Scammers And eBay :

2007-06-02T07:19:00.000-07:00

Protect Yourself from Fraud Attempts by Email

What is a Spoof Email, and how do I recognize one?

I Received a Spoof Email, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Examples of email scammer messages - learn to recognize them

Other eBay Scams - ship to Africa, the eBay warehouse, etc.

Is there something I can do to avoid being fooled in the future?
a few happy stories
a few sad stories

Spoof (Criminal Theft Attempt) Email Messages

The current internet email system allows a message to be sent with forged return addresses. In addition, links within HTML formatted messages can also be disguised.

The scammer takes advantage of the combination of these two abilities to send you the "spoof" message. A spoof message is a message with a forged return address (thus appearing to come from eBay) containing a link that has been disguised (thus appearing to be legitimate).

Generally, each message starts out claiming you have some sort of problem (or occasionally, a REALLY good offer, contest win or urgent question) that must be acted upon quickly. The message usually says that you need to 'update', 'prove' or 'validate' your account information. It might threaten some dire consequence if you don’t respond.

There can be some indications that these are not really from eBay or PayPal, such as poor spelling, grammatical errors, salutations and ridiculous claims. But, you can ALWAYS know they are fake because they ask you to click a link (or a clickable button, like RESPOND NOW) in the message to resolve the problem. This is your first clue that it is FAKE. The scammers will eventually learn to perfect their message content, but they must still convince you to click that link (or button).

If the message purports to be from eBay, a duplicate copy will be in the MY MESSAGES section of your MY EBAY. Always check there before even considering taking any action. If it is not in your MY MESSAGES, this is another clue that it is FAKE.

If you do click the link in a FAKE message (not recommended) it will take you to a very real-looking screen with genuine logos and apparently real links, where personal information will be solicited. DO NOT not fall victim to their fraudulent attempt to obtain your personal information in this manner.

I received a spoof email, WHAT DO I DO?
---If you clicked the link or otherwise disclosed information....

Since that disclosure of personal information has put you at risk of becoming a victim of identity theft, you should immediately go to the Federal Trade Commission's identity theft website, and follow the directions there for reporting information to credit bureaus, credit-card companies, and law enforcement.
ALSO file an online complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (a joint project of the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center).
Also, change passwords as described just below.

---If you clicked the link (because just clicking can acquire keylogging software or viruses)...

change your password - AND - change your secret question and answer
run a full virus scan of your computer, using updated software, removing all threats
run a full adware/spyware scan of your computer, using updated software, removing all threats
reboot your computer
change your password again - AND - change your secret question and answer again

---If you did NOT click the link...

do not respond to the email.

---And in ALL cases above...forward copies of the e-mail or file a complaint with all of the following places. They work to shut down these criminals.

spoof@ebay.com -- eBay, or spoof@paypal.com -- PayPal.
-- file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission: file a complaint
reportphishing@antiphishing.org -- Anti-Phishing Working Group, or report phishing AND
scams@fraudwatchinternational.com -- the Fraud Watch International Investigation Team.

Is there something I can do to avoid being fooled in the future?

eBay has started adding a duplicate COPY of mail they send to you in your MY MESSAGES section of your MY EBAY. Always look there to see if a copy of the email you received is there.
NEVER use the within a message you received in your regular email account.
Read how to turn off HTML messages from eBay to help you distinguish between genuine eBay messages and scammer messages.
eBay recommends that you use their TOOLBAR.

Spoof Email Message Excerpts

The messages below are taken from actual messages received that appear to be from a legitimate source but are actually an attempt to get you to GIVE AWAY your personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, bank account details, etc.

Use the rest of this page to view some of the ways criminals are attempting to steal your personal information. You may want to use the search feature, as my collection has grown quite large. Learn to recognize the many ploys they are using. Perhaps then the light will go on, and you will save yourself a LOT of hassle and perhaps a lot money, too.

If you find one significantly different than any of these, post it on the Trust & Safety board, I will see it and perhaps add it to this collection. Many thanks to those of you that have done this.

My collection of phishing messages...

