Paypal asking for proof of ID - is this safe?

Question

i've had to stop using Ebay due to my being locked out of my Paypal acc as i forgotten my password, and subsequently have been asked to verify (by fax or post) my ID using various forms of ID such as passport, credit card, bill birth cert. i've been defrauded before with my ID, and it has left me feeling very wary of anyone asking for my ID in this manner, esp. when i do not know whether they adhere to the DOA policy in their company.

thx to all who kindly responded to me. i'd like to let you all know that i've been on the phone to them 2x and emailed to confirm their information request, and it 'seemed' like they were legitimate. but still, i'm too cautious to do such a thing, esp.when they're being suspiously being over-zealous with the number of proofs i'm being asked for... i'm not able to open another acc as i don't have a different credit card i could use as an alternative. paying by chq or cash is a lot of hassle, and this has resulted in my not using Ebay anymore.

Answer 1

You should forward any suspect e-mails about Paypal to [e-mail] and they will verify or discredit them for you.
Ebay has the same service by the way... [e-mail]

Answer 2

Unless they called you, i would call them or contact them to see if it was indeed them that sent you the email. Sometimes when they get a request from someone, it is not really the person that is on the account so they have to have the ID to prove it is really the one on the account so they don't get sued for giving out the info to the wrong person. It is to protect you. So if you call them and they need you to send something, sent it certified mail with return receipt and keep very good records. Paypal would keep the records private as that is why they want to make sure it is really you before they do anything. Just like a bank account, you have to prove you are really you before they will give you the money from your account until they really know you. Just call them and be sure it is really them from their own website, that is where you get the number from, and then do what they ask and you will have the account back. They just want to make sure it is really you that is requesting the password and making a new one or doing what it is that you want done. Would you want them to do any different and possibly give your info out to someone that is not you but just saying they are?

Answer 3

Only verify your information on the Pay Pal website and never through an e-mail that may have been sent to you, those are scams. I have had a Pay-Pal account for 3 years now and I have never had a problem. I have never heard of Pay Pal asking for your information by fax or post, that doesn't sound to good. Go to Pay Pal and find out if your account has really been locked.

Answer 4

I think Paypal never calls you. If you have forgotten your password thereis a procedureto recover the lost password. I can give you a link that deals with Payapl & Ebay transactions through Paypal. PayPal is one of the most popular online money transfer systems widely used for online auctions, pay to surf programs, e-books and purchase of low value goods. It is now a part of the online auction website eBay. More details available at
http://www.money-transfer.in/paypalindia.html

Answer 5

I buy & sell on eBay, and I have used PayPal for 5 years without a single problem as far as my id.
If you are afraid of putting any more info out on the internet, I suggest that you call them. The few times I have called them, they have been very helpful, and have solved the problem right away.
The number is: 1-402-935-2050 It is NOT toll-free.
They are open from 0400 PST to 2200 PST Mon-Fri
and from 0600 PST to 2000 PST on Sat & Sun

Answer 6

Personally, I don't use Paypal, or credit cards. I don't pay my bills on line. I find the things that I want to buy and I send a check or a money order. I just plain don't trust doing business over the Internet.

Some businesses only sell over the Internet. It's too bad for them. I shop elsewhere. Do yourself a favor. Get rid of your credit cards. Use cash every chance you get. Use checks or money orders when you need to send money.

Answer 7

It's good that you are aware of these malicious things, as some things on the internet are definetly not safe. But paypal is completly safe and secure, you can trust it completley. All of your details are confidential and used as stated, no loopholes. :)

Answer 8

NO!! It is not safe. My friend was told by paypal they don't ask for I.D. like this. This was someone trying to tap into your money deposited with paypal. That way they can withdraw or manipulate your account. YOU SHOULD CALL PAYPAL and talk to them directly. I have been told they are very helpful and try to prevent this sort of thing from happening. DO NOT GIVE ANY INFO in response to the query for i.d.

Answer 9

do not send them anything! You should never fax or post that information, especially a passport or birth certificate.

I get emails all of the time from paypal.com asking me to verify my information, telling me some unauthorized user used my paypal or that some item was purchased...its all a hoax

Answer 10

I think you will find that paypal and eBay only send emails through their own system and they would appear in 'my messages' on your eBay page, paypal will not ask you for confidential information through open channels or emails only through their site which you can access from your eBay page which is secure, look for the padlock on the bottom bar