TL;DR: Fake PayPal texts claim your account is limited, a large payment is pending or a refund is waiting, then send you to a lookalike login page or a fake support number. Don’t click. PayPal says to forward suspicious texts and emails to phishing@paypal.com, block the sender and delete them. Check your account by opening the PayPal app yourself.
What the fake texts look like
They follow a few patterns:
- Account limited: your account is "limited" or "suspended" and you must restore access through a link, usually within hours.
- Payment you didn’t make: a large payment and a phone number to call if it wasn’t you.
- Refund waiting: money is waiting for you if you "claim" it through a link.
There’s also the slower version: a fake invoice that arrives through PayPal itself with a “call us to cancel” number in the notes. Because it’s sent through PayPal’s real invoicing system, it can pass email checks and the links really do go to paypal.com. One example reported in August 2022 carried the subject line "Billing Department of PayPal updated your invoice", claimed $600 had been taken for a Walmart gift card, and listed a phone number. The "support agent" who answered asked the caller to install a remote access tool. We cover this in the PayPal invoice scam.
How big is this?
PayPal is one of the most impersonated brands. McAfee Labs reported in April 2025 that fraudulent PayPal emails rose seven-fold in February 2025 compared with January, with a single campaign sending over 600 emails in one day. The lures it saw included account suspension notices, fake gift card offers, invoices for purchases never made, paid "surveys" and fake billing support. It also noted fake messages using lookalike domains such as paypal-account.me and service-ppal.com. Texts use the same scripts, just shorter.
How to report
From PayPal’s report page:
- Texts: don’t click. Press and hold the message, tap More, then the forward arrow, and send it to phishing@paypal.com. Then block the sender and delete it.
- Emails: don’t click, call or download anything; forward the whole email to phishing@paypal.com, then delete it.
You can also forward texts to 7726 for your mobile carrier.
How to check if there’s really a problem
Close the message. Open the PayPal app or type paypal.com yourself and log in. Any genuine account limitation or payment will be visible in your account. If it’s not there, it didn’t happen.
Red flags
- a deadline (“within 24 hours”);
- a phone number to call about a payment you didn’t make;
- a link that isn’t paypal.com, or a lookalike domain (McAfee’s examples: paypal-account.me, service-ppal.com);
- a request to install an app or "remote support" tool so someone can fix your account;
- any request for your password, a one-time code or card number by text or phone.
If you entered your login
- Change your PayPal password and your email password, in that order if you reuse them (and then stop reusing them: password ideas).
- Turn on two-step verification in PayPal’s security settings.
- Check for unknown payments, linked cards and email addresses.
- Report unauthorised transactions in PayPal’s Resolution Center.
Fake apps are another route in: McAfee found a fake PayPal app on Google Play with 10,000+ downloads in 2026 (details). Install PayPal only from a link on paypal.com.
Where scammers get your number
From breach data and data brokers, mostly. Check whether your email is in known breaches with a free email exposure check. Also see is PayPal safe from scams?
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I report a fake PayPal text?
Forward it to phishing@paypal.com, block the sender and delete it. You can also forward it to 7726.
Does PayPal text about limited accounts?
Check by logging in to the app yourself. Any genuine limitation will show in your account.
I entered my password on a fake PayPal page. What now?
Change your PayPal and email passwords, turn on two-step verification and check for unknown activity.
Can a scam invoice really come from PayPal?
Yes. Scammers use PayPal’s own invoicing tool, so the message can pass email checks. The tell is a phone number to call about a charge. Log in yourself; if the charge isn’t in your account, ignore it.
Is there a PayPal phone number in scam texts?
Scam texts often include fake support numbers. Only use contact details from paypal.com.
Sources
- PayPal: Report suspicious messages
- McAfee Labs: Fake apps campaign on Google Play (Oct 2026)
- McAfee Labs: Stolen with a click, the booming business of PayPal scams (Apr 2025)
- The Tech Outlook: PayPal phishing using 'Billing Department of PayPal' as seller name (Aug 2022)