Unauthorized payment to Meta Platforms (Facebook ireland) and Paypal denied dispute

[tanvincent87]

SSo today suddenly I had two unauthorized automatic payments to Meta Platforms INC (email says Facebook ireland???) amounting to $354.72! I checked my Facebook account and there were NO activities logged.

It's no small sum and when I raised a dispute to PAYPAL, PAYPAL denied the dispute and deemed it legit (within an hour). Help! how can I resolve this???

[Rui_Liu_]

Hello!

I encounter the same  issue with my PayPal account today. My PayPal was unexpectedly charged US$ 289.28 by Meta Platforms, Inc., and I can confirm that this transaction was not authorized by me.

I have found many users in the PayPal community experiencing similar situations.

Could you please assist in refunding this transaction? The money is really a large amount for me ....I am willing to cooperate in any investigation necessary to clarify this unauthorized charge.

[sassysara]

This has happened to me December 2023 with £950 taken from my account but PayPal will not accept I've been scammed.

[Rui_Liu_]

Hi @sassysara 

I'm really sorry to hear about the significant sum of money illegally charged by Meta, and that your Christmas was ruined by these despicable hackers.

Have you reached out to your bank, or called PayPal customer service to make a further appeal? Perhaps you could try these methods, as that's how I managed to get my money back.

Wishing you the best of luck!

[sassysara]

Yes I've told my bank and it will be sorted out but I'm disgusted by PayPal. I was able to message within moments if it happpening while it was pending but PayPal said they were unable to see the transaction. I'm closing my account with them

[Gruca]

I had the same unfortunate experience where someone withdrew money from my account, precisely £60 three times with an hourly interval. My Facebook account got hacked, leading to unauthorized transactions on my PayPal. It's absolutely devastating! After filing a theft case just an hour after the incident, PayPal closed my request and canceled the payments. If I can't resolve this dispute, I'll never feel secure using PayPal again.

The moderator's suggestion of two-step authentication on Facebook is absurd! Everyone already has that in place. Even using a U2F key, I fell victim to theft, and PayPal's response has been disappointing. It may be "just" £180, but the frustration and lack of support from PayPal hurt more than the money. If this isn't resolved within the next 7 days, I am unequivocally saying goodbye to the PayPal platform.

This experience has seriously shaken my trust in PayPal's security measures, and I hope they address these issues promptly.

[sassysara]

That's where I'm confused because my Facebook wasn't hacked and there's nothing to show I have any dealings with Meta. Instead PayPal suggests I contact Meta about a refund.... Meta never took my money it was a scam. I call PayPal and tell them I am going to close my account but the person on the phone literally begs for you to give them another chance to sort this out and to wait for their reply. The reply is automatically generated and again claims the payment is authorised! They left me unable to visit my grandson (long distance) at Christmas because I had no money and my new car tyres are still in boxes. I don't think PayPal will help any of us. I've made sure I've let everyone know that PayPal can't be trusted with your money.

[DrBenjamin]

Hi guys,
today I was charged 5 times for 20€ from Meta Platforms, Inc. for Ads. Nothing to find about it in Facebook Buisiness. I tired to get refunds from PayPal, no success (Online & Hotline). As soon as the money is deducted from my account I will recall them from my local account and directly close my PayPal account. This sucks!!!

[blafed]

Ah Thats what happened to me today.. I have been charged 120$ for:

Meta Platforms, Inc.

+35[Removed. Phone #s not permitted]br />

Purchase details

Ads:

‪120.04 USD‬

is this a virus?

[vanderwaa]

@blafed It's a scam. Not  a virus. A company pretending to be Meta Platforms, Inc makes these unauthorised withdrawals. I don't know how this 'Meta' does it, but Paypal has never shown that they take action here.

Try to get in touch with your bank. A lot of times they are able to cancel the transaction and reclaim the money. Paypal doesn't do anything.

I'm sorry to hear this happened to you as well. Good luck! 

[PayPal_JonK]

Hello @blafed, @vanderwaa, @evanzo7, and everyone, 

Thanks for visiting PayPal's Community Forum. I can certainly understand how an unrecognized transaction or payment request on your PayPal account can be concerning. Meta Platforms Inc is normally due to some kind of billing agreement or subscription created on Facebook. If you see any unauthorized billing agreements, the best option is to reach out to the merchant / seller first to review the transaction and look into how it was authorized from their end. There may be situations where the merchant is able to assist with a refund based on their findings. 

However, if they are unable to assist with activity you did not authorize, you may want to open an Unauthorized Dispute through PayPal. You'll also want to check your Billing Agreements and Subscriptions to see if there's anything else there you do not recognize. 

I hope that helps. Best wishes!

 - Jon K