The Pennsylvania Attorney General is warning residents of a new cyber scam that involves sending "invoices" through PayPal. 

According to the Attorney General, the scammers use PayPal to send requests for payments to target's email inbox, sometimes repeatedly, making the matter appear urgent. 

The messages attached to the request often contain a toll free number to a directive call, the call line goes to the scammer, who will then try to obtain personal information. 

“Scammers are well aware that many Pennsylvanians rely on PayPal to send and receive money to their friends and family, or as part of a small business,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said. “This is another example of the sophistication of cyber scams, and a reminder to pause and be vigilant before offering personal information or sending money online. Our Bureau of Consumer Protection is standing by to assist Pennsylvanians who are harmed.”

Residents are advised to take the following steps: 

  1. Check the email address. If the email is not from "service@paypal.com" - ignore it. 
  2. Check the request. Even if the invoice appears to be coming from a legitimate address, if you do not recognize the payment being requested, it is safest to ignore it. 

Additionally, if you receive a concerning invoice from PayPal, contact customer service at PayPal.com.