PayPal
 

Has anyone out there ever received a PayPal payment into their account that wasn’t meant for them. Someone sent me their rent. I have tried numerous times to email and text them with no response. This amount is quite a bit and doesn’t belong to me. I have tried to get PayPal to help to no avail. Anyone have any suggestions?

Is it actually in your account? Shows in your balance? Or is it one that you must claim? If the latter, ignore it and it will go away. If it is in your account, you can refund the payment.

Be careful. Lots of PayPal scams being reported Did you go to the PayPal website and click on Resolution Center?

I would suspect a scam. I wouldn't refund the money to the sender. I would notify PayPal about the error and wait for PayPal to debit your account.

That is also what I would do.

It is very likely a scam if you received an e-mail or notification from PayPal that a deposit was made. Check your actual bank balance, by manually typing in the bank's website address on your browser buffer or via their app if you have it on your phone.

If the deposit is a) there AND b) cleared for use, then yes it's a mistake and you should contact PayPal to try and resolve the error.

If it is a) there BUT b) NOT cleared for use, do nothing for a week. Not even if someone sends you a notification telling you it was an error and you have to return it.

If the second example is true, and you've waited a week, get in touch with PayPal directly and ask for resolution.
If the second example is true and someone contacts you to ask you to send the money back to them, get in touch with PayPal directly and ask for resolution and report a potential scam.

Do not refund the money directly to the sender.

Be carefull.
Do as suggested. ie. Check PayPal account by signing in to account direct, not from any link.
I regularly get phising atttempts purporting to come from PayPal. Some are very cleverly worded.

I used to get these all the time, and it always confused me because I don't have a PayPal account.

These days I get them from Amazon, as text messages on my cell phone. Usually saying:

Dear [null]:
We are waiting to deliver your package. Please press on this completely, totally innocent hyperlink that will absolutely not take you to a scam website, and type in your credentials so that we can totally not steal your identity and use it to make fraudulent purchases on your behalf.
Love, Amazon.

(or some words to that effect)

I get them as well.
Plus couriers waiting to deliver parcels I havn't ordered!

If you got an email only (no funds) that's one thing but if there is actually funds in your PP account it's likely an error. Once you actually get $$$ it's not likely a scam but an error.

There is a dentist in NJ with my exact same name and evidently he takes PayPal because I have gotten his payments a few times over the years. His office says it's because people send to his name@gmail.com (which is my email not his that he does NOT have) rather than his office email. I've also got bills & x-rays meant for him by email.

DO NOT REFUND THE MONEY. Let PayPal figure it out, if it is in fact a rent payment he/she will soon be hearing from their landlord and they'll go back to PayPal to check on it. If you notify PayPal and yes you can actually talk with a representative at PayPal, and you sent the sender a e-mail and a text you have done your part, they'll figure it out, just don't spend it or take it out.

Inquiring minds would like to know if this message came as an e-mail with a PayPay header. I get all kinds of e-mails from PayPal that aren't actually from PayPal, they are scams using the PayPal logo. Did you click on a link they provided? If so log into PayPay at their website and see what is actually in your account, definately change the password to your PayPal account, right away.

I agree what’s odds of someone paying their rent with PayPal?

My initial move is to click on the sender's e-mail to see if it's actually PayPal.

Her OP said she got "Has anyone out there ever received a PayPal payment into their account that wasn’t meant for them." Everyone seems to be assuming it was an EMAIL with a link to PayPal. If she actually got MONEY IN HER ACCOUNT the chances of it being a scam vs. a mistake are quite slim. She needs to confirm but it seems quite often someone posts something and never returns to clarify.