Email Added to a PayPal Account Without My Confirmation

A reddit report about a phishing scam that cost someone Amount not specified. Learn how to avoid falling victim.

Source: reddit | Scam Type: Phishing | Amount Lost: Amount not specified | Date: March 19, 2026
I never had a PayPal account myself, but received a genuine email from them about updates to T&Cs. I didn't click any link, but verified it's genuine by typing paypal.com and trying to register/reset password with my email address. (My email provider also has security features that protect against spam/phishing by disabling remote content and trackers.) So basically, someone successfully registered for PayPal using my email, even though I never confirmed my email address to be linked. This is the first PayPal email I ever received. How is it possible to add an email address to a PayPal account without any confirmation email? How does it benefit a (presumed) scammer to use my email address for PayPal?

🛡️ How to Protect Yourself

1

Report suspicious emails to your email provider

2

Never click links or download attachments from unsolicited emails

3

Use two-factor authentication on all accounts

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