Does this seem familiar (PayPal). Well, anyway, may I fuss and fume?????

[LAS14]

It all started about a week or 10 days ago when I got an e-mail saying a request for $500 from my bank account had been submitted. It would take a week (or some such time). Note: I've been in phone contact with Paypal several times and the problem is not phishing e-mail.

Since I never use PayPal for anything except to pay for things with my credit card I logged on and lo, my balance was $200+ (It should have been 0. I never put money into PayPal), and Money In and Money Out had values. I called support. After spending the typical frustrating hour talking to someone with a thick accent the values were reset and I changed my password.

Similar cycles have happened three more times! How can someone get my new password???? The support people don't even aknowledge hearing the question, except for this latest one who said someone in my household must be finding it out. No one but me and my 88 your old hubby are in our house. He doesn't even know what PayPal is. Do any of you have ideas?

Today I threw in the towel and decided to add two-step verification, until I discovered that involved installing a 3rd party app on my phone and paying $9.99/month for it!!!!!!

HELP!!!!!!!!!

[a kennedy]

1. Damn LAS14.......i'm so sorry for what happened......can't help you just want to give you a hug.

I absolutely hate when this kind of stuff happens. Hope someone here can help you out. And again.

[LAS14]

3. :-)

[TwilightZone]

2. The e-mails could be fake.

PayPal scam e-mails are very common. Your account may not have been compromised at all -- the e-mails will try to get you to provide login information. Did PayPal confirm that there was a $500 request? If there was no request, then the original e-mail was fake and a scam.

https://www.paypal.com/us/cshelp/article/how-do-i-spot-a-fake-fraudulent-or-phishing-paypal-email-or-website-help164

Be sure to call PayPal at their customer service number and not any number listed in the e-mail. If it's a scam, the phone number may connect you to the scammers and not PP. Their number is: 1-888-221-1161.

[LAS14]

4. The problems are visible on the PayPal web site when logged onto my account.

[TwilightZone]

5. There's no fee to set up two-step authentication. It can be done through a web browser (but not through the app).

https://www.paypal.com/us/cshelp/article/what-is-2-step-verification-and-how-do-i-turn-it-on-or-off-HELP167

For the required third-party app, they accept both Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator, both of which are free.

As noted, this cannot be done through the PayPal app. It must be done by logging into your PP account through a web browser.

[LAS14]

8. I tried it.

The support person today took me through these steps. At some point I thought I had to go to my phone and download an "authenticator app." I get to the page where there's a link "Need an authenticator app?" I click on that and am advised to go to the app store on my phone and search for "authenticator app." That's when I download an app that's going to cost my $9.99/month.

I never see "Set it up."

What did I do wrong?

[usaf-vet]

6. I avoided two-step verification until I experienced a similar problem (not with PayPal). Now I know immediately......

.... when something is going on with my account.

[Voltaire2]

7. You did the right thing with two factor authentication.

It is much harder to hack your accounts that are protected this way.

If you want to, you can opt in to using a 'passkey' authenticator app that adds one more level of security.. Not all platforms support passkeys, but more do everyday. The apps are all free and are available from google, microsoft, and others.

[LAS14]

9. I searched my app store for "authenticator app," and in the...

...install process I found out about the $9.99/month charge. Maybe it was for add ons? But I couldn't see that that was the case, so I cancelled the install.

[Voltaire2]

10. microsoft and google have free apps.

Absolutely do not buy one or subscribe to any add on.

[EarlG]

11. There's a free authenticator app by Google

I've been using it for several years for a couple of sites and have not had any problems with it:

Google Play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.authenticator2&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1

Apple App store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-authenticator/id388497605

[Bayard]

16. I just looked at the Google one,

Since I use Paypal all the time (although never had any problems.)

It doesn't get very good reviews......

[EarlG]

17. Fair enough

I'm sure there are other free alternatives out there.

[usonian]

12. Is the same password used on other sites? You may have a keylogger installed on your computer/device.

Please scan for malware.

If you have a keylogger, get rid of that first. No other suggestions will help until then.

I use a password manager app, so that I can use long and freakish passwords that I can't memorize.

[LAS14]

18. I have Malwarebytes, and it runs every night. Can I do more? nt

[LAS14]

19. No other sites use the 2 or 3 new passwords I created for Paypal over the last 10 days. nt

[usonian]

20. Reply to your two replies above. Those are the right thing to do! Can't suggest more at this time. NT

[Timewas]

13. How I solved that problem

Dropped pay-pal........No more crap from them

[CrispyQ]

14. When you got the email did you click on the link in the email?

Scammers will provide a link that looks like paypal.com, but is really something else. Just something to be aware of. BTW, I don't think Paypal charges for 2-step authentication.

[bucolic_frolic]

15. I had problems years ago where phish emails were confirmed coming from inside Paypal

Confirmed by Paypal. And no one could explain how this happened. I don't use it, though I haven't closed my PayPal account. Maybe I should.

I'm not a big fan of all this electronic stuff, but what can you do? Mails are so slow and insecure too. Debit cards are a disaster-in-waiting.

I get calls from India. After I call my health insurer and get foreign customer service, I get phishing phone calls asking about my financial credentials. I'm ready to rip out the phone.