The Berkshire Hathaway PayPal Money Request Scam Explained
Written by: Thomas Orsolya
Published on:
Have you received a PayPal invoice stating you have a money request of $1400 from Berkshire Hathaway? This fabricated invoice is a sneaky scam targeting your account. Read on to learn how this phishing attack works and how to protect yourself.
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Overview of the Berkshire Hathaway PayPal Scam
This scam starts with an email pretending to be an invoice from PayPal. It states you have a pending money request of $1400 from Berkshire Hathaway, the holding company run by billionaire Warren Buffett.
The email urges you to call a provided customer support number (+1 828 468 8044) right away if you did not authorize this transaction. However, the number actually connects you to smooth-talking scammers posing as PayPal agents.
Once on the phone, the fraudsters will convince you the money request is valid and you need to allow it to avoid account restrictions. Their ultimate goal is to gain remote access to your computer and steal your PayPal login credentials or banking information.
Red Flags to Identify This Scam
While cleverly designed, a close look reveals multiple red flags that indicate the Berkshire Hathaway email is a phishing scam:
The sender email address does not match PayPal’s official customer support addresses.
There are grammar and spelling errors throughout the email.
Berkshire Hathaway is not actually making a random PayPal payment request.
The money request and provided case ID are invalid. They do not show up when logging into your real PayPal account.
The phone number goes to scammers impersonating PayPal agents, not real support staff.
How the Scam Works
Let’s take a closer look at the specific techniques used in this scam to compromise victims:
The scam starts with an email hitting the victim’s inbox with the subject “You’ve a money request of $1400 from Berkshire Hathaway.” The sender name is spoofed to appear as “Service@PayPal.com.”
The email states the victim has an open money request from Berkshire Hathaway’s PayPal account for $1400. It includes a fake case ID and claims the request will automatically accept in 24 hours.
Step 2) Email Instructs Victim to Call Scammer Phone Number
The email urges the recipient to call the listed 828 number immediately if they did not authorize this money request. This is reinforced with language intended to create urgency and panic, such as stating their account will face restrictions if they do not act fast.
Step 3) Victim Calls Number and Reaches Scammers Posing as PayPal
When victims call the number, it connects them to professional scammers impersonating PayPal billing and account specialists. The criminals confirm the money request is valid and must be allowed to avoid account limitations.
Step 4) Scammers Pressure Victim to Provide Account Access
Once convinced the request is real, scammers begin extracting the victim’s account access. They instruct the victim to log into their PayPal account on a phishing site, allowing the scammer to steal login credentials.
Or the scammers have victims download remote access software like TeamViewer allegedly to verify account ownership. This really gives the scammers unfettered access to the victim’s computer, email, financial accounts, and personal data.
Step 5) Criminals Steal Funds and Personal Information
With the victim’s PayPal access and remote control of the computer, the criminals can steal money from the PayPal account and linked bank accounts or credit cards. They also often spend time searching for any personal information, financial documents, or passwords stored on the computer to facilitate identity theft.
How to Protect Yourself from This Scam
If you receive a suspicious email about a money request from Berkshire Hathaway, take these steps:
Do not call the number in the email, as it will connect you with scammers, not PayPal.
Check your account by logging into PayPal directly through their website or app. Verify if any transaction or request is actually there.
Forward the scam email to PayPal at phishing@paypal.com so they can investigate it further.
Never provide remote access to your computer or login credentials to anyone over the phone claiming to be from PayPal. Real agents will never ask for this type of account access.
If you did provide scammers access, contact PayPal immediately to secure your account and dispute any fraudulent transactions. You may need to change online account passwords, cancel affected credit cards, and scan your computer for malware.
What To Do If You Already Fell Victim to This Scam
Unfortunately, many victims do not realize they have been scammed until it is too late. If you provided scammers with access to your PayPal account or remote control of your computer, take these steps right away:
Contact PayPal customer service immediately. Report unauthorized account access and transactions. Request they shut down the account to prevent further fraudulent activity.
Dispute any unauthorized charges or money transfers from your account with PayPal and your linked banks. Provide details on how you were scammed. This can help reverse the fraudulent transactions.
