Paypal, you're doing it wrong.

[inoah]

I just got an unsolicited phone call from someone claiming to be a representative from Paypal, calling to verify a recent transaction on my account to make sure I authorized it. The caller proceeded to ask me for the email address on my account before he could continue. When I balked at giving out any personally identifying information when I had

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[jgcr]

It's been a while since I've had this happen, but how do credit card co's handle the similar "we just saw a shady charge from Romania, is this OK?" protocol? They do call you, I know that much. I thought they basically did the same thing, only with birthdate or similar.

[inoah]

My bank will call me, leave an automated message asking me to contact them at the phone number which is on the back of my credit card. When I call them, they ask the usual security questions asked when I call them for other reasons. Then they ask me to identify some of the recent transactions I've made with my credit card, including ones that may not have been suspect.

When they ask me to contact them, they don't even state why they are calling; only that I should contact them.

All of the banks I've used in the past have followed a similar protocol.