I first saw the following (Jun-2006)"Please confirm me if this is a same item with the item listed on [spoof link deleted]". This was sent as an Ask Seller a Question. Tricky b@$trd$.
"notebooksauction (3804) has filed a request to mutually withdraw feedback for the transaction shown below. eBay allows members to withdraw feedback for a transaction if they both agree it is no longer appropriate. ... If you agree, please fill out the feedback withdrawal form [spoof link deleted]. Please note: To withdraw feedback, you must complete the online form within 24 hours from the end of the listing or within 1 day of the date the feedback was left, whichever is longer.
"Our taxes for sending and receiving money were recalculated.PayPal must repay 4823 members including you the amount of 148.92$ .You will receive this amount of money when you will first send or receive money through PayPal. Please confirm your account,this way,the process will be considered valid.Click the link below [spoof link deleted] and enter your information on the following page to confirm your account."
"Hey are you going to buy the item from the auction that you won, why don't you answer to my emails, if you don't Respond Now I will contact ebay safe harbor and I will report you ! I am not a fool !" (They want you to click a FAKE "Respond Now" button)
"I'm still waiting the package to arrive. What happened? Please mailme ASAP or I will report you to ebay." (They want you to click a FAKE "Respond Now" button)
"We are proud to announce you that you have won a $700 free shopping gift card from ebay Inc. You will receive the gift card in your email address in 3 days from the confirmation date. To receive this gift card we have to check your identification information with the security number listed below. To do this please click here [spoof link deleted].
"You've been on a super sales streak and since you've done so well, it's time to recognize you for your efforts. You are PowerSeller Silver! Congratulations! joining the eBay Silver PowerSeller Program. Come and join us. When you join the PowerSeller program, you'll be able to receive more of the support you'll need for continued success. So, why wait? Join now! [spoof link deleted]" (This particular scam message was extra funny because it was mailed to a seven day old account with only a single feedback, and that was from buying.)
"Due to recent auction fraud, we have issued the following security requirements. It has come to our attion that 95% of all fraudulent auctions are caused by members using stolen credit cards to purchase or sell non existant items. Thus we require our members to add a Debit/Check card to their billing records as part of our continuing commitment to protect your account and to reduce the instance of fraud on our website. Your Debit/Check card will only be used to identify you and bill any open seller fees incase your initial credit card gets declined. If you could please take 5-10 minutes out of your online experience and renew your records you will not run into any future problems with the eBay® service. However, failure to confirm your records will result in your account suspension. Once you have updated your account records your eBay® auction service will not be interrupted and will continue as normal. To update your billing records please login to your account by clicking here [spoof link deleted]." (Good thing this is a fake, I don't even have a Debit/Check card.)
"We regret to inform you that your eBay registration could be suspended for an indefinite amount of time due to the violation of our site policy below: * Shill Bidding, deliberate - The deliberate use of secondary User IDs or other eBay members to artificially raise the level of bidding and/or price of an item Please remember that family members or housemates should not be bidding on each other's auctions. Click below to resolve any dispute: [spoof link deleted]Regards, eBay International AG" (eBay suspends shill bidders, they don't invite them to click links.)
"Thank you for being an important part of our community. As a sign of respect and recognition a little gift from all of us here at eBay. $25.00 USD - How to redeem your Gift Certificate: Log on to [spoof link deleted]. You must log in using the link provided in 3 days from receiving this message. Once you have logged in the amount will automatically credited to your account. Please allow up to 5 days for the amount to show off in your account balance." (This way we, the scammers, will have 5 days to run amok with your personal info.)
"Recently, our Account Review Team identified some unusual activity in your account. In accordance with eBay User Agreement and to ensure that your account has not been compromised, access to your account was limited. Your account access will remain limited until this issue has been resolved. ... To restore your account you must verify your eBay records ,click on the following link: [spoof link deleted] We encourage you to log in and restore full access as soon as possible. Should access to your account remain limited for an extended period of time, it may result in further limitations on the use of your account or may result in eventual account closure." (To ensure your account has not been compromised, they plan to compromise your account!)
"Dear eBay Community Member, The bid that you entered for the item (1234567890) has been cancelled. You can view the reason provided for the cancellation by selecting the link bellow. [spoof link deleted]." (You did not bid on that item, I guarantee it.)
"We regret to inform you that your eBay account has been suspended due to concerns we have for the safety and integrity of the eBay community. As we state in the User Agreement, Section 8, we may immediately issue a warning, suspend, or terminate your membership ... If you feel you have been suspended in error or want to appeal this decision by providing additional information, please click here: [spoof link removed]" (Hmmm, these used to quote Section 9.)
"This is your final warning about the safety of your eBay account. If you do not update your billing informations your access on eBay will be restricted and the user deleted. This might be due to either following reasons (bunch of legitimate sounding reasons) Your credit card on file with eBay Card number: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-4322 (Not shown for security purposes) Expiration date: 11/05. Please sign in to your eBay account and update your billing information: [spoof link deleted] If your account information is not updated, your ability to sell or bid on eBay will become restricted. (If your account information is updated, expect the unexpected, like being "deleted".)
"Hello, My mother purchased one item from you and recommended you as a seller I can really trust. I'd like to place an order with you but I'm wondering if you accept personal checks (no problem if I have to wait till it's cleared).I also would like item to be shipped via USPS.What are the terms of shipping? Thank you for your answer!" (The spoof link is the "Respond Now" button, so watch out!)
