So my Paypal account was hacked at exactly 10:01am this morning. In the many years that I have been doing online transactions, I’ve gotten used to frauds and hacks but this one from Paypal (Unauthorized Transaction) is the biggest so far.
Just woken up before 10am this morning and was checking the blog when I received an email alert from Paypal (thanks to the GMail pop-up alert plugin). The heading says something like “Password Reset” so I immediately logged into my email and check what it was.
Realizing that someone tried to submit a “Forgot Password” request, I went to Paypal and logged in. After 2 failed attempts, I concluded someone got in and changed my password. But how? First came to mind was one of the email accounts attached to my Paypal account was hacked and used to reset the password.
Knowing that my GMail is still working (and is my primary Paypal account), I hurriedly went and did another password reset. Good thing I had my bank account details ready.
After being able to log back again, I found that funds were transferred to another account (that was fast! it only took him minutes). Unfortunately, it was a sizable amount.
The first thing I did was remove all the other email accounts linked to Paypal so the hacker can’t request another password change. I also changed my passwords and details.
I then filed for Dispute with Paypal. I thought this would be easy and will be resolved in my favor. Besides, I am the one claiming the transaction was un-authorized — the burden is on the recipient to prove otherwise. I had confidence it will be alright and done with.
Around 30 to 45 minutes later, I received an email from Paypal stating the transaction is valid. What? The recipient had a Non-US, Un-verified account. Paypal did not give any details why they decided against the claimant (me) and approved the transaction and closed the dispute.
There was no other way to re-open the case so I tried calling Paypal US but the Web PIN they gave me doesn’t work and I could not get thru.
Still thinking of ways to re-open that dispute. Will update once I get things cleared.
Update: Hacker got back again using password reset. They also changed my primary email so I am locked out now (it looks like they added a new email, [email protected], and then made it primary email then deleted my email accounts). Already send an email to PayPal support, DMed @AskPaypal and tried calling the US number many times to no avail.
Update 2: I believe it was my fault that I did not immediately changed my GMail account. It was the one that was compromised although the password on the email was not changed the first time around that’s why I did not suspect the initial breach to come from there. I have since added the 2-step authentication method which also requires a PIN sent thru my mobile phone via SMS.
I also called my credit card company and asked if there were any charges passed on thru Paypal and glad that there have been none. I alerted them of the possibility though and they suggested I monitor it from time to time.
Update 3: After a few exchanges with @askpaypal over Twitter, a Paypal US rep called me last night over the phone and helped me restore my account. I have since gained back my original Paypal account. The 2 fund transfers made are also now under investigation.
Update 4: I just got an email stating that my claim for un-authorized transfer has been denied due to lack of evidence. I thought that after establishing that my account was hacked, it would have been evidence enough. I’m making an appeal.
Update 5: Both of the un-authorized transfers have now been reversed and everything is back to normal. Thanks to Paypal for the quick response and to all those who extended the help (local PR, agency, fellow tweeps and especially @askpaypal). That’s 32 hours from incident to resolution.
YugaTech.com is the largest and longest-running technology site in the Philippines. Originally established in October 2002, the site was transformed into a full-fledged technology platform in 2005.
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JC says:
oh shit.. that sucks bigtime.. i thought paypal was the safest..
Fleeb says:
@JC, it is not.
I read about PayPal. Most often than not they don’t care. Why? They are not regulated the same way as banks.
gonkyouka says:
Pretty scary..
echu says:
that’s scary…sounds like i have the same setup as you…so i’m interested how your email got accessed….any suspicion how that happened?
iva says:
couple of ellah pardilyo on facebook… have you checked?
benchmark says:
pede bang dalawa yung email address sa paypal? Di ba isa lang pede i-register dun? Nako….I think I have to deactivate my paypal account….teka…I have to na nga….it scares me…perhaps tama bro ko, hackable ang paypal. tsk tsk tsk
randz says:
that sucks.
jun says:
wow.. thats bad.. so maybe it is better if we withdraw our account on paypal.. after we had transaction..
deuts says:
I so thought too Paypal was safe. Had to reconsider using them.
harley mah-son says:
that is scary! i really thought that is is the safest!
i hope things will be okay! all my prayers to you sir yuga!
Logo Design says:
Try calling the US phone number again but when they ask for a web pin or anything else, just hit “0” 7 or more times. Do this 3 times and then they will ask you what you are calling about and put you through to an operator.
