Why don't I see my paypal payment to me in my paypal balance?

Question

I recieved an email saying "instant purchase payment recieved" from the buyer of my item sold on ebay, from his email address. it had a link telling me to click below to sign a registration form to recieve my payment........I clicked the link and signed into my account but no money is in my paypal balance and i didn't see a registration form.......Why is this? Could this be a scam? Am I supposed to recieve an instant purchase payment from "his" email address or am i supposed to recieve one from "paypal"? Is this a scam?

Oh, how long does it take for a payment sent to me through paypal to show up in my paypal balance???

Answer 1

YOU HAVE BEEN SCAMMED.

Contact eBay immediately. Send them copies of the e-mail you got if you still have it. There is no need for you to register or sign in to receive a payment from a seller -- you are *already* registered with Paypal and eBay. You should not have paid any attention to that e-mail allegedly from the buyer.

You should NEVER click on a link in ANY e-mail and then provide any account information when you get to the site. If you look at the details of where that link *really* sent you, I'm sure it will turn out to be a spoof site -- one that's made to LOOK like it was really eBay or really Paypal, but which was actually a trap just to collect the login information you typed.

Your eBay and Paypal accounts may already have been hacked. CONTACT THEM IMMEDIATELY.

Answer 2

"Oh, how long does it take for a payment sent to me through paypal to show up in my paypal balance???"

Seconds!

Chip