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Paypal's name is often used in "phishing" (i.e., impersonating a reputable company via email to solicit financial information for nefarious purposes), so here are a few tips and facts from Paypal's Security Tips and Fraud Prevention Page to help protect yourself and your financial information:

Email Security

• Look for a PayPal Greeting: PayPal will never send an email with the greeting "Dear PayPal User" or "Dear PayPal Member." Real PayPal emails will address you by your first and last name or the business name associated with your PayPal account. If you believe you have received a fraudulent email, please forward the entire email—including the header information—to spoof@paypal.com. We investigate every spoof reported. Please note that the automatic response you get from us may not address you by name.
• Don't share personal information via email: We will never ask you to enter your password or financial information in an email or send such information in an email. You should only share information about your account once you have logged in to https://www.paypal.com/.
• Don't download attachments: PayPal will never send you an attachment or software update to install on your computer.

Finally, Paypal's privacy policy includes the following statement about email:

"Any e-mail or other communication requesting your password, asking you to provide sensitive account information via email, or linking to a website with a URL that does not begin with https://www.paypal.com/ should be treated as unauthorized and suspicious and should be reported to PayPal immediately using this form. If you do share your PayPal password with a third party for any reason, including because the third party has promised to provide you additional services such as account aggregation, the third party will have access to your account and your personal information, and you may be responsible for actions taken using your password. If you believe someone else has obtained access to your password, please change it immediately by logging in to your account at www.paypal.com/ and changing your Profile settings."

Use Your Account Wisely

• Don't share your account: Don't use your PayPal account to collect or transfer money for someone else. These types of activity are often conducted as forms of money laundering or mail fraud and may result in significant criminal penalties. If someone contacts you and asks you to transfer money on their behalf, you should deny the request and contact us immediately.
• Increase your security: Become a Verified PayPal member.
• Look for legitimate sites: Examine all privacy and security seals before doing business with a particular website and make sure they are legitimate. PayPal is a licensee of the TRUSTe Privacy Program.

For more information, please visit Paypal's Security Center.

As always, if you have any concerns, questions or suggestions, please contact Sam Huskey, the CAMWS webmaster.