A couple of days ago, I noticed $20 charges on my bank statement, showing as PayPal transactions. I contacted my bank, and they told me I’d need to come in to dispute the charges, which were around $60. Unfortunately, I was out of state and couldn’t do this right away. I also reached out to PayPal, but they said they couldn’t see any transactions and advised me to contact my bank again.
This morning, I woke up to more charges from ‘PayPal,’ with amounts ranging from $20 to $25, adding up to over $400! We contacted the bank, and they froze the account to prevent further charges. PayPal still insists they don’t show anything on their side and asked if I have another PayPal account, which I don’t. A friend told me they had a similar issue but it was related to Apple instead. My partner is going to the bank first thing tomorrow since I’m at work.
Has anyone else experienced something like this? How hard is it going to be to get the money back? Is there anything else I should report or do?
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Many banks allow you to dispute charges online now.
It sounds like your account and routing numbers were exposed somehow—maybe from an old check. You don’t want to leave a compromised account open for too long. Call your bank’s fraud department as soon as possible, even if the bank is closed, to start fixing this.
@FraudPhantom
I should have mentioned this earlier. The fraud department called us this morning and froze the account. But when I first reported the $60 missing, they said I had to go in physically, and that was on Friday when I was out of town.
It sounds like your card info was leaked and someone linked it to their PayPal account. This happens a lot. Double-check every charge to make sure none are legitimate ones you made. If you report a valid charge by mistake, it can cause issues with your PayPal account. Report all fraudulent charges and get a new card, as freezing the old one won’t stop the scammers permanently.
Watch out for fake vouchers that claim you bought Bitcoin. Scammers will try to help you recover it and ask you to download an app like AnyDesk. Don’t fall for this! Always contact PayPal directly. Make sure you call their official number, and be aware of how they answer the phone—scammers will try to mimic their response.