*Alert* Phishing Scam *Alert*

This is a friendly reminder to be extra vigilant during the holiday season regarding any emails sent including your financial information. With the flurry of money spending, gift shopping, and never ending to-do lists, scammers can use the seasonal chaos to sneak their way into your online wallet. 

Check out this email received a few days ago by a member of our own team. Careful attention to small details made it clear that this is NOT an email from a trusted PayPal representative, but instead an *almost* effective replica of what an authorized transaction record would look like. 

LSDS connected with PayPay to understand the small differences between an authentic email notification and a forged replica. Notes in red are included below for your review.

Notes of interest:

• Notice an official looking email address "service@paypal.com" actually linked to a personal email address. 

• Time discrepancies - recording emails being sent before 'transaction' took place.

• Inconsistant font or letters throughout email i.e. "1" instead of "l".

• PayPal (and many other institutions) will address you by your full name as listed on your account, not by your email address. 

We hope that you'll use this as an example of how to trust your instincts and also how to prepare yourself for an everyday instance where research and understanding of common threats can save you from being victimized!