"We are glad to inform you that our department have chosen you to participate in our eBay Gold Member(tm) beta testing program. From now on you as a Gold Member can benefit from this exciting features: 50% slashed eBay fees on Selling, Gold Member’s community to share expierence in buying and selling on eBay (and lots more incentives deleted here for brevity). Ready to benefit? Just click [spoof link deleted] to activate your Gold Membership today." (eBay is RAISING fees, not slashing them - get real!)
"I have paid for that item. When it will be shipped ?? To view the item, go to: [spoof link deleted] Thank you, [(fake) biddername deleted]" (The link, when clicked, installs a very invasive keystroke virus - DO NOT CLICK the link AT ALL. Thoroughly invesitgate the item number and bidder name before responding to any similar messages.)
"eBay NewYears User Agreement Update. It's that time of year again! With 2005 only days away, we have updated the eBay user agreement. As a result of the update, your account will be restricted until you have followed the link below [spoof link deleted] and reconfirmed your contractual agreement with eBay. We apologize for any inconvience as a result of the update, but as a large e-commerce entity we are required to receive an updated agreement at the beginning of each year." (I resolve not to click links in emails.)
"You are the blessed winner PowerBook G4/1.5GHz SuperDrive 17" tow-bit $2,800.00. behind the brawing out of date January-05-2005 . All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 6,383,546 individual email addresses.Verification information appointment and address shipping please appeal to next link [spoof link deleted]." (Who'd want a 'tow-bit' computer anyway?)
"Recently, our Account Review Team identified some unusual activity in your account. In accordance with PayPal's User Agreement and to ensure that your account has not been compromised, access to your account was limited. Your account access will remain limited until this issue has been resolved. This is a fraud prevention measure meant to ensure that your account is not compromised. ... To update your Paypal records click on the following link: [spoof link deleted]" (If you fall for this scam, you will soon be seeing some genuine unusual activity in your account.)
"You have received this email because you or someone had used your account to make fake bids at eBay. For security purposes, we are required to open an investigation into this matter. THE FRAUD ALERT ID CODE CONTAINED IN THIS MESSAGE WILL BE ATTACHED IN OUR FRAUD MEDIATION REQUEST FORM, IN ORDER TO VERIFY YOUR EBAY ACCOUNT REGISTRATION INFORMATIONS. Fraud Alert ID CODE: 00937614 (Please save this Fraud Alert ID Code for your reference.) To help speed up this process, please access the following form to complete the verification of your eBay account registration informations: [spoof link deleted]..fraud alert id code=00936614" (The criminal scammer couldn't even get the fraud alert ID code right.)
"This email confirms that you have paid phonexxxxx (phonexxxxx@yahoo.com) $278.99 USD using PayPal. Payment Details ... If you did not authorize this payment or if you need assistance with your account, please contact PayPal customer service at [spoof link deleted]." (This can be very convincing, but remember about the links -- don't click them.)
"You have added laptopxxxxxx@yahoo.com as a new email address for your PayPal account. If you did not authorize this change or if you need assistance with your account, please contact PayPal customer service at [spoof link deleted]". (Short and to the point, but still a total SCAM.)
"We are glad that you are satisfied with the services and solutions that our company offers you and your partners. As part of our commitment, to permanently improve our services and to open new horizons regarding the online payments, PayPal.com puts to your disposal a new wide range of services, among which you can find an improved ebay auction payment system,lower rates up to 50% less for each transaction performed, a whole new interface, more enjoyable during your online sessions. This upgrade is free of charge and is available for all the active members of our company. In order to avail yourself to this opportunity and to read more about our services click [spoof link deleted] now. (This should have set off your 'too good to be true' alarms!)
"We did not receive the information that we ask you to provide to us and we regret to inform you that your account will be suspended in the next 12 hour due to concerns we have for the safety and integrity of the eBay community because we have information that this account is fraudulent. You may not have been aware, however it appears that a third party was able to gain access to your eBay account and use it to bid and list some unauthorised auctions. Once we became aware of this unauthorised activity, immediate action was taken. At that time, all fees associated with these listings were not credited to your account. --- Sent by UNREGISTERED VERSION of Atomic Mail Sender" (eBay does not use Atomic Mail Sender.)
"We regret to inform you that your home phone number had an error on Ebay Inc. databases. We use your phone number for your identification purpose only. If the requested information is not provided to us then we will regret to inform you that your account will be suspended from our database until required information is provided. Due to this violation your account will be suspended indefinitely from the site until valid information can be provided. To provide us with your phone number, just click the link below and Please complete this form. [spoof link deleted]". (I 'regret to inform you' this is a scam.)
"We at eBay are trully sorry to inform you that we are having problems with the billing information of your account. We would appreciate it if you would visit our website eBay Billing Center and fill out the proper information that we are needing to keep you as an eBay member. If you think you have received this email as an error, please visit our website and fill out the necessary information. That way we can make sure that everything is up to date! Again here is the link to our website. [spoof link deleted] to visit eBay Billing Center". (I'm 'trully' happy to tell you this is a scam.)
"Due to recent account takeovers and unauthorized listings, eBay is introducing a new account verification method. From time to time, randomly selected accounts (seller and/or buyer) are subjected to an advanced verification process based on our merchant accounts/bank relations and customers credit card. eBay may also request in an email message scanned/faxed copies of one or more photo ID's. Your account confirmation may go wrong if your credit card/bank account is expired, or if you have changed your credit card number, billing address etc. without notifying us about the change. Subject of this verification process are also the accounts that have unpaid dues to eBay. To confirm your identity with us click here: [spoof link deleted]. (This is an "advanced" identity theft method.)
