Is this PayPal text a scam?
Updated October 16, 2026 · 5 min read
A text claiming your PayPal account is limited, a payment is pending or there’s suspicious activity, with a link to “fix” it, is a common phishing attempt. The safe check takes a minute: open the PayPal app or type paypal.com yourself and look. If there’s a real issue, it will be there. Here are the signs and what to do.
The short answer
Don’t trust a link in a text about your PayPal account, even a convincing one. PayPal advises logging in directly, at paypal.com or in its app, to check any notice or payment, rather than following a link in a message. We can’t see your message, so no page can tell you for certain. If you’re unsure, don’t use the link: go to the company’s own app or website, or call a number you already trust.
What fake PayPal texts look like
- Account limited or suspended, with a link to confirm your identity.
- A payment or purchase you didn’t make, with a number to call to dispute it.
- A request for money or an invoice from someone you don’t know. PayPal has separate help about invoice and money-request scams.
- Generic greetings and urgency, such as “Dear user, act within 24 hours”.
What PayPal says to do
- Don’t click links or open attachments in suspicious messages, and don’t call numbers they list.
- Log in directly and check the activity there.
- PayPal says it will not ask for your password, or for sensitive details such as bank account information, by email.
- Forward suspicious messages to phishing@paypal.com and then delete them. PayPal’s guidance covers texts forwarded from your phone too.
What to do now
- Don’t tap, reply or call.
- Open the PayPal app or go to paypal.com yourself and check your activity.
- Report the message to PayPal using the address on its report suspicious messages page.
- Forward the text to 7726 and report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- Block the number and delete the text.
If you clicked, or entered your login
- Change your PayPal password now and anywhere you reuse it.
- Turn on two-step verification.
- Look through your activity and linked cards for transactions you don’t recognise, and tell PayPal and your bank.
Check it again
You can also paste the message into our free scam text checker. It runs on your message and doesn’t store it.
Frequently asked questions
Does PayPal send texts about my account?
It can send security and transaction messages, but you should verify anything unexpected by logging in directly, not through a link.
Where do I report a fake PayPal message?
PayPal’s help pages say to forward it to phishing@paypal.com. Check the current address on PayPal’s report page, and also forward texts to 7726.
What if the text says someone sent me money?
Check your balance in the app. Scammers send fake payment alerts, then ask you to refund an “overpayment”.