Good luck!
alwin says:
uh-oh… good luck abe. be ready for a battle!
Rob says:
Thanks Yuga, This will serve as an eye opener to online selling sites owners that uses paypal as one major ways to recieve payment.
Leah says:
Thanks for this! Shox, I’ve been a Paypal user for around 3 years and even referring this to my friends who are careful to use their credit cards. It’s the (seemingly) safest payment gateway by far. Hope to find an alternative to this one.
MeetJoeBlackPH says:
you can try calling the banks of the accounts that were linked to your paypal account. i think they can still help intercede for you. if you can provide enough details, then a reversal may be in order.
fireball says:
scary. i don’t have a paypal account but i am a constant online banking user and online credit card payment. so far no problems and i hope i won’t have a problem! =)
Bern says:
Unfortunately, It is not paypal fault but your email account.
leah says:
but shouldn’t the authorization process be under the ‘safety’ measures of Paypal? If this case is new to them, there could have a disclaimer for using an email account or atleast a recommendation. which I’m not sure if it’s already in the Terms & Conditions.
sana makitaan ng resolve sa mga detalyeng kasama nito, yuga. The email account registered or Paypal. aja!
Jay Castillo says:
That sucks bigtime Abe, I hope you’ll get your money back somehow.
Anyway, so the root cause was your other e-mail address linked to paypal got hacked right? Was it a yahoo e-mail address?
I’ve been noticing a lot of of friends with yahoo e-mail addresses that send crappy messages, and I suspect all of them have been hacked.
Domar says:
@yuga: same here…yesterday my account was hacked at around 9am in the morning by unauthorized transaction from unknown seller…not that much but it means a lot considering that i’ve worked hard for it…i didnt file a dispute coz i thought its nothing as my paypal was left with no balance since monday morning…but i was shocked around late afternoon that another 3 unknown seller appeared on my account and taken all of my money not in my paypal account but on the bank account that is connected with paypal..that was the time i raised a dispute with the unauthorized transaction….on top of that…i didnt noticed that it was a recurring payment till i checked…right now…im waiting for the results tho one of the cases was solved in favor of me….i hope it will be resolved ..not only me but also for the people who is having the same problem..
qosmio says:
my paypal was also hacked for about P48k,
Trina Santos says:
Something similar happened to me just last Friday. My credit card was charged $100 through PayPal. Good thing I always check my email so I was able to file a dispute on the same day. PayPal refunded the amount the following day.
Num Lock says:
That’s why for any financial matters, I don’t thrust the Internet eeheehehee. I’ll just go the banks and other financial institution personally or I authorized other person to transact personally.
Fleeb says:
When TechTV was still in existence, in one of the segments “Cyber Crime”, PayPal was “featured”. That was nearly a decade ago. Thus, up until now, I do not want to think PayPal is secured. Not really being technically secured, but people might encounter not so favorable dispute resolutions.
Baidu says:
thanks for the info abe. good luck!
UPLB-2008-37*** says:
gamitin niyo na lang kasi ang SMARTMoney Mastercard sa pagbabayad online – pwede lang macharge ang card kapag “ini-unlock” mo yung Internet Transactions sa SMART Menu sa phone mo, so kung mahack man yung details ng card mo, as long as hindi mo naman inaapprove via phone, no charge. Nga lang, may limits ang transactions per day, in terms of amount.
Razielle says:
That sucks :( Hope you get your money back soon.
Red @ Pinoy VIP says:
What the heck hacker! Maybe the best thing to do is not to stage large amount in paypal, transfer agad sa bank. @benchmark; i just heard, it’s possible to create multiple account in paypal, using different emails.
Otep says:
Aw sayang naman… that proves na nde safe sa paypal..weeehh… tuwang tuwa cguro yung hacker..malaki laki nakuha nya cguro…
Sana merong ganito sa paypal
dummy account1 <–dito isesend ang pera..
offcial paypal account <— dito ifoforward ni dummy account yung pera.. tapos yung nasa dummy account..buburahin nya after ma send ang pera para nde ma trace…
Phil Soriano says:
Very disappointed with PayPal’s very low security! Reading this from a person with high credibility makes me wonder if it’s still safe using PayPal for business purposes… tsk tsk tsk
otep says:
I agree. +100
Mike says:
I don’t use paypal because they suck. They are one of the worst customer service companies in the world. Just look up paypal in any non-pay-for/advertising objective consumer metric agency. They consistently get among the worst ratings. I don’t understand why so many people keep using them, but by the same token, I don’t really understand why so many people pay to use so many companies that actually work against them. Maybe people are just dumb? Who knows.