"Due to our new services you have to pay for your eBay fees. You can pay with your credit/debit card. We will ask for your credit/debit card only once. We will charge your account once per month. However you will receive a confirmation request in about 24 hours after the credit/debit card is authorized.You have 24 hours from the time you'll receive this e-mail to complete this eBay Request. To make the funds payable to us please use this ZZZlink: [spoof link deleted]" (You give away your information only once, but the thief will use it many times.)
"You have received this email because you or someone else had used your identity to make illegal purchases on eBay. For security reasons , We have to check your acccount for illegal acctions on our website . We treat online fraud seriously and all cases which cannot be resolved between eBay and the other involved party are forwarded for further investigations to the proper authorities. To speed up this process, you are required to verify your personal information against the eBay account registration data we have on file by following the link below [spoof link deleted]...We apreciate your support and understading, as we work together to keep eBay a safe place to trade. You helped us a lot to combat illegal acctions on our website trading." (If you give your information away, you will be helping a lot to foster (not combat) illegal 'acctions'.)
"We recently have determined that different computers have logged onto your eBay account, and multiple password failures were present before the logons. We now need you to re-confirm your account information to us. If this is not completed by August 30, 2004, we will be forced to suspend your account indefinitely, as it may have been used for fraudulent purposes. We thank you for your cooperation in this manner. To confirm your eBay records click here: [spoof link deleted]." (It is so polite of the criminal to thank you for giving them your personal information.)
"Your bank has contacted us regarding some attempts of charges from your credit card via the eBay system. We have reasons to believe that you changed your registration information or that someone else has unauthorized access to your eBay account Due to recent activity, including possible unauthorized listings placed on your account, we will require a second confirmation of your identity with us in order to allow us to investigate this matter further. Please use this link to verify the security information: [spoof link deleted]. (If you fall for this one, then "some attempts of charges" will certainly be made - by the criminal.)
"We need to inform you that during our security reform we are asking every user to verify your registration information, this security measure will protect our customers from account thefts and any other fraudulent activities. To verify your user information please click on the link below [spoof link deleted]". (Every user must verify YOUR registration. That should take a while!)
"Due to recent activity, including possible unauthorized listings placed on your account, we will require a second confirmation of your identity with us in order to allow us to investigate this matter further. Your account is not suspended, but if in 48 hours after you receive this message your account is not confirmed we reserve the right to suspend your eBay registration. To confirm your identity with us click here: [spoof link deleted]." (Don't fall for the "recent activity" scare....)
"This is an important message you have to read immediately after you get it. In the past 3 months, hackers tried to steal our users accounts with trivial procedures and use them for fraud. We worked with the FBI to ensure that those evil persons were caught. Unfortunately,some of the information in our system was compromised. Because of that, all users must log in and check if nothing in their accounts was modified. With this occasion we will log all ip addresses when users log in to eBay and store them in a database. When an unknown ip address is trying to login into your account, we will know that it's not you, and start the legal procedures. Please click this link [spoof link deleted] to login to eBay." (Unbelievably "evil" criminal at work here, folks!)
(received July 25) "We are pleased to inform you of the result of the eBay Online Winner programs held on the 28th of January. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number. .... You might have been approved for a lump sum pay out of US$ 50,000.00 (Fifty Thousand United States Dollars). To verify these guidelines please visit [spoof link deleted] and enter your information to verify your account." (You didn't win any money, but you will be short of money if you fall for this one.)
"You are urged to establish your proof of identity with ID Verify - an easy way to help others trust you as their trading partner as our service quality is changing. The process takes about 5 minutes to complete and involves updating your information over a secure connection. Click here [spoof link deleted] and ID Verify Now, help us improve the service we are providing to our customers. Warning: Failure to Verify your ID may result in Account Suspension." (This one is very close to the wording used when you VOLUNTARILY use ID verification - it is still a scam.)
"An account is typically suspended from eBay for serious violations of eBay's or an incomplete informations. A selling account may also be placed on hold for non-payment of eBay fees...Don't forget to update your personal eBay information in maxim 72 hours. For automatical configuration please click here [spoof link deleted]." (To avoid 'automatical' trouble, don't click the link!)
"Five password bruteforcing attems were performed on your eBay account. You must register and ID Verify certificate in order to remain in the eBay Community. Dear eBay Community Member, You (or someone else) has attempted to log in with your eBay ID and 5 diffrent wrong passwords. According to our site policy you will have to confirm that you are the real owner of the eBay account by completing the following form [spoof link deleted] or else your account will be suspended within 24 hours for investigations. Confirm my account information and continue beeing a member of the eBay Online Auction Community. Never share your eBay password to anyone!" (Very good advice, don't even share it "to" this criminal!)
We regret to inform you that your eBay account has been suspended due to concerns we have for the safety and integrity of the eBay community. Per the User Agreement, Section 9, we may immediately issue a warning, temporarily suspend, indefinitely suspend or terminate your membership and refuse to provide our services to you if we believe that your actions (blah, blah, blah). The fastest and the most efficient way of becoming unsuspended is by clicking on the link below, [spoof link deleted]. (The fastest way to give away your personal information is by clicking that link).
