PayPal Penny Scam: A Penny In, A Penny Out

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

Today I got an email that said 'an update about your transaction'. The small blurb said they saw an error and are refunding the money. I just made a purchase or two on PayPal, so I went to see what was being refunded. It was for $0.01 back to the company, so I looked at previous transactions and on March 11th I was given $0.01 by McClure Business Strategies LLC. Sure enough, I looked in my email for March 11 and I have an email that says something like 'urgent - steps needed for your recent payment'. The actual email says: 'Your PayPal account processed a payout by small deposit confirmation. If you authorized it, no action is needed. If not, please contact PayPal Customer Care at [number] immediately to secure your account and request a refund.' Giving me a penny and taking it back—is that normal? I figure this is a scam, but now I'm worried they can just take money whenever they want. What is the best way to proceed?

🛡️ 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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