I was talking to scammers, not PayPal. I told him I felt like I was in over my head and mentioned that my husband was a police officer who would be home in 20 minutes. They hung up on me.
I then called the first number again, reached the bot, and followed the instructions to submit a fraud review. It was decided in the scammers' favor! The review is now closed, and although I can request another review, I don't have any additional information to provide.
I changed the email and password associated with my PayPal account. I now want to close the account, but the company won't allow me to do so because I have an active $5 rebate that was added years ago. It turns out that to access the $5, I need to link to a bank account.
How do I reach a real person at PayPal (PYPL), use the $5 rebate or remove my Discover card (PayPal won't allow me to remove it without adding a replacement card)? I have an older credit card I could add to PayPal and then cancel a day later.
Any advice?
PayPal Customer
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You can email The Moneyist with any financial and ethical questions at qfottrell@marketwatch.com. The Moneyist regrets he cannot reply to questions individually.
When you suspend disbelief, the experience feels real.
Dear Customer,
Report this to PayPal security.
Just because a stranger gives you a button to press - in this case, several buttons in the form of phone numbers - it does not mean you should press them. In fact, you should treat any transaction as potentially fraudulent from the start, and not wait until the moment you know you're being scammed.
I'm concerned about these phone calls, particularly the one where you reached the bot and followed instructions to submit a fraud review. I don't know what personal details, if any, you gave. But that was likely a scam artist, too.
Depositing small amounts of money with accompanying phone numbers is a relatively common phishing scam to trick you into calling fake customer-support numbers. Once you call, a scammer will try to steal your personal and financial information.
If the money originally came from a compromised account, the rightful owner will eventually flag the transaction as fraudulent. Once that happens, PayPal will reverse the payment, leaving you responsible for any funds you may have already sent to the scammer.
If you call, the scammer may try to access your computer or attempt to get you to reveal sensitive information like your PayPal password, a two-factor authentication code, your Social Security number or your bank details. They may even ask you to send the money back in a different way.
Suspension of disbelief
This is why scams work: Even if you see the same phishing scam that comes with a different message, whether it's urgent or puzzling, or via a different app, whether that is PayPal, Facebook, or a call or text message directly to your phone, there is a tendency to suspend disbelief.
When you see a play or a movie, you know it's not real. But you suspend disbelief, so the experience feels real. That's what happened when you came across that PayPal transaction from the Philippines. Perhaps you pictured a legitimate Amazon retailer living in that country.
Scammers can call you from some faraway location and make the number coming up on your phone appear to be your bank's headquarters in the city where you live. They are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Video messages that seem real can be 100% created by artificial intelligence.
PayPal has an entire section on its website dedicated to scams. "Most of us are careful if a stranger approaches us on the street and offers a deal that seems too good to be true. But we're much less cautious online, which can put us at risk," the company says.
The scams include fraudulent invoices, advance-fee fraud, overpayment scams, fictional prizewinnings, no-risk investment temptations, fake charities, shipping scams, prepaid shipping-label scams, package-rerouting scams and phony job opportunities.
Fear, urgency and familiarity
PayPal, like any other legitimate payment app, wants to fulfill its duty to you by making sure that all funds - such as the $5 rebate - are received before you close your account. PayPal will not close an account with a payment dispute, active balance or pending rebate or payment.
Scams work by creating fear ("I'm going to lose money"), urgency ("If you don't act now, you'll be in big trouble") or familiarity ("It's your friendly neighborhood bank"), or by exploiting your hope ("You won a free iPad!"), desperation or loneliness ("I love you").
Millions of people every year fall for these tricks, and billions of dollars annually are lost in the U.S. alone. Don't answer an unknown number. If the caller ID comes up as your bank, don't answer and call back using the number on the back of your credit card.
There was no diligent retailer in the Philippines who realized they overcharged you for an eBay or Amazon purchase you had forgotten you made years ago, and miraculously wanted to make you whole. Scammers want to provoke a reaction.
Once you get in touch, you've already started suspending your disbelief. Then it's up to them - people who have years of experience at recognizing your vulnerabilities and gaining your confidence - to get you to believe them, even if it's only for five minutes on the phone.
Related: 'This scam stuff is going to get worse': A man approached me in my car - he had a crazy story
More columns from Quentin Fottrell:
'I'm a big fan of DIY investing': I'm 64 and moving to the U.S. I have $2.6 million, but no Social Security. Will I be OK?
'I didn't ask a man to rear-end my car': Social Security is replacing my disability benefits. Will the fund run out of money?
'I'm simply exhausted': I'm 55 and have $1.3 million for retirement. Can I retire next year?
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-Quentin Fottrell
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March 25, 2026 05:15 ET (09:15 GMT)
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