[hypocrite #3]"We regret to inform you that your eBay account will be suspended due to the violation of our site policy below: * Misrepresentation of Identity (User) - Representing yourself as another eBay user or registering using the identity of another. According to our site policy you will have to confirm that you are the real owner of the eBay account by completing the following form or else your account will be deleted.[spoof link deleted]" (The only one misrepresenting themselves here is the criminal.)
We are pleased to introduce a Free Shipping and Handling Solution in the eBay Solutions Directory. Our new Solution is available to both sellers and buyers wich have a debit card registred eBay account. Use the promotional code below to register and eliminate all shipping charges for items under 65lbs. To register a debit card with you current eBay account and benefit of Free Shipping and Handling Solution, click here [spoof link deleted]." (The only "free shipping" will be that on the items bought by the criminal with YOUR debit card.)
[hypocrite #2]"Due to recent activity, including possible unauthorized listings placed on your account, we will require a second confirmation of your identity with us in order to allow us to investigate this matter further. ... eBay is committed to assist law enforcement with any inquires related to attempts to misappropriate personal information with the intent to commit fraud or theft. ... eBay will request personal data (password, credit card/bank numbers, and so on) in this email. [spoof link deleted]" (...and the criminal is committed to misappropriating your information, then your money.)
"Due to concerns, for the safety and integrity of the PayPal community we have issued this warning message. It has come to our attention that your account information needs to be renew due to inactive members, spoof reports and frauds. You must to renew your records and you will not run into any future problems with the online service. However, failure to update your records will result in account deletation. [spoof link 'deletated']" (It would be very nice to be guaranteed no future problems with PayPal.)
"The following lines are needed by eBay because we suspect that an unauthorized party has attempted to access your eBay account from outside USA. What happened?: In the last 24 hours 11 unsuccessful attempts were made to Sign In with your eBay User ID. The requests were made between 1:02 to 2:08 PM. You must print this page [spoof page deleted] and send us one fax message in 24 hours. Please complete all the required fields, make sure the text is readable." (The criminal then asks for all of your personal information and gives a fax number in Alhambra CA (not the home of eBay). Hey, no link, but still a fake.)
"...you or someone had used your account to make fake bids at eBay. Due to recent illegal activity, including possible unauthorized user registration data changes, we have temporarily suspended activity on your account in order to prevent any fraudulent activity from occurring we are required to open an investigation into this matter. To avoid any possible errors that might occur during this process we advise you to check if your account is active and the registration informations are correct by clicking the following link: (taking less than one minute): [spoof link deleted]" (The criminal just said they just suspended activity on your account and they expect you to click a link to check if your account is active??)
"eBay prohibits email offers to buy or sell listed items outside of the eBay site. Some members have reported receiving such offers from you. Because there have been many cases in which a third party tried to sell or buy items outside of the eBay site, we have to temporarily suspend these accounts. If you feel that there has been an error in this, click on the link below [spoof link deleted], complete the form so we will know that you made these contacts and not a third party without your permission. Please note that if you go to the link but you will not complete the form your account will be suspended." (criminal wants you to think everything will be OK if you admit to attempting off-eBay deals.)
"We are moving to better servers so that better services can be provided.Due to our migration, it is necessary to update our database and backup our customer's data. In order for us to accomplish that, you need to enter the below information. ATTENTION! If this information is not sent to eBay by [a date only a few days away], your eBay account with us will be automatically deleted! All fields below are required. Please double check before you Submit." (The criminals must be getting a lot of incorrect information lately.)
"PLEASE READ THIS MESSAGE IN ORDER TO VERIFY YOUR EBAY REGISTRATION INFORMATION! YOU MUST ENTER THE CONFIRMATION CODE CONTAINED IN THIS MESSAGE IN OUR CONFIRMATION FORM IN ORDER TO CONFIRM LIKE THIS E-MAIL IS ATTACHED TO YOUR E-BAY ACCOUNT. Please access the following form to confirm your e-mail: [spoof link deleted] You will be asked for the Confirmation Code, which you must type EXACTLY as it appears below." (The criminal doesn't even threaten you with suspension or anything! They just expect you to follow orders.)
"Please place your card on file now because we are currently updating our database! Your card will not be charged. Rest assured that your information is kept safe and private." (It WILL be charged, rest assured, and not by you.)
"As part of our continuing commitment to protect your account and to reduce the instance of fraud on our website , we are undertaking a period review of our member accounts. You are requested to visit our site by following the link given below , [spoof link deleted] This message was sent to you courtesy of eBay's computerized e-mail system. Please do not send a reply to this message, as it will vanish into the mysterious electronic void. If you have a question or some input, and would like a response from a live, caring human being, please e-mail us at info@eBay.com." (Next, your available credit limit will vanish inot the mysterious electrionic void.)
"You have been selected by eBay for our special program regarding the war in IRAQ. Through this, eBay Inc. and associates with the help of the US Government, tries to bring hope in the hearts of the IRAQ people by asking members to make a $1 donation that will go into the IRAQ reconstruction funds. Just click the following link [spoof link deleted] to donate only $1 for an entire year of fee-free eBay! (You won't be free of eBay fees, but you will be freed of your PayPal balance.)
