Email: "Come back to claim your $20 reward" ...Site: "We seem to be having some trouble."

[amateur6]

I know this is a community of users so this is probably just a rant and won’t achieve anything... so thanks in advance for letting me rant.

Has this happened to anyone else recently? I just received an email from [removed] (so, legitimate; but apparently I can’t include an email address in this post) stating “Thanks for being with us for so long. Here’s a $20 reward.”  Clicking on the link (within minutes of receiving the email) I arrive at paypal.com. I sign in (2-factor authentication) and land at https://www-dot-paypal-dot-com/us/webapps/mpp/campaigns/claim-offer-e/lt-4 which says “We seem to be having some trouble. You may have claimed this offer already or are not eligible for this promotion.”

I have NOT claimed the offer; I just got it, only clicked it once, and logged in once on one device (my laptop — and I wasn’t logged in on any other device). If I wasn’t eligible, WHY DID I GET THE EMAIL?

According to my account, it appears that it’s been exactly 10 years to the day that I’ve been with PayPal. ODDLY, the email says “Hey stranger. Thanks for being with us since Mar 04, 2011. So, here’s a $20 reward for just being you, to use however you like. Just log in today to claim your reward before September 30, 2022. See you soon!”  In other words, the email and my online account differ by six months and 4 days. Which is why I immediately double-checked everything to be sure it was legit, which as far as I can tell, it is — I mean, it IS from PayPal and it sent me to PayPal.

Before today, I certainly wouldn’t have said PayPal owes me anything; I don’t see how they can afford to make an offer like this to everyone who’s been with them for 10 years; but THEY sent ME the email so WHAT GIVES?

[BillyBones]

Glad you posted this. Mine is almost identical but despite me being with PayPal for more than 10 years, my email says: Hey stranger. Thanks for being with us since Apr 22, 2017. So, here’s a $20 reward for just being you, to use however you like. Just log in today to claim your reward before September 30, 2022. See you soon! I haven't clicked on mine since the dates are wrong (and I use PP fairly regularly, plus as I say, I've been signed up for far longer than the email says. I'm thinking scam.

[Munnzer]

I am always cautious with such emails. but for the first time, I have been deceived by the same email. I did click on claim $20 and it took me to a page that said “We seem to be having some trouble" .. Can we ask Paypal if I get my info has leaked or not??

[bnr29]

Pretty sure it's a phising email, see this article, they would never use generic names: https://www.paypal.com/aw/smarthelp/article/how-do-i-know-if-an-email-is-from-paypal-and-how-do-i-re...