Fake "payment received" email scam
When you sell something online, scammers send a fake PayPal or bank email saying their payment is on hold until you ship the item and upload tracking.
How this scam works
No money was ever sent. Once you ship, the item is gone, and the release link may also steal your login.
Common versions of the message
- A payment on hold
- Ship first, then get paid
- A link to release the funds
What the message looks like
Email from PayPal <service@paypal-notify.top>: You received a payment of $650.00
You received $650.00 from the buyer. The funds are on hold until you upload the shipping tracking number. Ship the item today, then click here to release your payment: http://paypal-notify.top/release
Fictional example based on common, publicly reported scam patterns.
The red flags
- 1
Fake hold: “The funds are on hold”
Real payments show up in your account, not an email
Real payments appear in your account balance, not only in an email.
- 2
Ship first: “Ship the item today”
Once shipped, the item is gone for good
Shipping first means you lose the item.
- 3
Not PayPal: “paypal-notify.top”
Log in by typing paypal.com yourself
Log in to check by typing the site address yourself.
What to do
- Do not ship until you see the money in your real account.
- Log in by typing paypal.com or your bank's address yourself.
- Report the buyer to the marketplace.
If you already replied, clicked, or paid
- If you shipped the item, contact the carrier right away to try to stop the delivery.
- If you logged in through the link, change your password and turn on two-step verification.
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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