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Message 1 of 2

ISP Location Error - PayPal?

Hi 👋,

So today I purchased an item and used PayPal to complete the transaction. To continue with the purchase I had to enter a verification code sent to my mobile and then after it went through I had an email from PP stating 'Login from new device'😶. Even though I was using the same laptop that I have used for the last 2yrs (and I use PP on a regular basis) the email stated that my location was 'middlesbrough mdb uk'🤔 Erm WHAT😲???? I live no where near there, I have never been there and I have no intention of going there in the near future (although I'm sure it's nice 😁) so I have no idea how this was determined.

I looked on PP Community to see if this had been seen before and many people have stated they have had the same email with the same location error. A few of them even confirmed that they were with BT and had the same location error of 'middlesbrough mdb uk'.

One reply was ...

'Why is my ISP location wrong?
If you notice an IP location is incorrect, this may be due to the internet provider (ISP) reporting incorrect location data. Another possible cause of this issue could come from users that are going through a proxy server that is being hosted in a different area than the user.
One factor to consider is your ISP - some ISPs route all their traffic to a fairly central location before it reaches the public internet. As such, regardless of where you are actually located, your internet traffic will appear to be coming from the location of the ISP's exit point.'
 
Another was.....
' It's possible that this location is actually the location of a server used in the transaction authentication/approval process somewhere between PayPal and our personal bank/building society.'
 
So, can anyone shed any light on this either with regards to BT or if there is another explanation? As we all know, any variance in details to what they should be is very worrying. 
 
Any help would be greatly appreciated👍
Ta kindly,
 
Kerry x x
1 REPLY 1
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Message 2 of 2

Re: ISP Location Error - PayPal?

Internet users have an IP address allocated to them by the ISP in yout case BT that provides them with Internet access.  That IP address is allocated from a pool of IP addresses that is assigned to the ISP. The "geolocation" of an IP address is based on the business address of the ISP to which that IP address has been assigned.  Thus, the location reported for your IP address will nearly always be different from your own physical location.

As regards the "log in from new device" can happen if you have cleared the history and cookies from your Internet browser o are using a new browser.

You can set up two factor authentication in PayPal which gives another level of security.

What is 2-step verification and how do I turn it on or off? (paypal.com)