PayPal virus: what it is and how to remove it

From our report of Jan 2019 · not reviewed since

PayPal virus is a phishing campaign when scammers hide the malicious purpose behind a safe-looking email message

PayPal virus is a scam which is designed to stealthily infect systems with malware or trick users into revealing their credentials .

When seeking these aims, hackers spread cleverly-written emails that contain infected attachments. After being downloaded to the system, the attachment, which typically hides malware's executable, launches it in the background and it becomes active. PayPal trojan malware was first spotted back in 2013 with its first attempts at tricking people.

Since then these scam and phishing campaigns appear more and more developed and luring. Recently, this virus targeted people using the social media platform Twitter. During the Christmas time, account purported to be a legitimate PayPal Twitter promoted the event with a lottery. All those techniques used by this trojan aim to scam people and collect their credentials for the later use.

Typically, Paypal scam tricks users into downloading infected files because they are named under the names of well-known companies, useful documents or legitimate computer components that are said to be missing. When inside the system, PayPal virus is used to perform the following actions:

PayPal virus can imitate an innocent email message or software while, in reality, it might monitor your browsing experience and track your frequently visited pages. Once it detects which social media platforms you use, it can create a fraudulent window asking you to sign in.

Note that the pop-up may look extremely genuine and may use https which is supposed to be a sign of the safe site. Likewise, many people get deceived and submit their private information, such as log-in names and passwords.

PayPal virus scamming message may state about the account issues or fake porchases and read the following:

Another way how the developers of Paypal phishing scam try to lure people into giving their credentials is by stating that their accounts are temporarily suspended, and they need to confirm their identity with a photograph. The victims are asked to submit pictures of themselves holding their ID and credit cards to PayPal phishing site which imitates official online payment page.

This virus endangers not only your computer but privacy as well. Therefore we encourage you to remove PayPal scam as soon as possible. You can do that by using or another powerful security software.

Additionally, we want to remind you not to try to get rid of it by yourself. Elimination procedure requires an experienced IT expert or a trojan removal software. Thus, any attempts to delete malicious files might lead to further damage.

• Spy on your online activity;
• Copy and send information from your PC to the criminals;
• Open backdoors to help other high-risk threats infiltrate the system;
• Link the victim to a fake bank website or email page and steal login information;
• Download updates of malware which is already present on your system.

From our report of Jan 2019 · not reviewed since

PayPal phishing scam during Holidays of 2018

During the busiest time of the year malware creators also keep on working because people tend to shop online, buy last-minute gifts or skip through websites paying less than enough attention. Phishing scams are nothing news and Holiday is the best time to fall for reward or gift scam online.

A Twitter account called PayPalChristm promoted the event that you can win valuable prizes and you only need to login to your account. However, this fake account redirected to phishing link that encourages to enter your credentials and verify the account. Unfortunately, when you do so you are not winning any Maserati or an iPhone.

Scammers focus on getting your information and confirmed details go to the malicious server and get collected by these cybercriminals behind PayPal virus that are interested in accessing your account and exploiting the victim financially later on.

Note that PayPal virus might appear as a scam message on suspicious pages as well like FBI PayPal virus which is considered to be an offspring of the mother program. Criminals try to convince credulous people by disguising as FBI law enforcement agency. The pop-up claims that your computer is blocked due to one of the following reasons:

PayPal scam pop-up says that you have to pay a fine which might vary from $200 to $500. At this point, we assure you that this is only an attempt to swindle money from you.

You should never transfer funds to the criminals since there are alternative ways to unlock your computer. Be aware that sometimes it is not even locked. Therefore, closing the tab/window should help.

However, Trojan horse can be infiltrated via clicks on any malware-laden content online . Once again, do not try to uninstall malware-related files by yourself since you can harm your system.

• Violating Copyright laws by downloading music, films or video files illegally;
• Distributing adult-only content which is related to child abuse.

From our report of Jan 2019 · not reviewed since

More from our earlier report on PayPal virus

• Use reputable anti-malware tool to clean the system thoroughly and remove PayPal virus.
• Sender: Pay Pal Topic: Unusual sign-in activity We detected something unusual about a recent sign-in to the PayPaI account ..Sign-in detailsCountry/region: HondurasIP address: 104.184.29.77Date: 5/25/2018Platform: iOSBrowser: SafariPlease go to your recent activity page to let us know whether or not this was you.
• If this wasn't you, we'll help you secure your account.
• Our system detected unusual charges to a credit card linked to your PayPal account.
• Reference Number: PP-259-187-991 This is the Last reminder to log in to PayPal as soon as possible.
• Once you log in, you will be provided with steps to restore your account access.

From our report of Jan 2019 · not reviewed since

Experts from LosVirus.es spotted that hackers employ several methods to spread this dangerous Trojan.

However, most of its versions are delivered via spam emails which urges to click on the malicious link or attachment to fix the PayPal-related problem.

One of the most recent ones detected contains a message which states the following:

Once the victim clicks on the compromised link, he or she triggers an automatic installation of the malware. Since Trojan horses have the ability to disguise under legitimate processes or software, the user might not even recognize that they manually infect their computers.

Note that those fake emails are designed to look convincing and legitimate. They might include such parts as "To unblock your account you must complete these steps" or "Click on the link to fix the problem." As mentioned above, you should never click on any suspicious attachments or links despite the fact that they might look genuine.

From our report of Jan 2019 · not reviewed since

Remove Paypal virus and get back to the safe machine

Trojan horses and other malware that are spread using Paypal scams are dangerous computer threats that can hardly be removed without additional software.

It is impossible to remove PayPal virus manually because you can't guess the name of the virus (there is a wide list of viruses that have been spread with its help) or its location.

However, you can always employ a professional antivirus program to detect and eliminate the malware for you. This method is also considered to be the safest way to get rid of any kind of virus hiding on your computer. Keep in mind that trojans can open backdoors to help ransomware or other dangerous infections infiltrate your computer without any sign.

Therefore, if you encounter PayPal scam pop-up or the redirect to a phishing site, you should never pay the demanded amount of money or submit your personal details. Ignore all claims about the FBI fines or errors which might occur on your account. Remember, hackers might employ creative ways to swindle money or other valuable information from gullible people.

Additionally, the presence of the malware can be recognized by a significant decrease in computer's performance. Likewise, if you have noticed that your PC is acting sluggish, programs crash and loads for an extensive period of time, your system might be corrupted by a trojan.

In this case, you should download , , or to examine your files and start PayPal virus removal. These programs are specifically designed to deal with various cyber threats and maintain PC security in the future. We promise that it won't take long before you will be able to use the trojan-free computer again. Thus, do not hesitate and check your system if you have any doubts.

[GI=method-1]You can get rid of this Trojan by rebooting the device in Safe Mode with Networking and then using the antivirus program:

[GI=method-2]Employ System Restore feature and restore the system in the previous state: