Someone opened A Paypal account using my email address

[SimonMac]

Two rules of business, Simon:

1) Never tell them everything you know.

[Gentile]

(Although how did you work out the car bit?)

Two rules of business, Simon:

1) Never tell them everything you know.

[SimonMac]

LOL, I like that link!. Even people who think they're being careful are usually broadcasting far more than they realise, though. For example, just a few seconds searching from info available only in this thread tells me: it's your birthday this month (hey - me too!), your middle name begins with "C", you drive a silver car, your postcode ends in "D" and your house number begins with a "3". None of that will help me (or anyone else) steal money from you through PayPal, so I shouldn't worry if I were you.

Yep that is all correct, and yes I know it won't help you steal any money (as I said I don't have any) that's why I am not too fussed about keeping it hidden.

(Although how did you work out the car bit?)

[NickFitz]

LOL, I like that link!. Even people who think they're being careful are usually broadcasting far more than they realise, though. For example, just a few seconds searching from info available only in this thread tells me: it's your birthday this month (hey - me too!), your middle name begins with "C", you drive a silver car, your postcode ends in "D" and your house number begins with a "3". None of that will help me (or anyone else) steal money from you through PayPal, so I shouldn't worry if I were you.

I've just looked up mydomain.co.uk, and the registrant's postcode actually ends with an "L"

[Gentile]

I'm the same, I only put online what I am happy other people to see, I saw this the other day too

We know what you're doing... A social networking privacy experiment by Callum Haywood

LOL, I like that link!. Even people who think they're being careful are usually broadcasting far more than they realise, though. For example, just a few seconds searching from info available only in this thread tells me: it's your birthday this month (hey - me too!), your middle name begins with "C", you drive a silver car, your postcode ends in "D" and your house number begins with a "3". None of that will help me (or anyone else) steal money from you through PayPal, so I shouldn't worry if I were you.

[MarillionFan]

I am more of a Bill Gates kind of character

Yeah, short fella with a god complex.

[SimonMac]

Unless they've also got your bank details (which you'd have seen when you logged in if they had), there's not a lot to worry about, I wouldn't think. Even if it's a scammer, knowing your e-mail address isn't going to help anyone clear out your bank account or rack up debts in your name.

People sometimes question why I'm so prepared to use my own face and real name in my blog, etc, but they're often surprised at how much of their own information they're broadcasting without even realising it. Fortunately, most of the time, it's innocuous information. Unless you do a Clarkson and publish your bank account details in The Sun, you should be reasonably safe from having your money stolen. I'd maybe advise just sending an e-mail to PayPal's enquiries address, stating that you didn't set up the account, so there's a paper trail later if anyone tries to associate any payments made through that account with you.

I'm the same, I only put online what I am happy other people to see, I saw this the other day too

We know what you're doing... A social networking privacy experiment by Callum Haywood

[Gentile]

I have my own domain so I have one email address for emails and a separate one for Paypal transactions all @mydomain.co.uk, however I get an email from Paypal saying that someone has set up a Paypal account using my email address but with their name and (Chinese) address.

As it was tied to my email I logged in, changed the password and then deleted the account, are there any other precautions I should take, my email address has been the same for years so its probably on quite a few spammers list so I assume it was taken from that, normally my passwords are pretty secure (non english dictionary word with a couple of numbers and special characters thrown in there for good measure) but my main protection from identity theft/online fraud is never having any money in my bank account!

Unless they've also got your bank details (which you'd have seen when you logged in if they had), there's not a lot to worry about, I wouldn't think. Even if it's a scammer, knowing your e-mail address isn't going to help anyone clear out your bank account or rack up debts in your name.

People sometimes question why I'm so prepared to use my own face and real name in my blog, etc, but they're often surprised at how much of their own information they're broadcasting without even realising it. Fortunately, most of the time, it's innocuous information. Unless you do a Clarkson and publish your bank account details in The Sun, you should be reasonably safe from having your money stolen. I'd maybe advise just sending an e-mail to PayPal's enquiries address, stating that you didn't set up the account, so there's a paper trail later if anyone tries to associate any payments made through that account with you.

[AtW]

So speaks the Simon Cowell of CUK.

I am more of a Bill Gates kind of character

[MarillionFan]

Be very very skint just like TimberWolf or even Milan.

So speaks the Simon Cowell of CUK.

[AtW]

are there any other precautions I should take

Be very very skint just like TimberWolf or even Milan.

[SimonMac]

I have my own domain so I have one email address for emails and a separate one for Paypal transactions all @mydomain.co.uk, however I get an email from Paypal saying that someone has set up a Paypal account using my email address but with their name and (Chinese) address.

As it was tied to my email I logged in, changed the password and then deleted the account, are there any other precautions I should take, my email address has been the same for years so its probably on quite a few spammers list so I assume it was taken from that, normally my passwords are pretty secure (non english dictionary word with a couple of numbers and special characters thrown in there for good measure) but my main protection from identity theft/online fraud is never having any money in my bank account!