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  • I got owned :(

    So my Paypal account got broken into the other day (I suspect that "Widgi" crapware had something to do with it). Five "You have purchased a shipping label" emails when I got home. Apparently I sent women's clothes, T-shirts, a used laptop, and something called a "heat floor" to Russia. Paypal doesn't let you dispute payments sent to USPS, or at least doesn't make it easy. The only thing they would let me do is void the labels; I did so but one still entered the USPS system 12+ hours AFTER I 'requested' a void. I also printed off the transaction detail pages just in case they 'go away'.

    One charge drained my PP balance, the next two hit a linked bank account (luckily not my main account and I don't keep much in there; I was able to get ahold of someone in the ACH department just as the transactions arrived to be processed). They're going to send me paperwork, let the charges go through (I will receive an initial credit for the overdraft fee) and then they will go to Paypal with the paperwork. As soon as I mentioned Paypal, the rep said that I would have more leverage if the charges were allowed to clear and I submitted the signed fraud affadavits; he told me that a lot of people simply stop payment (which would be interpreted by Paypal as I did authorize the charge but didn't want to pay it this month and to keep trying).

    Three of the charges tried to hit a credit card; the card company actually called me while I was looking at the transaction details. Those were frozen and I got a new card (I am keeping a close eye on that account to see if they pop up again). I also filed a complaint with the postal inspectors for all the generated shipping labels; someone suggested filing police/IC3 reports as well.

    At this point I could care less if Paypal smacks me for going over their heads; they need to stop trying to police everything. From their own forums I wasn't the only one who got stung by this scam. Of course I changed my passwords for all accounts involved.
    "I am quite confident that I do exist."
    "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

  • #2
    Toolbars are evil. Widgi is some pretty nasty spyware, too, as it likes to re-install after removal.

    Hopefully, you've got it fully cleansed from your system.

    ^-.-^
    Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

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    • #3
      As far as I can tell, it's history; I had to do quite a bit of registry hackery to get rid of the thing. Still trying to figure out how I got it though...the interesting part is that by all reports it's a toolbar yet there were/are none anywhere on my computer.

      One of the 'international' shipping labels (that I voided) is making its way westward; it was shipped from Florida and at last check is in Alabama. The integrated Paypal tracking system 'helpfully' gave me the option of email notification when it was delivered and I did it on one of my throwaway accounts. If that turns up it should be interesting...
      Last edited by Dreamstalker; 06-14-2012, 07:55 PM.
      "I am quite confident that I do exist."
      "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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      • #4
        There really needs to be some law requiring Paypal to behave as credit card companies do.
        Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.

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        • #5
          I'll also point out My Web Search is serious spyware, and can let other things into your system. It comes with a lot of "free" downloads, and I've been seeing it on a lot more computers recently.

          It sounds like you've got things in order, Dreamstalker. Sorry it happened to you, but glad it got nipped in the bud fairly early, and you have good folks helping you sort things out.
          The Rich keep getting richer because they keep doing what it was that made them rich. Ditto the Poor.
          "Hy kan tell dey is schmot qvestions, dey is makink my head hurt."
          Hoc spatio locantur.

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          • #6
            I think it came in piggybacked on a Youtube downloader that I installed when they began blocking mediaconverter...the odd thing is that there were no traces of toolbars or other browser helper objects (and the installation made zero mention of bundled toolbars, I'm pretty diligent about that stuff).

            Paypal makes the same claims as ebay when it comes to why they're exempt from various laws and regulations; they're 'just a venue/payment processor' Paypal handles financial transactions, so should be regulated as a bank. I do know that they don't argue with decisions made by credit cards or banks (at least when it comes to buyer complaints, we'll see what they do with this). I'm not that optimistic about the small amount of money that was actually in my Paypal account, but for me the important thing is that I shouldn't be out any more than that. Sure wish I could figure out the IP address that those label purchases came from though... Funny thing was I was planning to purchase their security key dongle when my account was drained.
            "I am quite confident that I do exist."
            "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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            • #7
              This suddenly makes me very grateful that I never keep a running balance in my Paypal account. Every time I'm paid, I withdraw it immediately to my bank account, at least in part because if I have a balance in Paypal, then they won't let me use our linked credit card for purchases first. I like using our credit card to pay for things because it earns us points with Amazon. So no running balance.

              And you've reminded me to run Spybot again, just to see if anything's managed to slip past Windows 7's security*, my antivirus, and my own dilligent scanning of any installs I do.


              * I know, I know. "What security?" I at least like the part where it double-checks with me everytime something wants to install, whether I initiated it or not.
              "Enough expository banter. It's time we fight like men. And ladies. And ladies who dress like men. For Gilgamesh...IT'S MORPHING TIME!"
              - Gilgamesh, Final Fantasy V

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              • #8
                Windows 7 bundled security is probably better than Vista's (yes, I still have a laptop running it, don't have the spare cash to get another copy of 7).

                OK, I'm now seriously ready to hurt someone at Paypal. They denied all of my 'requests' to void the shipping labels, they all entered the USPS system at least a full day AFTER I voided them. I also have not gotten a response to the one transaction I was able to report as fraudulent (the one that hit my PP directly).
                "I am quite confident that I do exist."
                "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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                • #9
                  Do they at least bother with a reason why they denied your voids?
                  Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.

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                  • #10
                    Nothing past "the shipping label has already entered the system". Typical non-explanation.
                    "I am quite confident that I do exist."
                    "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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