"Paypal suddenly needs more info on me" Topic

Anyone else receiving this request for photo ID, proof of address and SSN verification?

I did hear on another forum (CSW ?) that someone else had this. They checked up with paypal and it was legitimate, but I can't remember what the reason was.

You definitely need to call them up and verify what and why they want it before you do send anything, but it could be genuine !

Asking for your SSN should be a red flag. I've been with Paypal for many years and I've never had to give them my social security number (or photo ID.)

If its real, you can go to the PayPal site yourself. Never click any shortcut that is sent to you by email that is supposed to be from PayPal.

Also PayPal always address you by your correct name as entered into your account. They do not send you links to click.

I have never given them my SSN.
I also got this email recently.

Anyone else receiving this request for photo ID, proof of address and SSN verification?

Sounds very fishy to me.
How can PayPal possibly verify that any such information provided is correct?

It does indeed sound phishy. Forward it to PayPal's spoof email inbox.

Doug

It's a fraud, go to PayPal and get a phone number and call them to verify your account wasn't hacked.

Paypal has no need of your SSN, nor a photo ID, nor any more proof of your address than you don't complain that you get what you paid for. They don't have that info to be able to verify it against anything to begin with.

I got one the other day saying my account was being put on hold . Click link to give info and get it resolved . SCAM

Red Flag! Red Flag! Red Flag! It is a scam!

Was the email addressed to you specifically, or to "Dear Paypal User"? The latter is a strong indicator of fraud, especially in combination with a request for specific information. If banks and credit organizations need specific info, they send a specific email. It will have *your* name on it, and not be blind copied to your email's chunk of the dictionary.

Sorry. I should have been clearer. I did not received an email. I went to add funds to my account. I signed into my account, and it said I couldn't add funds until I provided them with all that info. I've used Paypal for about 10 years now, so why the sudden need for picture ID/Address and especially SSN?

Either the bank you link to PayPal is suspicious or you somehow passed some activity or balance threshold that requires reporting to the IRS. They shut down the interest bearing option a couple years back, so that shouldn't be it. Worth a call, I think.

Are you moving a lot of money through the account? Now that paypal reports to the IRS if you have more than 200 transactions per year or move more than $20 USDk they may want to verify their reporting info.

What is the Paypal customer service number, anyway?

It's a scam. Don't ever respond to an email like this for info.

Requiring your SSN number would immediately debar much of the world from being PayPal customers, as I gather the SSN is a specifically American term. Certainly here in New Zealand we don't have any equivalent national.

Requiring your SSN number would immediately debar much of the world from being PayPal customers

Nonsense. A US financial institution required by the US Government to provide tax-relevant information related to a US citizen has no bearing on non-US customers.

Never, ever give out your SSN. Especially on the internet. Banks aren't even allowed to ask for it anymore, so why do you think PayPal needs it?????

I can tell you why, you've reached that magic number that requires reporting all funds transferred to you to the IRS for tax reasons.

I received prior notification of this from Ebay, logged into paypal forked over the SSN and even had a call from Paypal to verify it.

The IRS form will be the gross amount you receive so there will be nothing taken out like paypal fees or returns/refunds.

Welcome to our new personal hell.

First, make sure you're at the REAL paypal site (https:// .. if there's no S it's not secure and it's not paypal) when doing anything. Never click on a link in an email either.

Otherwise, apparently they do believe they need it according to what the IRS is telling them (For US Citizens only of course);

link

"What is Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 6050W?

Under the new legislation, we'll report to the IRS the total payment volume received by US account holders whose payments exceed both of these levels in a calendar year:
$20,000 USD USD in gross payment volume from sales of goods or services in a single year
200 payments for goods or services in the same year

The IRS changes apply to all payment processors, including PayPal and include all sales that occur on or after January 1, 2011. Our goal is to help PayPal sellers understand and comply with the new requirements.

Before your payment volume exceeds the reporting thresholds, you'll be asked to add your tax ID number, such as a Social Security Number (SSN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN), to your existing account(s), if you don't already have one on file."

Never ever give our your license or SSN. AT&T was requesting this of their employment candidates and got into all kinds of hot water over it. Turns out that fake recruiters will ask your SSN as well. I got into it a little bit with a contract recruiting company trying to supposedly place for AT&T. Couple of Pakistani guys kept trying to get my SSN (they already had my resume from Career Builder) When someone says their name is Kim Green and they sound like they are coming from Islamabad, you know something is wrong….

1-888-221-1161
1-402-935-2050 (if calling from outside the U.S.)

These are the official PayPal customer service numbers – you have to have a PayPal account to speak with a representative.

This is the explanation on the Paypal site.

Jul 24, 2012: As of April, 2012, new Federal Regulations require Money Service Businesses, such as PayPal, to verify the identity of a customer before we can provide various services or product offerings. As a result, PayPal must ensure we have collected and verified important data such as customer name, address, date of birth, and national tax ID or social security number. Because we were not able to fully confirm your identity based on your current account information, we need to request additional supporting documentation from you.

I'm not making any money through Paypal. I just use it to buy miniatures and pay for eBay auctions. In fact, that's what I was going to do…add funds so I could shop. But it won't let me until I supply the info they want.

Guess I should call.

This is exactly why I won't use paypal any more.

The IRS thing scares me the most. You get over 20k in transfers and 200 transaction to your paypal account and it gets reported as income.

So if somebody or business/family had several ebay accounts (buy/sell/foreign etc) and thus different paypal accounts to match how does the 20K or 200 transactions limit work out….?

The IRS thing scares me the most. You get over 20k in transfers and 200 transaction to your paypal account and it gets reported as income.

$20,000 USD of incoming payments, not transfers. If that's not income, what is it?

That sort of level of activity gives rise to the suspicion of tax authorities that an individual may be operating "by way of business" rather than just a few ad hoc sales.

It seems to be legit after all. I called the customer sevice number, and although I don't do anywhere near 20K or 200 transactions a year, the rep explained that the Patriot Act has made institutions like Paypal confirm the identity of every user by the end of the year. I was able to do it over the phone and I was able to access my account immediately afterwards with no restrictions.

The times, they are a'changin'.