Given the amount of hacks reported here alone, I think its clear that there is probably a serious security issue with Paypal Singapore (all of SE Asia is run through a single office in Singapore, so calling the US office is a waste of time). In the past, Paypal ignores these problems till there is a significant media backlash. Part of the advantage when you have a lousy service that stupid people keep using no matter how bad it is, is that you can ignore everyone. and that is what paypal does.
I would suggest you use your media contacts to try and get all these reported hacks here raised by local news. Then have them also talk about Google’s new wallet service in the same story. That should get Paypal to do something. If you’re lucky Chanel News Asia, Xinhua and Al Jezzera might pick up on it.
Lucien Tiojanco says:
This is exactly why I don’t recommend using any Google service as the primary or “official” e-mail for any money related account. Google, even Android, is too insecure. I’m glad my Hotmail has never been hacked, because my Gmail, which I used to use for Facebook and Twitter, has been hacked a few times already.
kolokoy says:
very true! my girl friend gmail account was hacked many times.
kolokoy says:
paypal is actually safe, the problem is how the intruder hack the gmail account.
” if the hacker know your secret answer, he will change the the password anytime. “
Fleeb says:
The issue is with PayPal is always about the dispute resolution and Gmail accounts are besides the point. Regardless of the e-mail provider, it is bound to be gotten around by smart social engineers. That was what Kevin Mitnick was known for – not because he exploited a very insecure system but because he took advantage of the user. Social engineering – look it up.
An example: a buyer paid with a fake CC which PayPal “verified”. Later on it was confirmed that the CC is fake and the seller lost his 52″ TV for nothing. Of course the seller wants his money back. PayPal painted it as the fault of the seller whereas they are the one who made the “verification”. In spite of that (they screwed up with the verification), PayPal do not want to accept they made a mistake and do not want to honor what the seller lost.
That is just one of the many horror stories I read about PayPal.
kolokoy says:
true, I agree paypal customer service sucks, email is not the main issue but the problem started on hacked email account. why gmail prone to hacking… etc etc
merriam says:
>Yahoo is hacked the easiest based on my experience.
ANyway, what I suggest is use a prepaid credit card like the one from PSBank in your Paypal. :) Safe! Just “deposit” a small amount like 5k for regular use, then for larger purchases, just make a special trip to deposit the money. Safe.
Andre says:
call paypal asap, the web pin works, if not you can get through their system. Its the fastest way
Ian says:
Google Checkout ang pinakasafe sa lahat. =)
chardsnet says:
I used paypal dispute system before when I paid a merchant and haven’t received the service. After paypal investigation, they favored my case for the reason of “Non-receipt”. Here is what I received from paypal as resolution of my case:
“We have concluded our investigation into your case and have decided in your
favor.
We were able to recover $10.00 USD and this amount has been credited to
you. Please allow five business days for this adjustment to be posted.
If you are due any additional funds, we will make our best effort to
recover the balance from the seller.
If the seller’s account has insufficient funds to complete the refund owed
to you, please be assured that we will take appropriate action against the
seller’s account, which may include limitation of the seller’s account
privileges.”
Otep says:
Mas maganda nde free email ang ginamit mo sa paypal… a tip i got from ajvilloria Thumbs up!
Dhadha says:
This is really SCARY! :(
paulee says:
Sorry about that sir yuga. I’ve worked in a bank in US. I’ve dealt issues with unauthorized transactions and if Paypal is not willing to help, last resort would be calling the bank to dispute it. hope you’ll get your money back.
Steve Jobs says:
I used my domain name email for all financial transactions online. s****@****.***
I don’t trust Free mail service.
Niel says:
I also encountered same case. Kaya d na ako gumagamit ng PayPal. Buti na lang na reverse yung charges sa Credit Card ko.
Ram says:
I also have an ongoing case with PayPal and a “scammer”. This has been ongoing for almost a month now. So, the issue is my so-called client ordered two gadgets from me worth around Php28k (overall). I thought everything went smooth until a week later, the scammer disputed the money she sent to me telling Paypal that she didn’t receive the gadgets.
I know this will be taking more than a month since I have no communcation (not at all) with the scammer; she changed her mobile number.
You might all think that everything will be resolved asap after (me) sending the receipts, proof of purchase, etc. But NO! Paypal has really been unfair to the sellers since they’re more in favor with the buyers. So techinally, Paypal is “safe” IF you’re a buyer. Moreover, I still have to wait a little longer since Paypal has been responding really slow. But if it’ll come a point that I’ll be impatient anymore (which will really come very soon), then I’ll be calling them straight to the US.
But that doesn’t stop there. I’ll be coordinating with my uncle who works in the NBI to track on that scammer. I’m not sure if this is her right address, but I/we already have “something” to start witht he investigation.
And when it’ll be resolved (hopefully), I’ll be spreading the news that FIRST this girl is a scammer and second, Paypal simply sucks bigtime.
Dexter | Techathand says:
It also happens to me, and the problem is that i always fail to win the case. I had more than 5 disputes..
Ram says:
Did you contact your credit card holder?
Did you report it to any legal authorities?
What made you lose the cases?
Thanks.
Dexter | Techathand says:
No.. Actually I am seller of e-load at that time, and there is no way to prove aside from e-mail exchange about our transaction.. here is my story : http://techathand.net/a-bad-experience-in-accepting-payment-with-paypal-unverified-buyers-resulting-to-paypal-chargebacks/
e30ernest says:
Check your system. You might have a keylogger somewhere there. What OS are you running?
e30ernest says:
Also, I would consider calling your credit card company just in case whoever stole your account decides to send funds using your credit card.
James says:
Kung Gmail ang gamit mo for Paypal, you should have had the 2 step verification which is available sa Gmail accounts. That way hindi basta basta mapapasok ang Email account mo without the use of your personal mobile phone kasi basing from what I have read I think yung Email ang at fault. kung hindi siya napasok hindi marerest yung password.
Gmail 2 Step verification – googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/advanced-sign-in-security-for-your.html
James says:
not even a keylogger can get in easily kasi kelangan pa ng one time verification key (which would be sent on your phone through sms) everytime na may maglologin from somewhere other than your system. (well unless hawak din ng hacker yung mobile phone mo then that’s another story)…
e30ernest says:
If you have a keylogger, you don’t need to login to his GMail account. All you have to do is sniff out the details he typed in when he logged into Paypal.
James says:
Read and analyze bro… basahin mo ulit yung post ni yuga… Password reset ang nangyari which means walang access sa paypal sa account niya, only in his Gmail account.
Now if the 2 step verification was in place, kahit alam nung keylogger kung ano yung password and even the Verfication pin na nadetect nung keylogger at that time, hindi pa din makakapasok yung hacker sa account since one time use lang yung verification pin and would only be sent dun sa mobile phone ng owner.
A new login on a PC or Mac or Mobile Phone or wherever would mean a new verification pin (if cookies aren’t saved which is prompted before logging in).
So ma-sniff man ng keylogger yung keys na tinype sa Gmail account which includes the Pin hindi pa din magiging effective since nagamit na yung verification pin na nasniff. A new one would be requested once another login is prompted.
Again… hindi Paypal account ang nahack, its Gmail basing on the situation written above since Password Reset ang nangyari.
Mag-papassword reset ka pa ba kung alam mo na pala yung login details sa Paypal?
nameless says:
Uh. The hacker is a seasoned hacker i think.. She knows what to do. From my first thought, she might have done this a lot of times already.
ekek says:
a lot of emails are already compromised. people just dont know it. I’ve been hacked twice on 2 different emails. Im geeky programmer and always careful sa links and virus, pero na hack pa rin.
you just have to reset/change password once in a while.
kebbot says:
well i guess the safest for me is to have smart money, use this with your paypal account, before you purchase anything you need to unlock smartmoney and after purchase you need to unlock it again but it will automatically lock after 5 min, i think this is safest way to buy online,and you will know if there is activity on your smartmoney because it sends text message after your transaction.
say says:
tsk. this is scary. I’ve been a Paypal user for the past couple of years. And to think na yung pinaghihirapan ko e mapupunta lang sa “napakagaling” na hacker. Makes me want to withdraw my money.
Goodluck sir abe!
