Consumer complaint received 2025-10-08 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem — 
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: WV

Complaint narrative:
In XXXX, XXXX, my husband 's and my finances were hacked and we have been suffering form numerous unauthorized transactions. 

Over the summer, we have been installed XXXX XXXX and hundreds of dollars in anti-virus and XXXX protections and scrubbed all of our computers. 
We changed passwords almost weekly, replaced all of debit and credit cards. 
XXXX was fantastic. Each time an authorized transaction happened, they took our side and straightened things out and was very helpful. 

PayPal is the opposite. Because the thieves used our IP address -- PayPal determines that the transactions are AUTHORIZED. Even though I have had NO CONTACT with the thieves and have never in my 15 years of being a customer with PayPal ever did any business with any of these companies. 

The latest and the greatest : On XX/XX/XXXX, a transaction for XXXX went through my PayPal for XXXXXXXX XXXX for a XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXr to be sent to XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, FL. 

I disputed the transaction within minutes ( I was paying vendors at the time and this unauthorized transaction drained my account! ). PayPal, they closed this case as authorized because the thieves used my IP address. I had to appeal multiple times before PayPal closed the case in my favor because I did not receive the XXXX XXXX 

I don't know XXXX. I have never been to XXXX, Florida. I don't do gaming. Yet, because XXXX used my IP address, PayPal concluded that I must have some sort of connection to him in another realm. 

Getting away with stealing my money to once, XXXX decided to up the game purchasing {$1100.00} in XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX on XX/XX/XXXX to be shipped to the same address. 

In XXXX, after PayPal closed the previous case in the thief 's favor, I decided to switch to XXXX and only keep a XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX in PayPal because many of my vendors use PayPal Big Mistake. Since the XXXX account was linked to PayPal, XXXX drained my PayPal to XXXX and took the rest of the money from XXXX. 

XXXX handed the money to the hacker and thief, claiming it was authorized. 

This week, PayPal closed the case was AUTHORIZED. 

How was it authorized? I don't know XXXX. I've never met him. I'd liked to -- in court with him in orange overalls and shackles. 

But, since he is using an IP address associated with my account since XXXX, PayPal claims he is authorized to have my money. ( Even though over the summer I got XXXX XXXX and my IP address changes daily. But since this identity thief is using an IP address that I have used, he's authorized to any and all of my money. 

On XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX, I invited PayPal to come to my home and search all of my devices for proof that I know XXXX and authorized him to make these transactions. I invited PayPal to check every device in our home or that we have access to find proof that I have had ANY dealings with XXXX Merchants or XXXX. 

They won't. They say that the XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX and {$1200.00} of T-shirts is consistent with my buying patterns. So is shipping stuff to XXXX, FL, a place I have never been in my life. 

So, they are changing the complaint to non-receipt of merchandise. They may or may not close it in favor with this appeal. 

XXXX has a XXXX tracking showing that the T-shirts were delivered to XXXX. I guess XXXX wants to dress nice while he's enjoying the XXXXXXXX XXXX I paid for. 

How many legitimate crime victims does PayPal deny every year because the victim can not prove a negative? How do you PROVE you DID NOT authorize a transaction with a company that you have had no history or contact with. 

The principle of " you can not prove a negative '' stems from the nature of evidence and logical reasoning. Proving a negativesuch as " X does not exist '' or " Y never happened '' is inherently difficult because it requires demonstrating the absence of something across all possible instances, which is often impossible due to practical and logical limitations. 

PayPal 's investigators don't know the basics of Cyber-Crime 101. An identity thief gets my IP address and PayPal, instead of taking the side of a customer who has been with them for 15 years, welcomes the Identity Thief inside to help himself to my money.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief