Is using PayPal safe? In this guide, you can learn how secure your PayPal account is and more information regarding the online payments service.
You can also learn some of the best tips to keep your login details secure and make sure your online banking is safe under bank-level security.
Can You Get Scammed with PayPal?
If anyone faces a scam on PayPal, it is often comprising much more than the service. PayPal is safe and secure and used by hundreds of thousands of online businesses.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean there may never be scams or data breaches. Such things can happen anywhere, yet PayPal has many procedures to negate the chances and effects of these. (Read How to Report Fraud On Paypal)
Here are some things to keep an eye out for when using PayPal or when you get to use any payment solution.
Shipping Address
After purchase, and the payment will get deposited to the seller’s PayPal account, a scammer may ask the seller to ship them to an invalid delivery address.
After failed delivery attempts, the shipping company flags the item as undeliverable. A scammer buyer contacts the shipping company with a valid shipping address.
After receiving the item, a scammer complains to PayPal, claiming they didn’t get their item. The seller won’t have proof of delivery, as their transaction only shows the original and invalid address.
How PayPal works in this way is that the PayPal Seller Protection won’t cover any shipments made to addresses, not on file. A seller then loses the item and the payment funds.
Overpayments
Scammers make payments to a seller’s account exceeding the item cost. They contact the seller and explain they have overpaid.
Once the seller reimburses the overpayment, the scammer contacts PayPal saying their account was compromised. PayPal refunds the original payment to the scammer, and the seller won’t get the overpaid amount of money they sent back.
What Are the Disadvantages of Using PayPal?
Like anything, PayPal has advantages and disadvantages.
Pros
Cons
Is It Safer to Use PayPal or Credit Card?
As technologies progress, PayPal and credit cards bring more benefits for customers. PayPal, credit cards, and cryptocurrencies offer many advances and also a risk of security.
There are many ways information can be stolen with security, such as identity theft, html interception, hacking servers, and much more.
Most often, theft results from poor customer practices. PayPal and credit card companies have been around for years, and as they try to eradicate risks, it’s not always possible. PayPal is one of the most advanced payment processors, although each credit card company may have different standards. (Read How To Report An Email Scam)
PayPal is more for online transactions, with online risks and vulnerabilities. Credit cards are more physical and used at the point of sale or manual online transactions.
PayPal is an industry leading payment processor and uses encrypted info and the highest encryption technology level.
Data is stored on off-line servers (cold storage). The company also uses a gateway which allows for payments using email address and password without full disclosure of information
Credit cards are in physical form, and a user possesses a card, including card numbers and authorization data; thus, all needed to commit fraud.
Such cards are more prone to physical theft, scamming, skimming, and presenting vulnerabilities for brick merchants and those online.
Financial services and credit card companies have invested in security technologies and protection to match PayPal and others. Some companies being significantly different than others in their protection and security methods than others.
Is PayPal Safe to Link Bank Account?
If you want to know if your PayPal account is safe to link to your bank account, it is as safe as any other online payment mode you can make.
There is one way how to receive payment via PayPal, which is more secure than relying on your internet connection. If you like tips to find out what the best solution is? You will need to get a VPN, which uses encryption levels that are military grade rather than what banks use.
So, if you are using debit cards, credit cards, or PayPal on public Wi Fi or a mobile device, you know all your financial transactions are as safe as they can be.
It is a good idea for buyers and sellers to stay safe when dealing with money. While PayPal and a debit card or credit card will offer some fraud protection, using a VPN locks down your account with the most secure form of protection there is.
A VPN is so secure, even they only ask for an email address rather than linking a name to an account. In addition, paying for these can be with your PayPal account, credit cards, or even cryptocurrencies, among others.
You will also see there are many tips to keep yourself secure online regarding phishing and scammers. Users, buyers, and sellers need to take some precautions when they use their money.
Banks, PayPal, and VPN’s do as much as they can, so follow what they say, and you can have full protection.