Dexter | Techathand says:
Than was bad.. Well what happen to me is another Paypal sad story, which i blog recently.. ( http://techathand.net/a-bad-experience-in-accepting-payment-with-paypal-unverified-buyers-resulting-to-paypal-chargebacks/ ) lesson learned, don’t stock too much money in paypal.
NemOry says:
I think sya yung sa FRIENDSTER na nakita ko…so what if sya ba yun sir??
Vignet says:
Tambangan na natin! Lahat tayo nagtratrabaho dito tapos sila nagnanakaw lang? Mahirap kaya magtrabaho. Parang nagpupuyat ka gumawa ng iOS app tapos bigla mo na lang makikita dinidistribute sa motionbirdmedia.com at iba yung kumikita. Dapat yung mga ganyang tao nilulumpo.
nameless says:
Oo! mga sira ulo mga yan. nakukuha na nga nila for free, pagkakakitaan pa nila.
hubes says:
can you just cancel the credit card linked to your paypal account?
RaGe says:
ayan nalito nanaman ako kung smart money ba o UnionBank EON kasi sa Smart ang tagal iprocess yung card ko mag -1month na yun di pa rin tapos
bigla ako nagalala sa pagapply ng ganito kung securty wise madaling.macompromise
Watcher says:
dami kasing gadget(smartphone or laptop) ni sir Abe…baka naibigay mo, napa raffle mo or nabenta mo yung ibang gadget mo na hindi mo na reformat( or na delete) yung important data… Always login nalang sa isang secured pc…
lulu says:
that’s one reason why I can’t just sell my defective smartphone, I won’t be sure about the data inside. ingat po tayo when sending away gadgets sa repairshop/pawnshops esp for gadgets that can connect to the Internet (iPhone/iPods/laptop etc) coz it might still have password traces. better send them to authorized repair centers
/sorry medyo OT.
JKisaragi says:
This is scary.
Any ideas how they were able to hack your PayPal and email add that fast?
Neil Adona says:
this happened to me 2 years ago when a guy from India admitted of hacking my skype account which is linked to my paypal account so he bought skype credits and my credit card was charged. after filing a dispute to paypal and skype, they returned the debit amount on that same day. no explanation from paypal nor skype but they only said that my password and primary email was changed. i contacted the email address of the culprit and after a month he replied to me and advised me to make my password difficult to hack like putting special characters like commas and the like.
jineveeholic says:
If you won’t mind Mr. Yuga, how much did he get from that money transfer?
Dan MD says:
WTF?! And to think my wife and I discussing on enrolling for a PayPal account so that it would be easier to pay bills, buy stuff online…
No Paypal enrollment for the mean time.
Question is HOW DID THEY DO THAT? I though PayPal was made to be more secure than just entering your credit card info…
poche says:
yuga’s paypal account details was already changed including the email therefore he is already locked out. the only way is to contact paypal because the one that answers the email are auto email responses.
i forgot the contact details of paypal asia manager i contacted him before because of a pp problem.
take note that paypal is not a bank/financial institution and is not bounded by intl laws and also in the terms of agreement that your money also belongs to paypal. kinda like the virtual currencies on mmorpg online games.
mixxy says:
I also suffered from paypal’s poor security and even suspect paypal is conniving with these hackers, i closed my us paypal account because of this. it’s futile to make any disputes because they don’t want to help you. i hope you were able to remove any links to your credit card or bank accounts.
nerbie says:
I’m just wondering how the hacker change the primary email or how she added her email ? Usually when an email was added there should be verification email sent to the main email. So unless she also hacked into yuga’s gmail then that should be her way to change email.
I’m also thinking when yuga got his paypal back how come the hacker got back yuga’s account in a short period of time? Change password of paypal account is done thru the main email in which the way I understood it yuga’s gmail wasn’t hacked.
