Panicking about paypal

**R-James** · 09-27-2008, 12:13 PM

Ok, so this evening I get warnings all over my paypal that in the last 12 months £650 has been spent in my account and I need to confirm all sorts of things including my business status.

I understand that I have used that much money yes, but why flag me.

Anyone else had this and what should I do?!

Many thanks.

**thirdeye** · 09-27-2008, 12:16 PM

I would contact them and question it before filling anything out.

**Unknownsoldier** · 09-27-2008, 12:19 PM

Hmmm, I'd contact them ASAP, to check, they may think you're account has been "jacked".

Tom

**Handy** · 09-27-2008, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by Unknownsoldier

Hmmm, I'd contact them ASAP, to check, they may think you're account has been "jacked".

Tom

Yeap, what he said.

**adamjaskie** · 09-27-2008, 12:23 PM

Yeah, what others said. If you didn't use your account much and all of a sudden there's a bunch of money flowing through it, they probably think that maybe somebody has broken into your account and is spending your money. Get in touch with them and explain your situation, but don't worry too much about it; they're just trying to look out for you, most likely.

**AACJ** · 09-27-2008, 12:25 PM

+ 5 (I think)

**Unknownsoldier** · 09-27-2008, 12:26 PM

My CC company were the same to me, there were some small spends on the card (between 1-5 pounds), when I usually spend with my CC on things like 100+, turns out my card had been cloned online (through Amazon I think). Now comes the fun HSBC registered this, and when my debit card started having 1 pound transactions it got shut down........ turns out it was the pay-at-pump I was using that takes 1 pound to check the cards validity..... anyways, easily explained and rectified.... I'd check with them just in case.

Tom

**DunEdinRanger** · 09-27-2008, 12:28 PM

Or is it a phishing expedition trying to get you to divulge information about your credit card and or bank accounts?

**Eagle** · 09-27-2008, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by DunEdinRanger

Or is it a phishing expedition trying to get you to divulge information about your credit card and or bank accounts?

That's what I was thinking. For God's sake don't respond to that email with any personal/banking type data. Contact Pay Pal independent of that email and find out if it's even legit.

**R-James** · 09-27-2008, 12:32 PM

It is legit, I logged into paypal, and the dispute was right there on the main screen, did it on 2 different pcs with 3 different browsers as well to be sure.

**Unknownsoldier** · 09-27-2008, 12:54 PM

What browser you running, IE8 contacts the companies automatically to confirm validity as does Mozilla FF.....

It sounds like they are just spooked by a big bill......

Tom

**ratcheer** · 09-27-2008, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by DunEdinRanger

Or is it a phishing expedition trying to get you to divulge information about your credit card and or bank accounts?

That is my guess, too.

Do not respond to any emails. Go straight to the secure PayPal website (do not click any links in the emails to get there) and access your account. If anything is going on, you will be able to tell.

Tim

**FaPat5** · 09-27-2008, 01:09 PM

I had one too. Don't worry about it. They just want you to re-verify your details, so they can ensure you are not using PayPal to launder money.

**SepticTank** · 09-27-2008, 01:16 PM

Is it not just the volume of cash going through your account? I seem to remember being "invited" to upgrade many moons ago to be able to receive payments for eBay items because there was lots of GBP involved.

**adamjaskie** · 09-27-2008, 02:12 PM

You brits and your silly valuable money. Here in the states, we just let the value drop; that way we don't have to be as careful about each unit.

**dpm802** · 09-27-2008, 03:23 PM

I don't see why PayPal would be suspicious about £650 of transactions over a 12 month span. Its not a huge amount of money. Probably quite small compared to what flows through some eBay vendors or other commercial accounts.

Perhaps they are concerned about lots of money going back and forth across the Atlantic. Or perhaps you were flagged in a random sweep.

In any case, it doesn't sound like you have any need to be worried. Follow up on it, but by all means, take all due precautions to be sure you're dealing with PayPal itself and not some phishing scheme.

**TstebinsB** · 09-27-2008, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by R-James

Ok, so this evening I get warnings all over my paypal that in the last 12 months £650 has been spent in my account and I need to confirm all sorts of things including my business status.

I understand that I have used that much money yes, but why flag me.

Anyone else had this and what should I do?!

Many thanks.

Don't worry. It's nothing. When I was getting payments for Feather and Tosuke razors, and MWF group buys, I got an actual phone call from a PayPal customer rep. She wanted to know if I was running a business. It was nothing serious.

Originally Posted by FaPat5

I had one too. Don't worry about it. They just want you to re-verify your details, so they can ensure you are not using PayPal to launder money.

+1

**R-James** · 09-28-2008, 11:45 PM

Followed the steps they ask and they have now come back asking me for tax exemtion certificates and things. Looks like I'm calling them up this afternoon to sort the issues out. Maybe I filled something in wrong and they think I'm a business. Oh well never mind I'm sure it'll be an easy remedy.

**ScottS** · 09-29-2008, 05:24 AM

Originally Posted by R-James

Followed the steps they ask and they have now come back asking me for tax exemtion certificates and things. Looks like I'm calling them up this afternoon to sort the issues out. Maybe I filled something in wrong and they think I'm a business. Oh well never mind I'm sure it'll be an easy remedy.

Aaah, now I understand. Somehow, they have the idea that you're doing business under a 501(c)3 tax exempt charity, and they want a bit of documentation. I had the same thing happen to me, and they locked withdrawals from my account for about 36 hours waiting for the documentation to be reviewed. They asked for a voided check, a statement of purpose, and proof of our tax exempt status.

I found this strange, as I've never claimed to paypal that I was 501(c)3, but I suppose they're showing due diligence to avoid liability. I wouldn't have been as annoyed if they gave me a tax-exempt fee schedule, but there you go. I suppose they're doing this just to prove they're watching to avoid fines. In a way, they're protecting my customers.

Just send in a copy of some tax-exempt certificate you've been issued. If you're not tax exempt, I'd try sending a polite but firm letter saying that you're not tax exempt and you've never claimed to be tax exempt, and see what happens.

**R-James** · 09-29-2008, 05:43 AM

I rang them earlier today and the lady on the phone was most helpful, stating that they had gotten the idea I was a not for profit business, and she told me how to change my account so I was no longer flagged. All I have to do now is wait for them to deposit into my bank account and type the numbers in and I'm clear