Closely monitor your bank accounts and credit cards linked to PayPal for any suspicious transactions. Unauthorized charges may occur if the scammers stole that financial information from your computer files or account access. Contact your bank and card issuers to report fraud and have new cards issued.
Install comprehensive anti-virus software on your computer if you allowed remote access. Run thorough scans to detect and remove any malware, spyware, or backdoors the scammers may have planted to continue accessing your computer.
Change your PayPal password, security questions, and enable 2-factor authentication when you regain account access. Also change passwords on any other online accounts for protection.
Place fraud alerts and monitor your credit reports with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion in case the stolen information is used for identity theft. Renew the alerts every 90 days.
File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and Federal Trade Commission. Provide details of how you were targeted and scammed. This can aid investigations to help bring these criminals to justice.
Educate yourself on the latest online scams to avoid being targeted again. Never fall for pressure tactics over the phone from unknown individuals regarding your financial accounts.
Is Your Device Infected? Check for Malware
If your device is running slowly or acting suspicious, it may be infected with malware. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free is a great option for scanning your device and detecting potential malware or viruses. The free version can efficiently check for and remove many common infections.
Malwarebytes can run on Windows, Mac, and Android devices. Depending on which operating system is installed on the device you’re trying to run a Malwarebytes scan, please click on the tab below and follow the displayed steps.
Malwarebytes For WindowsMalwarebytes For MacMalwarebytes For Android
Scan your computer with Malwarebytes for Windows to remove malware
Malwarebytes stands out as one of the leading and widely-used anti-malware solutions for Windows, and for good reason. It effectively eradicates various types of malware that other programs often overlook, all at no cost to you. When it comes to disinfecting an infected device, Malwarebytes has consistently been a free and indispensable tool in the battle against malware. We highly recommend it for maintaining a clean and secure system.
Download Malwarebytes for Windows
You can download Malwarebytes by clicking the link below.
After the download is complete, locate the MBSetup file, typically found in your Downloads folder. Double-click on the MBSetup file to begin the installation of Malwarebytes on your computer. If a User Account Control pop-up appears, click “Yes” to continue the Malwarebytes installation.
Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes
When the Malwarebytes installation begins, the setup wizard will guide you through the process.
You’ll first be prompted to choose the type of computer you’re installing the program on—select either “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer” as appropriate, then click on Next.
Malwarebytes will now begin the installation process on your device.
When the Malwarebytes installation is complete, the program will automatically open to the “Welcome to Malwarebytes” screen.
On the final screen, simply click on the Open Malwarebytes option to start the program.
Enable “Rootkit scanning”.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start, and you will see the main screen as shown below. To maximize Malwarebytes’ ability to detect malware and unwanted programs, we need to enable rootkit scanning. Click on the “Settings” gear icon located on the left of the screen to access the general settings section.
In the settings menu, enable the “Scan for rootkits” option by clicking the toggle switch until it turns blue.
Now that you have enabled rootkit scanning, click on the “Dashboard” button in the left pane to get back to the main screen.
Perform a Scan with Malwarebytes.
To start a scan, click the Scan button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its antivirus database and begin scanning your computer for malicious programs.
Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will now scan your computer for browser hijackers and other malicious programs. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
Quarantine detected malware
Once the Malwarebytes scan is complete, it will display a list of detected malware, adware, and potentially unwanted programs. To effectively remove these threats, click the “Quarantine” button.
Malwarebytes will now delete all of the files and registry keys and add them to the program’s quarantine.
Restart your computer.
When removing files, Malwarebytes may require a reboot to fully eliminate some threats. If you see a message indicating that a reboot is needed, please allow it. Once your computer has restarted and you are logged back in, you can continue with the remaining steps.
Your computer should now be free of trojans, adware, browser hijackers, and other malware.
If your current antivirus allowed this malicious program on your computer, you may want to consider purchasing Malwarebytes Premium to protect against these types of threats in the future. If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:
Scan your computer with Malwarebytes for Mac to remove malware
Malwarebytes for Mac is an on-demand scanner that can destroy many types of malware that other software tends to miss without costing you absolutely anything. When it comes to cleaning up an infected device, Malwarebytes has always been free, and we recommend it as an essential tool in the fight against malware.
Download Malwarebytes for Mac.