4merEBAYemployee says:
i worked for ebay/paypal years ago and marami talaga kaming natatanngap na ganyang reklamo sa mga US paypal users.. canned response ang sinasagot namin sa kanila and and what’s shocking is, sinabi sa amin mismo ng mga american trainers namin na walang pakialam ang paypal kung may mawalan man ng pera.. sinasabi lang sa canned response na magiimbestiga ang paypal pero ang totoo, hindi.. maghihintay ka lang sa wala hanggang sa mag-close ang paypal dispute..
minsan pa nga, chinacharge nila yung mga paypal users paunti-unti para hindi mahalata.. sa ganyang paraan lang kasi sila nagkakaroon ng profit e.. kaya nagresign ako kasi hindi ko talaga gusto yung ginagawa ng paypal..
maraming scam sa paypal.. minsan sila din mismo ang may gawa.. kaya ingat na lang kayo lalo na dun sa mga nagpapadala ng password change email.. dont click the link.. dun kayo mismo sa paypal website magpalit ng password..
formerpaypal says:
hindi totoo yan sinasabi mo na walang ginagawa ang paypal north america. maraming klaseng fraud kami narerecieve at inaayos ng Pilipino lahat yan or pag masyado na sensitive ang case, ipapasa na dun sa mga amerikano sa nebraska. pag may threat na nadetect malolock agad ang account kaso medyo magaling yung naghack kay sir yuga
wala talaga pakialam ang ebay sa paypal kasi kahit nabili na ang paypal noon, separate parin kaming magfunction. di na mareresolve easily ang case if nawithdraw na sa bangko ang pera. may credit collecting agency na maghahabol sa pera if proven na fraudulent ang transaction
ppemployee says:
u don’t knw what ur talking whoever u r, u worked with eBay b4 not through pp, and excuse me ur statements were definitely biased, u myt have been terminated that’s y ur bitter, hehe, pp has a secured site, its just that we cant avoid this kind of issue in our current technology, even the toughest security system can be hacked, no perfect system in this world my dear, not even u r perfect,
Pinoy Persuasion says:
I haven’t worked for any financial institution but I think common sense dictates that a well-established online payment entity like PayPal will be that lax and uncaring when it comes to their fraud and security resolutions. I am shocked at what you are saying because online companies offering sensitive financial exchanges will value their integrity because that is the very foundation of their business. Without it, they can’t get customers to trust them. I have a PayPal account and I am very pleased on the way they safeguard my account. They are very proactive in dealing with questionable transactions. Many times they have emailed me when they detect something suspicious and I appreciate that.
Pinoy Persuasion says:
Sorry, what I meant was “common sense dictates that a well-established online payment entity like PayPal will NOT be that lax and uncaring when it comes to their fraud and security resolutions.”
lulu says:
that’s sad. last time I became aware of Paypal scams is when it took a lot longer for my merchant to verify my payment which was funded by my PP balance. I was so scared one of those who purchased from me disputed since her item has not arrived yet after some weeks (shipping from PH to US). glad it didn’t turn that way but I became more aware that anyone could just demand a chargeback/send dispute against a seller and I read that PP almost always favors the buyer. so I’m surprised by this story.
well, this update would strengthen your claim that your PP is now hacked therefore unauthorized. PP could study the IP log of your transactions. next thing would be to cancel all CC/banks attached to your PP.
lulu says:
just fyi (in case it might help) I only attach a SmartMoney account to my PP. no credit cards, no bank account which could get ‘drained’ in case it gets hacked. this way I could monitor flows thru my phone. I also don’t withdraw the money in my PP account (lugi sa conversion at bank charges e). I transfer it to my other account which later I would just use to purchase online. luckily, I don’t depend too much on PP nor do I let large amounts sit on an account. I use my balance as soon as possible sa business din. it is certainly not safe.
Hubes says:
How did you do this sir yuga?
***I have since added the 2-step authentication method which also requires a PIN sent thru my mobile phone via SMS.
daniel says:
how come? di na uso hacking ngaun ng account ha? baka isa yang account mo dun sa na-compromise ng mga hackers sa China na nireport ng google? dba may news dyan?
Gabz says:
My paypal account was hacked too a few months ago. It was my gmail account that was compromised first – after gaining access to it that’s the only time I found out about my paypal password getting reset. I was lucky though because at the time, my paypal fund was only $0.50 however the hacker still transferred it to another paypal account. How desperate!
I reported it to paypal and fortunately they verified that the transaction was unauthorized. And they sent my $0.50 back!
Jesse says:
This is scary. I use paypal all the time for all online transactions. If changing passwords cant help, what else can be done to prevent such fraud??
Watcher says:
Sir Abe, baka yung password mo sa gmail 8 digit lang… gawin mo kayang minimum 16 digit… pati narin yung sa paypal… Mag LR nalang kaya tayo…
Fleeb says:
Mahina kapag digits lang yung gagamitin as password. Dapat tipong 20+ unicode characters.
