How to Spot a Fake PayPal Email

Today I received a spam email from a scammer pretending to be PayPal.  I've gotten lots of phishing emails in the last few weeks, but those were easy to spot because they were warnings about bank accounts for banks that I do not frequent, or credit cards that I do not own.

This latest phishing attempt was also fairly easy to spot, because it came to an email address that I don't use for PayPal anymore.  Nevertheless, there was an account associated with it many years ago, so I went ahead and changed the password. 

Here are some screen shots so that you can compare the two emails, and spot the key differences: 

SCAM EMAIL:

-- This one says it's from "Paypal@service.com" but if you look at the string after it, you can see that the email address has been spoofed.  

-- The email didn't address me by name--it only said "Notice to [my email address]"

-- The grammar is all wrong. "Your account has been locked in"  Really? Was it trying to escape?

-- The spammers are using an altered Paypal logo.

LEGIT PAYPAL EMAIL:

-- The email came from a PayPal.com account, after I went directly to PayPal.com and initiated a password change (by sending a code to my phone, not via email).  

-- The email addresses me by my full name as listed on the account (only first name shown above)

-- The email provides an alternate means for contacting the other than email--a phone number that you can run through a Google search and check to see if it's legit.  

For more info on how to spot a fake PayPal email, the folks at PayPal have some tips on their website, here: https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/security/common-scams

Be careful out there!

Outdoor Christmas Tree

I did not WANT an outdoor Christmas tree this year...I NEEDED one!

This was my present to myself this year.  We planted this evergreen tree 20 years ago, when we first moved in, and I used to decorate it with colorful lights every Christmas. Then it finally grew too tall for my husband to manage, so it has remained dark the last few years. 

I finally treated myself and had a professional come out to trim the tree, and now I get to see from my kitchen and/or living room window every night.  WORTH IT.

If I Ran the Food Network Programming Department....

You know what I'd like to see? A Food Network show where the chefs have to make an entire meal in under an hour, using a mish mosh of on-hand ingredients, while at the same time juggling a teething infant in need of a diaper change, a toddler eating the leaves off the houseplants in the family room, and a preschooler vying for attention at the same time. Yes, those days are long gone now, but I could still kick butt on that show.