I have received requests like that, but it was a scam. Paypal did not send it to me. I deleted it and ignored it. You should be very careful. I've received it more than once and unless you are sure you are dealing with paypal, ignore it.

If you forward the entire e-mail to: [email protected], then PayPal has a chance to investigate those types of things.

if i can't pay with my bank card, i look elsewhere to buy

I frequently use a credit card through PayPal to buy online. It is much safer than giving your credit card number directly to a merchant. PayPal adds a huge extra layer of protection to using a credit card online.

I do not transfer money from my bank account to my PayPal account, so my PayPal account is usually at 0. If I want to buy something online, my first choice is always to use one of the credit cards I have added to my PayPal account (these can be ANY credit cards, not necessarily PayPal's credit card, and you can add as many as you want) because (1) I get the extra insurance of paying with a credit card, such as being able to dispute a charge, (2) the credit card I use has reward points I can cash in later, and (3) doing the cc through PayPal is safer than just using a cc.

If I can use PayPal but not a credit card (for example, if I want to buy something from someone listing on the QB thrift shop area), then I pay with the default option of PayPal. It is an instant transfer because I have linked my bank account to my PayPal acccount and have also linked a backup credit card.

Was it a number in the email that you received that you called if so I would not trust what was said. Get the real number for paypal and ask to talk to a manager. This just doesn't sound right. As a buyer they do not need your SSN. Only for sellers and that should be done when you set up the account to sell. They have never asked me as a buyer for mine and I would not give it to them anyway.