[hypocrite #1]"...you or someone else had used your account to make fake bids on eBay. For security purposes, we are required to open an investigation into this matter. To speed up this process, you are require to verify your eBay account by following the link below [spoof link deleted]...Please Note - If your account informations are not updated within the next 72 hours, then we will assume this account is fraudulent and will be cancelled. ...the purpose of this verification is to ensure that your eBay account has not been fraudulently used and to combat fraud. (What a hypocritical criminal, the only fraud being attempted is by them.)
"WIN A GREAT PRIZE - Mercedes-Benz CLK - All delivery costs supported by MSN - Be rational. Listen to your heart - All you need to do is to Click Here [spoof link deleted]..." (Since when does MSN pay eBay's delivery costs? Be rational, listen to your head, don't click it.)
"You are receiving this e-mail as a notify from E-bay that due to some financial problems your account could be suspended. Please login to your account using the form below and review any possible causes of this situation. If your login information seems to be incorrect, the account has already been suspended. In this case, please provide us your credit card details in order to solve the issue." (When you log into the criminal's website, your information will not be correct, because at that point they have no idea what it is. Inexplicably, they claim giving them your credit card details will correct your login information.)
"During our regulary schedule account maintenance and verification we have detected a slight error in your billing information on file with eBay. This might be due to either following reasons [reasons deleted]. Please sign in to your eBay account and update your billing information [spoof link deleted]" (If eBay know there was an error, they could just fix it.)
"Protecting the security of your account and of the PayPal network is our primary concern. Therefore, as a preventative measure, we have temporarily limited access to sensitive PayPal account features. Click below in order to regain access to your account..." (Which PayPal features are "sensitive"? Clicking "below" will cause you to LOSE control of your account.)
"After the multiple frauds registered lately, our company has initiated a study regarding this problem. In this study the company has reached the conclusion that most of the frauds were possible because of the low email service security level. If u don`t respond in 24h after you received this eBay Information your account can be closed and got out from our server . So we ask you kindly to co-operate and let us know if you still use your account or not . You will have to login in to your account by fill in your personal information." (The criminal wants you to believe that eBay doesn't know if you "still use your account or not", so to satisfy their curiosity, they ask for your email password, driver license number, etc.)
We regret to inform you that your eBay account has suspended due to concerns we have for the safety and integrety of the eBay community. Per the User Agreement, Section 9, we may issue a warning... If you could please take 5-10 minutes out of your online experinece and update your personal records you will not run into any future problems with the online service. (If you give the criminal this information, you are INDEED going to run into "future problems".)
"Safety Board, an eBay Company is recording the transaction for the Item...We will take full measures against persons that brake the eBay's rules...Please continue with this deal as you are both full insured against fraud. If something goes wrong..." (If you answer this email, I guarantee you "something" WILL go wrong, and you WON'T like it.)
"eBay requires correct credit card information in full each month on accounts with balances of $1.00 or greater and if your account becomes past due." (So, if your balance is less than a dollar or you are not past due, you can have false information? The criminal apparently believes this will convince you to give them your credit card account and other personal information.)
"You will have to confirm that you are the real owner of the eBay account by log in and complete the form that will pop up or else your account will be suspended without the right to register again with eBay. HINT: If you're using your debit card you will get 10% discount for each transaction!" (The criminal offers YOU a 10% discount, while THEY are emptying out your bank account.)
"Dear eBay Member, Dear customer, you have been billed for $15.00 recently. Using the following link [spoof link deleted], please update your billing information at eBay Billing Center". (The criminal hopes you will be concerned enough over $15 to update your "billing information", without noticing it is being sent to the criminal.)
"You (or someone else) entered three times wrong the password to log in with your eBay ID. You will have to confirm that you are the real owner of the eBay account by completing the following form. Never share your eBay password to anyone!" (The criminal is giving you very good advice, then immediately asks you to go against that advice - and give them your eBay password and other personal information.)
"You musst coetlpme this peosrcs by clicking on the_link_below_ [spoof link deleted] and enttering in the little winddow your _citibank Debbit Card number and PIN_ that you use on_the Atm_machine. This is _done_ for_your pcteortion -j- because some of our memmbers no lgoenr have acsecs to their email adrsdsees and we must verify it." (So, spelling aside, the criminal wants you to enter your "card number and PIN" to verify that your email address is working!!)
"We regret to inform you that your eBay account could be suspended if you don't resolve your problems. To resolve this problems please click here [spoof link deleted] and login to your account in order to resolve your account problems. If your problems could not be resolved your account will be suspended for a period of 3-4 days, after that it will be terminated." (A variation on the one below, but they will now terminate the account.)
"If your problems could not be resolved your account will be suspended for a period of 3-4 days, after that it will be again operational." (Let's see, if you do nothing, eBay will suspend you for oh, about 3-4 days, then they will just reactivate your account. Yeah, right!)
"We have detected an attempt to log on to your account from a foreign IP address." (Yes, the attempts are being made - by the criminals!)
"Due to recent activity, including possible unauthorized listings placed on your account, we will suspend any activity on your account in order to allow us to investigate this matter further. After providing us with your personal information, "we ask that you allow at least 72 hours for the case to be investigated." (This allows the criminals to run auctions on your account for at least 72 hours.)
You need to complete the following process! If not, your account may behave unnormally and errors may occur without notification. (Strangely, this is trying to scare you into completing the form that will then truly cause your account to behave "unnormally". So, do your errors occur now WITH notification?)

