I come home from the gym and see that $56.49 USD ($57.97 CAD) has been deducted from my bank account to pay hong kong net-flying investment & consuiting limited . I've never heard of them.
The information given about the transactions indicate:
Game Server: Sparta
Character Name: elixirs_baby
There was a second email indicating that the $56.49 USD was refunded to me, and that there was now a hold on those funds for 6 to 8 business days.
I called PayPal to make sure that my account was refunded the exact amount of CAD that I was deducted.
I then asked how there came to be a deduction from my PayPal account that I didn't authorize to a company that I've never heard of and to which I have no prior agreement with to take money from my PayPal account automatically.
She said that someone who knew my email address must have somehow figured out my password. But it seems that's all they knew because there was no attempt made to try and change passwords or other information.
Anyway, I'm lucky. I am not out of pocket any money. I went and changed my password from a very secure one to a very, very, very, very secure one (one that I had to write down for myself at home because there is no way in heck I would remember it otherwise), and I changed my secret questions and answers too.
I also found out that the hold of funds is on PayPal's side, because when you pay by debit card they advance you the money and put a hold on your funds so that they get payment. Given the fact that a refund was given, the hold on my funds was removed because PayPal got back their advanced sum.
I don't know how this came to happen. I never ever click on those PayPal emails, even if they have my full name on them. I always, always use my bookmarked link to PayPal to get to the website. So I know it wasn't "phished".
I suggest that everyone go and change their password and secret questions just to be safe. Make it a really wild and complicated password complete with small and capital letters and numbers mixed into it. The longer the better.
The information given about the transactions indicate:
Game Server: Sparta
Character Name: elixirs_baby
There was a second email indicating that the $56.49 USD was refunded to me, and that there was now a hold on those funds for 6 to 8 business days.
I called PayPal to make sure that my account was refunded the exact amount of CAD that I was deducted.
I then asked how there came to be a deduction from my PayPal account that I didn't authorize to a company that I've never heard of and to which I have no prior agreement with to take money from my PayPal account automatically.
She said that someone who knew my email address must have somehow figured out my password. But it seems that's all they knew because there was no attempt made to try and change passwords or other information.
Anyway, I'm lucky. I am not out of pocket any money. I went and changed my password from a very secure one to a very, very, very, very secure one (one that I had to write down for myself at home because there is no way in heck I would remember it otherwise), and I changed my secret questions and answers too.
I also found out that the hold of funds is on PayPal's side, because when you pay by debit card they advance you the money and put a hold on your funds so that they get payment. Given the fact that a refund was given, the hold on my funds was removed because PayPal got back their advanced sum.
I don't know how this came to happen. I never ever click on those PayPal emails, even if they have my full name on them. I always, always use my bookmarked link to PayPal to get to the website. So I know it wasn't "phished".
I suggest that everyone go and change their password and secret questions just to be safe. Make it a really wild and complicated password complete with small and capital letters and numbers mixed into it. The longer the better.