PayPal demanding photo ID and proof of residency etc

[worrasf]

So the web is alive with this demand by PayPal to provide sensitive personal ID info. I came across this the other day with an in app message from PayPal asking for more info through their resolution centre and until provided my account would be limited. The only limit actually is that I am prevented from closing the account - sneaky or what. Anyway, thinking this might just be me I did a Google and this is something that each and every PayPal user is now required to provide. It seems that if you fail to respond to enough reminders they do eventually suspend/close your account.

The info demanded is
1. photo ID with accompanying name and address such as driving licence or passport
2. Proof of address such as bank statement or utility bill.

So this is just the info anyone would need to steal your identity!

Now this level of info is routine if you open a bank account or even hire a car but the worry is that with the demand now being so public and given the vast numbers of folk who use PayPal (apparently the 5th biggest financial institution in the world) it's bound to become a target for computer hackers. Not those who just nick your login details and scam your account but the big players who will nick the whole database -imagine how much that info would be worth?

I was one of the thousands who had my personal data nicked from the Adobe creative cloud site and it took ages to change all my email and password logins at all the sites I use.

I've not decided what to do about this yet but I'm sorely tempted to let my PayPal account wither on the vine and my eBay account with it. I think I might be stressed out if I submit my passport and bank account info online to PayPal I'd be constantly worrying about my identity being nicked.

£30 on a personal shredder from Staples was one of the best purchases I ever made.

[Audioman]

Funny haven't received any demands. I can't see them getting photo IDs practical and anyway if you have Bank Account listed as source of funds they already have that info. Sure you are not victim of a scam?

[worrasf]

Funny haven't received any demands. I can't see them getting photo IDs practical and anyway if you have Bank Account listed as source of funds they already have that info. Sure you are not victim of a scam?

No guaranteed not scam - do a Google on PayPal photo ID- our American cousins are furious as they are required to give SSN as well.
My PayPal account is already linked to my bank account but makes no odds.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[costerdock]

Be careful with Paypal emails that come in - I had one come in saying I needed to re-verify my account - and the actual sender was not paypal - it was some asshole phishing for account info - I do not respond to any paypal emails - I just log into the site directly to check things out.

Stupid Yahoo mail allows the address to come in with the Alias 'Support at Paypal' and displays it that way - where the real address is some prick.

[Kember]

I've not decided what to do about this yet but I'm sorely tempted to let my PayPal account wither on the vine and my eBay account with it. I think I might be stressed out if I submit my passport and bank account info online to PayPal I'd be constantly worrying about my identity being nicked.

£30 on a personal shredder from Staples was one of the best purchases I ever made.

Stephen

I, too, am rapidly coming to the conclusion that it is time to part company with both eBay and PayPal.

Between ludicrous fees, the innate bias against sellers, the application of arbitrary and unpredictable rules to auctions and the sheer pain of uploading stuff to the site, why bother any more? There are other sites and if I end up buying less as a consequence, so much the better I suppose.

Peter

[synsei]

Check that this is not a scam Stephen as PayPal should already have your relevant details in their possession...

[Joe]

As a long-time Paypal user I've never been asked to provide this sort of information (and certainly wouldn't provide it if asked!)

[John]

Its always best to go to paypal via their site not emails Far to many w------rs trying to get your money
Paypal has not asked me and I just used it today

[AlanS]

They have asked me to register a mobile phone number for password confirmations and update information. I declined, they have my email address already.

[Haselsh1]

As a long-time Paypal user I've never been asked to provide this sort of information (and certainly wouldn't provide it if asked!)

+1 to that