Is this payment text from PayPal a scam?
No. PayPal is a legitimate global payment service that has operated for decades, and that familiarity is precisely what gets borrowed. The danger runs the other way: fake invoices for purchases you never made, account-limited alerts, and pressure to pay strangers via Friends and Family are among the most common lures built around the PayPal name. The good news: a few quick checks almost always tell a real PayPal message from a fake.
Genuine PayPal links lead to paypal.com, paypal.com.au — but a link can be made to look real, so don't go by the link alone. Below is exactly what a real PayPal message looks like, the scams currently circulating in its name, the red flags that give a fake away, and a real example to compare against. Got a message in front of you? Check it now for an instant verdict.
What a real PayPal message looks like
Genuine messages from PayPal link to paypal.com, paypal.com.au. Treat a link to any other address as a warning sign.
- Genuine PayPal emails always arrive from an address ending exactly in @paypal.com or @paypal.com.au
- PayPal never asks you to click a link in an SMS to fix an account limit or confirm a payment
- Real PayPal messages refer to activity you initiated and never threaten immediate account closure
- PayPal invoices or payment requests only appear inside your PayPal account or app, never as surprise attachments
- PayPal never sends SMS messages from random Australian mobile numbers
What PayPal will never do
- Email you from any address that does not end exactly in @paypal.com or @paypal.com.au
- Send an SMS link to fix an account limit or confirm a payment, or text you from random Australian mobile numbers
- Threaten immediate account closure to force you to act
- Deliver invoices or payment requests as surprise attachments (real ones only appear inside your PayPal account or app)
- Ask you to pay an unknown recipient using the Friends and Family option to resolve an account or transaction issue
Common PayPal scams
- Emails that look like PayPal invoices for items you did not buy, with a link to 'view or pay' that leads to a fake login page
- SMS claiming your PayPal account is limited or has received an unexpected payment, urging you to click a link to fix it
- Messages asking you to authorise a payment to an unknown recipient using PayPal's 'Friends and Family' option
Red flags to watch for
- The sender address contains any characters before @paypal.com, such as paypal-support@secure-paypal[.]example
- The message contains an urgent request to open an attachment or click a link to release funds or lift a limit
- The email references an invoice or payment you do not recognise and asks you to log in via the provided link
- The SMS originates from a standard Australian mobile number rather than PayPal's verified channels
- The message creates urgency by saying the account will be closed within hours if you do not act
PayPal scam examples
These composed examples show how scams impersonating PayPal typically read, with the tells that give each one away. Compare them against anything you've received.
Subject: Invoice from GlobalTech Supplies (INV-88231). An amount of $479.99 has been requested from your PayPal account for an antivirus renewal. If you did not authorise this charge, review and cancel it at paypal-billing-review[.]example within 24 hours.
What gives it away:
- The invoice is for something you never bought; the panic it creates is the product
- The 'review and cancel' link goes to a lookalike domain rather than PayPal's real site, and a genuine payment request would be visible inside your account or app
- Cancellation deadlines on invoices are a pressure device; ignoring the email and logging in yourself costs you nothing
PayPal: Your account has been limited due to unusual activity. Restore full access now at paypal-restore-au[.]example. Accounts not verified within 12 hours will be permanently suspended.
What gives it away:
- PayPal never asks you to click a link in an SMS to fix an account limit, and it does not text from random Australian mobile numbers
- The permanent-suspension threat is exactly the immediate-closure pressure real PayPal messages never use
- The restore page is a credential harvester on a lookalike domain, not paypal.com
A marketplace buyer says the deal can only go ahead if you send or receive the money through PayPal Friends and Family, 'to avoid the fees', and pushes you to complete it today because another person is waiting on the item.
What gives it away:
- Pressure to route a payment to or from a stranger via Friends and Family is a known scam pattern; the fee excuse is the standard cover story
- Manufactured competition ('someone else is waiting') exists to rush your decision
- Anything genuinely owed to or from you shows up inside your PayPal account or app, where you can review it calmly
Not sure about your message?
