Exactly as Annette has previously said, I had an email appearing to be from PayPal, asking for a money request for a bitcoin purchase for $899 . The email looked so genuine, even the email address it was sent from led me to do the dumb thing and phone the number in the email. (03) 9013 7501) it wasn’t until they rang me back, and I googled the phone number and read Annette’s post that I realised they were scammers. I have had to delete my PayPal account and will have to have to set up a new account with a new email.

Caller: Smishing / Phishing scammer

RE: Paypal “Money Request”; under the guise of bogus ‘bitcoin purchase’.

Summary:
1. Two step scam: Phishing ‘PayPal money request’ followed by Smishing SMS from the scammer
• 1st: Scam via my PayPal account (using my privacy breach leaked email)
• 2nd: SMS smishing txt from scammer

Scammer info:
1. Landline offered (by scammer): (03) 9013 7501 (i.e. phishing) - note: DON’T call this number, you will be speaking with the scammers!!
[Seller ‘fake’ info on PayPal shows as: name=Yvonne Head, email=kevbrere @ optunet.com.au
Note: this info is fake, don’t both trying to email them. You could be disclosing information they need, assuming it doesn’t bounce back]

2. SMS mobile (by scammer): 0485 872 975, this SMS following the ‘money request’, on the same day (i.e. smishing) - note: DON’T reply or click on any hyperlink!!

My action:
1. Email from PayPal alerting me to the ‘money request’ was legitimate. I logged into my PayPal account and ‘reported/declined’ the visible money request from a scammer.
2. Reported phone numbers to ACMA txt reporting
3. Added both landline (per PayPal “Seller notes”) and mobile (smishing txt w/ hyperlink) here @ Reverse Australia
4. SMS; clicked on ‘report message’ offered via iOS ‘iMessage’
5. Time to create a ‘PayPal’ only email address used exclusively for PayPal purchases, since my multiple personal email(s) are compromised by corporate company privacy breach. These private email addresses will now be forever targeted by scammers!!