PayPal scam emails: is “your account is limited” real?

“Your account access has been limited.” “Confirm your details within 24 hours.” Fake PayPal emails lead to a copy of PayPal’s login page that steals your password. A real limit shows in PayPal’s Resolution Centre when you log in yourself. Paste the email below to see where its link really goes before you click.

Updated 23 October 2026 · 4 min read

Check a PayPal message now

Check one now

Paste the PayPal email

Copy the whole text or email and paste it here, or paste just the link. Peekray picks out the links (up to 8) and shows where each one really goes, with a clear answer such as Safe, Check first, Suspicious or Scam.

On a computer with Peekray’s Chrome extension, just rest the pointer on the link. PayPal is one of the big names Peekray knows, so a site with PayPal in its name that isn’t PayPal’s own is flagged.

or type or paste it here

Only the web addresses are sent for checking. Screenshots are read on your device, and our server never reads or keeps the rest of your message.

Got a QR code?

Check it before you open it. The code is read in your browser, and only a web address in it is sent for checking.

What they look like

A limit on your account, and a link to lift it

Made-up examples based on real scams. Their links end in .example, so they lead nowhere: no one can own a .example address. The phone number is one kept for fiction.

  • A new sign-in, by text

    Check by logging in to PayPal yourself, not through the link.

  • Your account is “limited”

    Real PayPal emails greet you by your full name.

The facts

How PayPal really contacts you

3,960UK searches a month about PayPal phishing, second only to Royal Mail in a 2026 study of search data. (BrokerChooser, August 2026)

  • Name

    Your full name, never “Dear user”

    PayPal says its emails always address you by your first and last names, or your business name. It never says things like “Dear user” or “Dear PayPal user”.

  • Login

    Your password, only on PayPal’s login page

    PayPal says it only asks you to enter your password on its own login page. Go there yourself: type paypal.com into your browser or open the PayPal app.

  • Limits

    A real limit shows in your account

    If an email says your account is limited but you don’t see a limitation in the Resolution Centre when you log in yourself, PayPal says the email may be fake.

  • Invoices

    Invoices for things you never bought

    Scammers can send invoices and money requests through PayPal itself, for things you never ordered, with a phone number to call in the note. PayPal says don’t pay them and don’t call the number.

Spot it

Four signs of a fake PayPal email

  1. 01

    “Dear user” instead of your name

    PayPal’s real emails use your first and last names, or your business name.

  2. 02

    A warning that your account is limited or will be closed

    “Confirm within 24 hours.” PayPal warns that phishing emails are often alarmist and push you to update your account immediately. Log in to PayPal yourself and look in the Resolution Centre instead.

  3. 03

    A login page that isn’t paypal.com

    Read the site name from the right: paypal.com.verify‑account.example is really verify‑account.example. Paste the email above, or rest the pointer on the link with Peekray’s extension, to see where it goes.

  4. 04

    An invoice with a phone number to call

    An invoice or money request for something you never bought, with a number to call to cancel it, is a scam even when it comes through PayPal. Its link goes to paypal.com, so a link check can come back Safe: the trick is the phone number. Don’t call it.

More on scam emails

Got one?

What to do with a PayPal email

  1. 1

    Don’t click the link, open any attachment or call any number in it.

  2. 2

    Check your account yourself: type paypal.com into your browser or open the PayPal app. A real limit, payment or request shows there.

  3. 3

    Forward the email to phishing@paypal.com, then delete it.

Entered your password? What to do now

Report it

Where to report a PayPal scam (UK)

In the UK

An email
Forward it to phishing@paypal.com, then delete it.
An invoice or request
Report it in your PayPal account, on the website or in the app.
A text
Forward it to 7726. It’s free. PayPal also asks you to forward it to phishing@paypal.com.
The fake website
Report it to the National Cyber Security Centre so it can investigate.
Lost money
Tell your bank, then report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.

Let Peekray do it

Check the next “PayPal” email before you log in.

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FAQ

Common questions

Does PayPal email you to say your account is limited?

PayPal can limit an account, and you’ll see it when you log in, in the Resolution Centre or under the bell at the top of your dashboard. If an email says your account is limited but you don’t see a limitation there, PayPal says it may be fake: forward it to phishing@paypal.com.

How can I tell a real PayPal email?

PayPal says its emails always use your first and last names or your business name, never “Dear user”, and it only asks for your password on its own login page. A sender’s name is easy to fake, so paste the email into Peekray to see where its links go.

I got a PayPal invoice for something I didn’t buy. Is it a scam?

It may be. PayPal says not to pay an invoice for something you never ordered, and not to call any phone number in its note. Log in to PayPal yourself to check, and report it there. A real invoice’s link goes to paypal.com, so a link check can come back Safe: the scam is the request itself.

I entered my PayPal password on a fake site. What now?

Change your PayPal password now, by typing paypal.com into your browser or opening the app, and any other account where you use the same one. Check your PayPal activity for payments you don’t recognise. If you entered card or bank details too, call your bank on the number on the back of your card (in the UK you can also dial 159). Peekray’s guide to what to do after a scam link takes you through the rest.

Does Peekray read my messages?

No. When you paste a message, Peekray picks out the links on your device and sends only those web addresses to its server to check. The rest of the message isn’t sent.

Sources

Where this advice comes from

Guides

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