My collection of other scam messages...

Scamaramadingdong

"Season's Greetings to you.I am Brian James from MI,US.I'm contacting you concerning your item on Ebay which i eventually became the winning bidder for your item.Morever i'm presently serving our beloved nation here in Iraq with the United Nation and i intend sending this item to my son who works with the American Embassy in Lagos,Nigeria as a consular.I will be making my payment to you via PayPal and also will be paying you 75 pounds for the shipping cost,So get the package ready for immediate or next day shipment okay?and don't forget to send me your PayPal Email Address so i can immediately make out my payment.Plz i want the item to be shipped via Royal Mail international signfor'.Mail me back it's urgent."
"Compliment of the season to you. I am James Allen from FL,but Presently in London,England for a church seminal. I saw your product item below on internet and i am really intrested in buying it for my Daugther as a surprise gift for her in school(university of lagos)in nigeria and i will handle the shipment expenses.i will send you my fedex account so you will not pay no money for shipping it,but i want to inform you that you will be payed a cashier's check or money order through my Associate in US.so let me know if you're ok with this so that i can contact my Associate to issue out the payment to you. my Associate he will issue out a check of the total amount of money he's oweing me to you,which is $4000,so all you need to do now is to go and cash the check and then forward the remaining Balance to my Daugther in Nigeria ?if so,send your full NAME,ADDRESS,PHONE# on how the payment will get to you ,ungent reaply"
"eBay buyer [your ID here] should feel confident purchasing from an eBay Square Trade Member. Member [scammer's ID here] has been verified by eBay Square Trade and is committed to customer satisfaction and resolving disputes via mediation. Member [scammer's ID here] use Western Union Service for the payment due the fact is not able to use PayPal, Escrow, Credit Card or Cashiers Check as a method of payment." (Gee, I wonder why ONLY Western Union is 'able' to be used...)
"GOOD DAY, i am interested in the immediate purchase of this unit and,i shall also be paying through western union auction payments or moneygram.so it takes 5-7days for receiving money,so b'cos of the delay,i will be adding $100 as free handle.and i will be purchasing 5 of this items. i will like to ask if you would be able to ship as soon as payment is confirmed and approved,due to the froud,you will receive a notification letter from western controller for you to know that the money as been comfirm by western union auction payments,this is due to the fact that if the demand is high in my store, and so, i will want to complete the transaction in a very timely manner.if you can do this, email me with your name, contact address and your phone number so that i can proceed with payment right away.let me quickly say that i will be handling shipping with my fedex account as i will be sending this unit to africa."
"HELLO, DEAR,SELLER MY Name is MRS, BIX, and i want to purchase this item for one of our REVEREND, SON who was shooling in Lagos West,in lagos Nigeria Africa.The BIRTHDAY ceremony will be comming up in 10 days time and due to this fact i have decided to make you an offer,450.00 GBP, for the item and the shipping cost via UPS or DHL express delivery.However, i will make your your payment via PAYPAL OR WESTERN UNION BIDPAY,Infact i want you to asure me that this item is in good condition also assure me that as soon as you receive email approval confirmation from western union auction payments that your money has been approved by them,you will contact me immediately for the shipping" ($65 cell phone)
"Hello I am intrested in purchasing this Goods please kindly get back to me with condition of the item and i can only raise a certified cashier check for the mode of payment you do not need to worry about the shipping process in adiition i am using my shipping company that i have been using for the past 5years is a trust and honest shipping company, i am presently in canada and i will order my my personal accountant to issue the payment plus the shipping company fees. please i will also like to ask you if you ?? will be able to cash the cheque on your behalf and immediatly dedut your iterm fees and wire the shipping company fees Please if you do accept with my option and you will be able to do as agreed. get back to me with your phone number, full name and address to be use for the issuement of the cheque in accordance." (Another variation on the same scamming theme.)
"Hi, I want to buy this item as a gift for my girlfreind in the UK and also,I will be sending her some money that I promised to enable her pay part of her school fees. I want to know if you are willing to accept a USPS money order that is instantly cashable at your bank as as a mode payment of this item? and if you will be able to ship it to the UK on my Bill. Thanks P.S what is your final asking price " (Another variation on the same scamming theme.)
[wants the impossible] "I want to buy two of this item from you and i want it shiped directly to my client in africa(precisely nigeria) who need it urgently. i would pay you via paypalor money gram and would send the money transfer control number so as to verify before you ship. and would also add us$150 to the total please mail me back asap and send you invoice, i mean the full contact details of where the payments is to be delivered. reply ASAP." (Received in regards to the auction of an internet domain name - they want TWO, and they want them 'shiped"...)
[amazing transformation] "I 'm Rachel Dickson.I live in United Kingdom and I 'm interested in your advert ( ELECTRIC GUITAR ).The price as seen on Ebay is okay with me and the pick up arrangment will be taking care by me as soon as the transaction is sealed. My method of payment is with a cashier's check that is drawn from a American Bank and this is how the payment will be made ,a client of mine in U.S is owing me some fund $3500,I will instruct him to issue a check in your name. Although the check is more than the value of your ITEM but I 'm willing to trust you with the rest of the Money.As soon as you receive the check and it clears your Bank then you will deduct the cost of the (ACE FREHLEY GIBSON EPIPHONE LES PAUL ELECTRIC GUITAR ) , compensation and any tax incurred and my balance will be send back to my shipper via western union money transfer for immediate shipping arrangement. The reason for this is that it takes 2-3days for a check to clear there while it takes a longer time for a check to clear here.If this is okay with you do get back to me with your full name,contact address and phone number asap for me to instruct my client to issue the cheque in your name asap. Best regards, Eric.. N.B I will compensate you with $50 for the running arround and transportation and also to consider the item sold to me. (Between the start and end, the scammer had a name change.)
"Am an Machidise agent of 10 years of experience and i have array of clients and my clients deal on all kinds of items,one of my clients has just placed a quote on your type of item,my client has said he will only raise a cashiers check or Money Order as a method of payment for the sales of your item.This means the cashiers check will include the money for the sales of your item,shipping charges to Africa where my client needs the item.You are not to bother yourself about the shipping of the item because i have on behalf of my client contacted a shipping company that will come over for the pickup of the item after you might have send back the shipping charges.Will you be able to send back the shipping charges immediately you receive the payment?if yes kindly forward your contact address,firm price and the name you will want my client to write the check to.my client will also want your firm price and phone number." (Ho-hum, another agent seeking extra money. Yawn!)