You can download Malwarebytes for Mac by clicking the link below.
When Malwarebytes has finished downloading, double-click on the setup file to install Malwarebytes on your computer. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.
Follow the on-screen prompts to install Malwarebytes.
When the Malwarebytes installation begins, you will see the Malwarebytes for Mac Installer which will guide you through the installation process. Click “Continue“, then keep following the prompts to continue with the installation process.
When your Malwarebytes installation completes, the program opens to the Welcome to Malwarebytes screen. Click the “Get started” button.
Select “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer”.
The Malwarebytes Welcome screen will first ask you what type of computer are you installing this program, click either Personal Computer or Work Computer.
Click on “Scan”.
To scan your computer with Malwarebytes, click on the “Scan” button. Malwarebytes for Mac will automatically update the antivirus database and start scanning your computer for malware.
Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will scan your computer for adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious programs. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
Click on “Quarantine”.
When the scan has been completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes has detected. To remove the malware that Malwarebytes has found, click on the “Quarantine” button.
Restart computer.
Malwarebytes will now remove all the malicious files that it has found. To complete the malware removal process, Malwarebytes may ask you to restart your computer.
Your Mac should now be free of adware, browser hijackers, and other malware.
If your current antivirus allowed a malicious program on your computer, you might want to consider purchasing the full-featured version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to protect against these types of threats in the future. If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove a malicious program from your computer, please ask for help in our Mac Malware Removal Help & Support forum.
Scan your phone with Malwarebytes for Android to remove malware
Malwarebytes for Android automatically detects and removes dangerous threats like malware and ransomware so you don’t have to worry about your most-used device being compromised. Aggressive detection of adware and potentially unwanted programs keeps your Android phone or tablet running smooth.
Download Malwarebytes for Android.
You can download Malwarebytes for Android by clicking the link below.
In the Google Play Store, tap “Install” to install Malwarebytes for Android on your device.
When the installation process has finished, tap “Open” to begin using Malwarebytes for Android. You can also open Malwarebytes by tapping on its icon in your phone menu or home screen.
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup process
When Malwarebytes will open, you will see the Malwarebytes Setup Wizard which will guide you through a series of permissions and other setup options. This is the first of two screens that explain the difference between the Premium and Free versions. Swipe this screen to continue. Tap on “Got it” to proceed to the next step. Malwarebytes for Android will now ask for a set of permissions that are required to scan your device and protect it from malware. Tap on “Give permission” to continue. Tap on “Allow” to permit Malwarebytes to access the files on your phone.
Update database and run a scan with Malwarebytes for Android
You will now be prompted to update the Malwarebytes database and run a full system scan.
Click on “Update database” to update the Malwarebytes for Android definitions to the latest version, then click on “Run full scan” to perform a system scan.
Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will now start scanning your phone for adware and other malicious apps. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
Click on “Remove Selected”.
When the scan has been completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes for Android has detected. To remove the malicious apps that Malwarebytes has found, tap on the “Remove Selected” button.
Restart your phone.
Malwarebytes for Android will now remove all the malicious apps that it has found. To complete the malware removal process, Malwarebytes may ask you to restart your device.
Your phone should now be free of adware, browser hijackers, and other malware.
If your current antivirus allowed a malicious app on your phone, you may want to consider purchasing the full-featured version of Malwarebytes to protect against these types of threats in the future. If you are still having problems with your phone after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:
Restore your phone to factory settings by going to Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Berkshire Hathaway PayPal Money Request Scam
1. What is the Berkshire Hathaway PayPal money request scam?
This is a phishing scam where victims receive a fake PayPal email stating Berkshire Hathaway has sent them a $1400 money request. The email instructs victims to call a number to authorize the payment. However, the number leads to scammers pretending to be PayPal support who access the victim’s account credentials.
2. How can I identify the fake Berkshire Hathaway email?
Red flags include:
Sender address does not match PayPal customer service.
Grammatical/spelling errors.
Berkshire Hathaway is not actually sending you money requests.
Case ID is invalid when checked on real PayPal account.
3. What happens when I call the number in the email?
The number connects you to skilled scammers impersonating PayPal billing agents. They will convince you the money request is real and must be authorized to avoid account restrictions. Their real goal is to steal your login credentials or get remote access to your computer.