Tipzee says:
Sir yuga, have you verified that it was paypal who sent you the “Password Reset” email? Because I think the header for a password reset request is “How to reset your PayPal password”.
I don’t know, but I think you’ve been a victim of phishing scams, you might have logged in directly to a link provided in that email.
mikey says:
ofc your bank won’t be charged, it takes about 5 days til you see it in your bank statement. also, i’ve filed a lot of disputes (bc of scammers not hackers) and paypal was always quick and reasonable. just my 2c.
chris says:
@yugatech if you have yahoo mail, have you tried to logged your account this past days? I think it was also compromise,, i can’t log to my account even if i’m using the correct username and password
Kenneth says:
We really have to be very careful when surfing the net. But even if we are, if there are weakness in the websites we visit, our accounts can still be compromised. The one who hacked Sir Abe’s account is really good since he was able to get in, not once but twice even after Abe has reset all his passwords and deleted the other email accounts he linked to his Paypal account. Sometimes you’d wonder if there isn’t an inside job angle on this.
Anyway, I hope Sir Abe’s dispute eventually resolves in his favor.
It’s understandable now why websites like the ff exists:
http://www.paypalsucks.com/
http://www.paypalwarning.com/
and others … (though we are not if some of these sites are really honest or are just pushing for their own alternative payment sites)
vince says:
That is why I use smart money instead of a debit card. And I always keep my paypal balance at zero (I only use it to but online anyway). With a debit card, the hacker can only get as much money as is loaded in the DC. Smart money has 2 extra layers of protection. Internet transactions are normally locked and you have to unlock the card before each transaction and it is auto-locked after each transaction or after a period of inactivity. Second, you recieve a text after each transaction so you immediately know when something is wrong.
vince says:
Will I still use paypal? Yes. WHY?
1. its more convenient 2. some sites like some ebay sellers only accept paypal 3. even if its hacked, they can get nothing from my debit card and I can just get a new paypal account 4. Instead of my Debit card number being vulnerable everytime I buy from the net, I let papyal take the risk.
I only used my debit card without paypal online once a few months ago when I had some problems adding it to paypal and a couple of months later I suddenly get texts about three failed attempts to charge it. If it were not for the auto-lock feature, I would have lost money
gouki says:
it could have been the chinese! lol
Aris says:
Hi,
Good day. I work for Prepaid Debit Mastercards and Visas here in Baguio City (our main office is in California) and I strongly agree that there are a lot of unauthorized transactions done through PayPal and I also agree that PP works on “disputes”, contrary to what was mentioned earlier. We also have our own dispute process, and if in cases like the transaction dispute was “not granted” by PP, our company will file a dispute for the cardholder to get his/her money back in the account (e.g through chargeback, courtesy credits and the like).
GensanBoy says:
Thanks for this info sir Yuga. . This is the reason why the credit card that I attached to my Paypal has the minimum credit limit. I did not attach my other CC with a huge credit limit. I hope all will be resolve in your case. Good Luck.
harley mah-son says:
changed my password for all my accounts especially paypal! made it stronger, deleted some other credit cards attached and stuff like that! whew!
sana sir yuga maibabalik yan!
Steve Jobs says:
Baka iniisip ni Paypal na you hacked your own account then disputed it.
For example you have Php30,000 balance in your paypal then you hacked it then transfered to different Paypal you own and widraw or spend the money. Then file a dispute for unauthorized fund transfer. Dahil pag check ni Paypal na wala ng balance ang hacker paypal account hindi talaga nya ibabalik Php30,000 mo kasi malulugi sila.
If example you hack your own paypal account. Your Php30,000 will become Php60,000 if paypal return your funds.
Its very easy to create and verify paypal account nowadays. You can verify your Paypal using VCC or Virtual Credit Card.
Hindi ko sinasabi na Sir Yuga hacked his own Paypal Account. I’m just giving a scenario.
Steve Jobs says:
You withdraw or spend the Php30,000 you hacked in your own Paypal. Then Paypal return your Php30,000 funds after you file a dispute for un-authorized fund transfer.
Easy money. Magandang pagkakitaan yan kung ganun kadali magbalik ng funds si Paypal.
Steve Jobs says:
Scenario:
PayPal Account 1: Balance Php30,000
PayPal Account 2: Balance Php0.00
Ask your kasabwat from different country or places to log-in in your Paypal account 1 and Transfer the balance to PayPal Account 2 then change the password and e-mail of PayPal Account 2 para magmukhang na hacked nga.
