My paypal/credit card info was compromised. Need someone's expert opinion on what happened?

Question

Bear with me folks. I'll try and make this short and to the point as possible.

Some dude online offers me 10 dollars to help with some advertising for his website (won't go into specifics). I am reluctant but he sends the money as a "PayPal Gift", which can't be refunded according to him, which I think is true but anyways..

The only info I give him is my email address that is linked to my paypal account. That is the only way I would get paid. He does it asap and the money is in my checking account. I wait a few days for the money to go from pending to complete and voila, I have 10 bucks. All good so far.

This is where i'm scratching my head. The following morning, I notice 20 dollars being taken from my paypal account and being charged on my credit card. I dispute the transaction asap and Paypal refunds me the 20 bucks. 30 min later, another 20 dollar transaction appears on my paypal account/credit card. I dispute it, call my bank, close my credit card and get a re-issue.

The 10 bucks that the guy gave me never disappeared in my checking account. I told my bank the situation and he/she says that the credit card fraud may have just been a mere coincidence b/c there was no fraud on my checking account. I re-emailed the guy to tell him that I received the 10 bucks but didn't tell him squat about my suspicions just to see if he would respond and he did. 

Can someone for the life of me give their opinion as to what happened. How likely is a scam artist able to obtain my credit card info through paypal with just my email? And if he had access to my checking account, wouldn't he have wiped out my checking account? I would think so b/c that money is liquid and for the taking yet it wasn't touched.

Sorry so long. Any input would be great. And FYI, remember, I did not give him a password or any other information whatsoever. He doesn't even know my first name. Just an email address for paypal. Thank you.

Insane_mad_maniak · Accepted Answer

there is no way anyone could get your credit card details through a paypal payment, if they sent you the money or if you sent them the money, there just is no way for either party to get the information because it's just not sent, the information is on an encrypted database that is not shared with customers.

the only thing that the person could have done with your email address is hack into your paypal account and send money out through it.

since your money was going out of the account, it's just conincidental that this person sent you money and you were getting scammed, must have been some other time, maybe in the day or in the last few days/week that someone got ahold of your card details.

Anonymous · Answer

May I ask why it worries you? Do you perhaps feel now that such a crime has been committed that you may in fact come across a scenario like that? Is it the fact that it actually happened in a neighborhood where one would think such things do not occur? Perhaps you do not want to be questioned? The police. I have noticed in my lifetime that people want nothing more than to be a part of something big. As you previously mentioned yourself, it is a quiet neighborhood where things like this simply do not happen. Seeing it from the perspective of a officer in that area, I would think that all would rush out to get a piece of the action. Perhaps it was more grizzly than you are being made aware of. I don't know what else to call it but a murder inquiry, especially when you are more than aware a murder took place according to your neighbors. It would be rather naive to think something like that took place and not one officer asked if anyone saw or heard anything. It will all be over soon enough I am sure, cooperate in any way you see fit. Best of luck to you love. My condolences. -Mae.

My paypal/credit card info was compromised. Need someone's expert opinion on what happened?

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