4. What techniques do the scam call agents use?
The fake agents will:
Pressure you to log into PayPal on a phishing site to steal your username/password.
Request installation of remote access software like TeamViewer to take control of your computer.
Once they have account access, steal money and personal data.
5. Should I ever provide remote computer access to a call agent?
No, real PayPal employees will never ask for remote access to your computer, even for valid reasons like verifying account ownership. Granting remote access simply gives scammers total control to steal your information.
6. What steps can I take to avoid this scam?
If you get an email about a money request, take these steps:
Do not call the number in the email.
Log in to your PayPal account directly to verify any payment requests.
Forward the scam email to PayPal at phishing@paypal.com.
Never provide account credentials or remote access to a caller.
Contact PayPal if you did provide scammers access to secure your account.
7. What should I do if I already fell victim to this scam?
If you gave scammers access to your PayPal account, contact PayPal immediately to lock the account and dispute any unauthorized charges. Also watch for fraudulent charges on linked credit cards or bank accounts. You may need to cancel those cards to prevent additional misuse. Run antivirus software to check your computer for malware, change online account passwords, and monitor your credit reports for any suspicious activity.
The Bottom Line
The Berkshire Hathaway PayPal money request scam shows how far fraudsters will go to impersonate trusted companies like PayPal to steal from victims. But being aware of the scam’s red flags and verifying any payment requests directly within your PayPal account can help protect you. Remember that PayPal will never call you out of the blue demanding immediate payment for a money request. Use caution and do your own verification anytime you get an urgent call or email about your PayPal account funds.
How to Stay Safe Online
Here are 10 basic security tips to help you avoid malware and protect your device:
Use a good antivirus and keep it up-to-date.
It's essential to use a good quality antivirus and keep it up-to-date to stay ahead of the latest cyber threats. We are huge fans of Malwarebytes Premium and use it on all of our devices, including Windows and Mac computers as well as our mobile devices. Malwarebytes sits beside your traditional antivirus, filling in any gaps in its defenses, and providing extra protection against sneakier security threats.
Keep software and operating systems up-to-date.
Keep your operating system and apps up to date. Whenever an update is released for your device, download and install it right away. These updates often include security fixes, vulnerability patches, and other necessary maintenance.
Be careful when installing programs and apps.
Pay close attention to installation screens and license agreements when installing software. Custom or advanced installation options will often disclose any third-party software that is also being installed. Take great care in every stage of the process and make sure you know what it is you're agreeing to before you click "Next."
Install an ad blocker.
Use a browser-based content blocker, like AdGuard. Content blockers help stop malicious ads, Trojans, phishing, and other undesirable content that an antivirus product alone may not stop.
Be careful what you download.
A top goal of cybercriminals is to trick you into downloading malware—programs or apps that carry malware or try to steal information. This malware can be disguised as an app: anything from a popular game to something that checks traffic or the weather.
Be alert for people trying to trick you.
Whether it's your email, phone, messenger, or other applications, always be alert and on guard for someone trying to trick you into clicking on links or replying to messages. Remember that it's easy to spoof phone numbers, so a familiar name or number doesn't make messages more trustworthy.
Back up your data.
Back up your data frequently and check that your backup data can be restored. You can do this manually on an external HDD/USB stick, or automatically using backup software. This is also the best way to counter ransomware. Never connect the backup drive to a computer if you suspect that the computer is infected with malware.
Choose strong passwords.
Use strong and unique passwords for each of your accounts. Avoid using personal information or easily guessable words in your passwords. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your accounts whenever possible.
Be careful where you click.
Be cautious when clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. These could potentially contain malware or phishing scams.
Don't use pirated software.
Avoid using Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file-sharing programs, keygens, cracks, and other pirated software that can often compromise your data, privacy, or both.
To avoid potential dangers on the internet, it's important to follow these 10 basic safety rules. By doing so, you can protect yourself from many of the unpleasant surprises that can arise when using the web.
Meet Thomas Orsolya
Thomas is an expert at uncovering scams and providing in-depth reporting on cyber threats and online fraud. As an editor, he is dedicated to keeping readers informed on the latest developments in cybersecurity and tech.
