DELAWARE COUNTY, Okla. — A Delaware County woman's peaceful lunch with her 90-year-old grandmother nearly turned into a financial nightmare when sophisticated scammers targeted her with a fake PayPal receipt.
Stephanie Moore was enjoying time with her grandmother when she received what appeared to be a legitimate PayPal notification on her phone.
"Without thinking, opened it," Moore said.
At firt glance the email looked authentic, but closeer inspection revealed it was actually part of a sophisticated scam targeting millions of Americans every year. The Federal Trade Commission calls PayPal imposter fraud the third most costly for consumers.
Scammers intentionally send these messages when people are likely to be busy or distracted, making them more prone to click on malicious links without thinking carefully.
PayPal scams reach epidemic proportions
An AARP study found that 83% of payment app users, including those using PayPal, Venmo and Zelle, reported being targeted by fraudsters in 2024. More than half of those targeted actually lost money as a result.
"In this day and age with AI, people are getting, scammers are getting more sophisticated. The emails tend to be more professional looking, and they look real," said Kevin Marshall, a certified public accountant.
PayPal was the third most impersonated company by scammers in 2023, with approximately 10,000 consumer complaint reports filed with the Federal Trade Commission.
Moore said she regrets clicking on the link to open the email. She confirmed it was fake by calling PayPal directly. In her case, only one thing kept her from losing money.
"Luckily I had no money in my PayPal account. I had just opened it and not transferred any money into it," Moore said.
Expert advice for avoiding scams
The experience taught Moore to be more cautious with unexpected messages.
"I'm much more cautious about making sure I count to 10 before I open an email. Stop, breathe, count to 10," Moore said.
Experts recommend the same approach for text messages and social media communications. The key is resisting the urge to immediately click on links.
Financial experts from Think Save Retire identify several common PayPal scam tactics, including fake account problem notifications, promotional offers, advance payment schemes, and shipping address manipulation.
What to do if you're targeted
If you become a victim of a PayPal scam, experts recommend reporting it to multiple agencies:
- Report it directly to PayPal through its security center
- Contact your bank or financial institution immediately
- File a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center
- Report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
One important thing to know: recovery options remain limited. Unlike traditional banking, many payment apps offer fewer protections for peer-to-peer transfers, and victims of fraudulent transactions on them often cannot get reimbursement for money sent through these platforms.
Your best defense: vigilance and taking time to verify unexpected communications before clicking any links or providing personal information.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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