Then you asked your kasabwat to Withdraw or Spend the PayPal Account 2.
After the PayPal Account 2 was emptied. Then you email or call PayPal that your account is hacked and you want your Php30,000 balance back.
PayPal check the PayPal Account 2, they found out that it was Php0.00 balance already because your kasabwat spend it already.
PayPal will reply you back that they will not favor you to return your Php30,000. Kasi naman bakit sila magbabalik ng Php30,000 galing sa bulsa nila.
If ganun kadali si PayPal mag returns ng funds. Then its an easy money.
Of course you cannot hacked your PayPal Account using same IP address and same computer because PayPal will find it out. Kaya dapat may kasabwat ka from other country or area.
Pepito says:
@Abe congratulations. Pinahanga mo kami sa calm resolve mo. Even if you failed several times you kept your cool.
Pero thanks for the heads up. I thought this only happens to file server accounts LOL.
Jun says:
still this is scarry.. i think they consider your appeal coz they find out that your a famous blogger and it will have greater impact on users here and abroad.. so for all paypal user.. dont let a big amount of money to your paypal account.. always withdraw your money and left a little.. just a precautionary measure..
deuts says:
Great that resolved ultimately. But you are a big influence in the Phil. Tech industry. What if the same thing happens to us lowly souls?
nearnine says:
@Jun yeah that’s what I think too, but I hope that’s not the case.
Congrats for getting your account and funds back.
noemi says:
so relieved you got your account and money back. I even tweeted @askpaypal to make sure they worked on it.
Solid Hosting says:
This happened to me last May 10. I was surprised when I saw 4 payments that were made which I didn’t authorize. The amount involved is very big and I immediately called PayPal to report. Here are some emails that I found during the hacking incident.
yahseen****@****.***
online****@****.***
net.progr****@****.***
fuz****@****.***
moneymaki****@****.***
Here’s a tip. If you’re linking your bank account in your PayPal account. Make sure you’re the only one who knows the full account number. This is maybe how Yuga got hacked because your account numbers are visible on your website.
Solid Hosting says:
It’s good thing they have @AskPayPal! Mas mabilis ang response compared to filing a dispute sa account mo.
Anthony says:
Probably Paypal realizes that they are messing with the wrong guy! the biggest tech blogger in the Philippines :)
Solid Hosting says:
Here’s a blog regarding this hacker.
http://victimsofervinabellanosa.blogspot.com/
The gay is from Cebu!
Jes says:
tama. eto nga yung gumawa nito. I am quite sure kasi I was scammed by him recently. If na scam din kayo, pwede tayo magtulungan para mahuli itong baklang ito. Ervin Abellanosa name. Text me if want niyo makipagtulungan para mahuli ito.. 0905-3277166
ronsterrr says:
Sir Abe, after the dust settles down on this and after you find out how exactly the hacker got your account, maybe you could provide us some tips on how we can really secure our online accounts.
For starters, I’m already done with the 2 step verification with Google, any thing else we should look into? :)
thanks in advance :)
ekek says:
shouldnt you report this to the authorities? or nbi?
jeprokz says:
i think someone watching you here….ive checked your contact details. is your email and paypal account is the same?
liza says:
So I changed my password now in Paypal and checked other security settings. I think Paypal should add more security feature when sending funds. Like in EON, a transaction password which is different from the password should be entered before a transfer pass thru.
Glad to know that it has been resolved.
Jes says:
tama. . I am quite sure na si Ervin Abellanosa and gumawa niyo kasi I was scammed by him recently. If na scam din kayo, pwede tayo magtulungan para mahuli itong baklang ito. Ervin Abellanosa name. Text me if want niyo makipagtulungan para mahuli ito.. 0905-3277166
Aimee says:
I also got hacked two days ago. Someone used my paypal account to subscribe to a monthly service. Its $59 a month. I am not usually checking my paypal but good thing I had to check yesterday to transfer money to my bank and I found out the subscription I am paying which I didn’t know. Right away I sent a dispute to paypal and also emailed the company where I said I was subscribing. I cancelled my subscription right away and still waiting If I could get a refund.
Regina Anne Dimaano says:
How can I dispute? I am having the same problem like you now Sir Yuga. My paypal account was hacked too. Just now. I need help please.