FRAUD ALERT-PayPal

I know a lot of folks on MM use PayPay for business.

Short version: PayPal website is being accessed by scammers using its own messaging center.

Long version:   I got two emails last week about a charge on PayPal. The email address was bogus so I wrote them off as scams.  Did check the PayPal site (not through the link on the email of course) and no such alert was posted.  I got an email from PayPal today (with a legitimate email address) saying there was a fraud alert.  I did not click on the email link but rather went to the site from a stored bookmark on my browser.
 
On the legitimate PayPal site there was a fraud alert this time and a message to call them listing the number.  It wasn't a toll free number.  Red Flag #1.  I did call but the man who was very hard to understand wanted me to go to another site (not PayPal) to block the transfer which he claimed would go through tomorrow if I didn't fill out the form.  Then he argued with me when I would not do that.  He claimed my IP address had been hacked and that was the reason I had to go to another site. Doesn't work that way.  Red Flag #2. 

I hung up.  Wondering if there was a bad actor in their call center I called back.  Got the same guy.  Must be a pretty small call center for a huge company.  Red Flag #3.  He belligerently asked why I was bothering him.  When I tried to get more information from him he told me to go F myself.  I won't say what I suggested.

Googled a legit number for PayPal, got a female and got the following explanation.  Their system allows "merchants" to add messages to transaction notices.  Looks totally legit on their own website.  Even able to send out a legitimate fraud alert from PayPal itself.  She confirmed that it was fraud and that was not one of their numbers.  She also said it "has been reported and they are looking into it but rest assured my money is safe with them"

Needless to say I will no longer be using PayPal.