Paste the suspicious PayPal text or email and get an instant scam verdict, free.
How to verify a message from PayPal
PayPal's real website is paypal.com and the official app is the PayPal app. Reach PayPal through those channels, never through the details inside a message you're unsure about.
- Don't click the link, open the attachment or reply to the message
- Type paypal.com or paypal.com.au into your browser yourself, or open the official PayPal app, and check your account activity and notifications there; any real invoice, payment or limitation will be visible inside
- Check the sender address on any email: only addresses ending exactly in @paypal.com or @paypal.com.au can be genuine, and even then judge the content
- If anything still feels off, deal with it entirely through your logged-in PayPal account or app rather than through the message
If you have been scammed in PayPal's name
Clicked the link, paid, or shared details? Act now. The first hour matters more than anything else you do later.
- Change your PayPal password immediately from the official site (typed yourself) or the app, and change it anywhere else you reused it
- If your linked card or bank details were exposed or money was taken, call your bank straight away to block the card and dispute the charges
- Review your PayPal activity from inside your logged-in account and flag any transaction you did not authorise there
- If you shared identity documents, contact IDCARE (idcare.org) for free identity support
- Report the scam to Scamwatch and ReportCyber using the links below, and forward scam texts to 7226 so carriers can block the sender
Where to report a scam impersonating PayPal
Received — or fell for — a message impersonating PayPal? Report it. It helps authorities and carriers shut the campaign down for everyone who gets the next one.
- Scamwatch — Report the scam to the ACCC's national scam service.
- ReportCyber — Report cybercrime and financial loss to the police.
- ACMA — Complain about scam texts and spam SMS, email or calls.
- Forward to 7226 (SCAM) — Forward the scam SMS to short code 7226 so carriers can block the source.
- IDCARE — Free identity and cyber support if your details were taken.
Latest PayPal scams in 2026
PayPal-themed campaigns cycle between three reliable lures: invoice emails for purchases you never made, complete with a cancellation link or a number to call; account-limited texts that threaten suspension unless you 'verify' on a lookalike page; and marketplace counterparties insisting on Friends and Family payments to dodge fees. The invoice variant is the most disorienting because it invites you to fight a charge rather than claim a prize, flipping the usual scam script. The constant underneath is unchanged: every path routes you away from your real account. Handle anything PayPal-related only inside the app or at paypal.com typed by hand, and the entire genre falls apart.
Frequently asked questions
I received a text claiming to be from PayPal with a link — is it a scam?
Yes. PayPal does not send SMS messages asking you to click links to fix account limits. Delete the message and report it at scamwatch.gov.au.
How do I know if a PayPal email is real?
Check that the sender address ends exactly with @paypal.com or @paypal.com.au and never click links; instead, log in directly at paypal.com or via the app to view any activity.
What should I do if I clicked a link in a fake PayPal message?
Change your PayPal password immediately from the official site, monitor your account for unauthorised activity, and report the message at cyber.gov.au.
What is PayPal's real website?
PayPal's genuine websites are paypal.com and paypal.com.au, and the official PayPal app is the other real channel. Reach them by typing the address yourself; any domain that adds words like 'secure', 'restore' or 'billing' around the PayPal name is an imposter, whatever the email or text claims.
How do I report a PayPal scam in Australia?
Report the message to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) so the National Anti-Scam Centre can track it, and forward scam texts to 7226 (spells SCAM) so carriers can block the sender. If money left your account, call your bank first, then lodge a report with ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au. You can also flag unauthorised transactions from inside your logged-in PayPal account.
Related scam types
Scams impersonating PayPal usually fit one of these patterns. Learn how each works:
Related brands
Other fintech names scammers impersonate — check a message from one:
Sources
- Email scams (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Phishing scams: how scammers pose as trusted organisations (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Buying or selling scams (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice — always verify with PayPal through an official channel.