[join me in lying] "Thank you for your interest in our tractor...We only take Western Union Money Transfer. However, Western Union Money Transfer is designed mainly for sending cash to friends and family members in need, so telling them you are sending the money to an eBay seller will prevent your money transfer to go through and you will be unable to complete this transaction...Once the payment was sent, you will have to confirm the payment with us by sending the Western Union payment receipt to [criminal's fax number deleted]. (And yet, some gullible people will still do this...)
"I like to notify you of my interest in purchasing your item on behalf of my client for $1,000 I am an car agent of 25 years expirience based in Africa with chains of clients across the west African coast. My client has specifically given me a quick and placed an order for ur item.i need to get in touch with you on the negotiations.I will want to ask if you would accept a cashiers check from my client as a mode of payment.If yes,send ur address phone&the name u want to appear on the check.but my client is going to send u check of an exess money which is $4,700 u will deduct ur item fees there.and send the exess fund to his store manager in africa through western union the same day asa u get the check cash.my client shipper store manager will use the money nbu are going to send to arrange the shipping the same day u western the excess money on the check.mail asap if u agree to western the excess to the store manager." (I had noticed that these criminals had been improving their spelling and grammar, but...)
"Hello. I can see that you have a good reputation on eBay and are trustworthy. Currently I am on vacations in Ukraine. I am writing you to ask a favor of you not only will it help me out much but you will also make a some amount of money just for helping me. You see I have only taken $3000 with me in cash and my credit card, I have depleted all my cash and have been informed by my bank that my card is restricted here. What I have in mind is that I can send you some money via Paypal, after that you can inturn send the money back to me via Western Union. I will pay you 7% for doing so and I will pay you for all fees. Please help if you can it is very important I need to get this done very soon as currently I am in a internet cafe and waiting for your response." (Puh-leez, if their card is restricted there, it is restricted everywhere. Where do you think the money from PayPal is going to come from???)
"Hello Seller,I would like to buy this Nokia 7210 mobile phone for my daughter from you at the buy it now price.I would be buying it as a birthday gift for my daughter studying in Africa.I would be paying you via BidPay(money order).Also,i'll be using my FedEx account for the shipment and would appreciate a favour from you.Pls i'll like to get the package to my daughter on the 4th of November as her 21st birthday present so,i'll need you to ship the package once the payment is approved by BidPay.Or would you rather bill my card directly for the payment?I'll be using my FedEx account for the shipment at no extra cost to you,also it's faster and reliable.Pls reply ASAP." (This criminal motivates you to ship so that the present is received by the fictitious birthday.)
"Am an automobile agent of 10 years experience based in West Africa where i have an array of clients,one of my client has just placed a quote on your type of vehicle,so i'll like to know your firm price of ur item.In order to conclude this deal my client has said he will only raise a cashiers check for the sales of the item and the entire shipping charges of the motorcycle to Africa.This means the cashiers check that will be sent to you will include the money for the sales of your item,shipping charges and my commission as an agent. Will you be able to wire the excess fund as soon as you cash the check?" (This scam is for the 'commission' to be wired, they are not interested in the motorcycle.)
[generous thief] "Hi, my best friends are having a wedding in 10 days and I would like to make a present for them. I want it to be something special. For example your unit packed in a gift wrap with a card inside . Also I want to to send $550 via Western Union to a bridegroom as an additional part of my present. The only problem is I want to make them surprised and doesn't want them to know that the present is from me. I am looking for a seller who could help me with that. I will pay for a unit , packaging, express shipping and WU fees of course. They live in Ukraine, not in the USA. Please let me know if you could help me with that! I want you to ship everything to him directly and to send the money present via Western Union either. I could even pay you for a trouble let's say $200 - please understand it's very important for me! I hope to hear from you soon! Have a nice day!!!" (The only nice day will be had by the criminal with your nicely wrapped item and the extra $550.00.)
[eBay insurance] "For payment the best method is eBay insured payments. You will be insured for the entire value of the purchase. In case you don't get what you are paying for, you get a full refund. I will be happy to ask them verify it and confirm to both of us. In order to join the the eBay Purchase Protection Program I had to deposit $10,000 as purchase protection for my customers." (Sorry, there is no such program. The plan: you send the criminal your money, then you find out about the non-existant insurance.)
[generous brother] "i'm interetsed in purchasing your item which is urgently needed,i'll be making payment for it with money order via western union auction payment/bidpay,Am ready to pay $500. The money order would take 7-10 days to get to you once it is approved by bidpay,immediately the payment is approved i'll would want to pick up the item with UPS which means i'll be enitrely responsible for shipping of the item to my sister in Africa". (The problem is, you will have shipped your item and THEN find out there is no "approved" money order on it's way.)
[short on paperwork] "Unfortunatelly I can´t use clasical ebay payment methods related of a checking account (such as paypal or escrow), because I don´t have one in my name here. I tried to make my self one but they asked for to many papers and documents I don´t have here with me. I know that is not recomander to make payment via western union beacouse of numerous fraud on the internet. I`m a honnest person who don`t have other alternative to close this deal.As a payment I can accept only money orders on Western Union. I have a western union agent here 10 min away from me, please find a western agent there." (Not enough papers for a checking account, but enough papers to receive a money transfer. Doing business with this guy is not "recomander".)
"I am in the UK and like to use Royal Mail (it is safe and very simple). I take your package and deposit it with Royal Mail. Royal Mail will then send you an email with a request for payment by, say, Western Union money transfer. When the payment details are received by Royal Mail, they will then proceed to send your package along to you." (The problem is, Royal Mail offers no such service, and as soon as the payment details are sent, your money will be GONE.)
"Thank you for your interest in my car. It is a wonderful 1968 CHEVROLET CAMARO CONVERTIBLE. The car has been inspected by eBay specialists and crated in best possible conditions. It has been deposited in their warehouse. I am very sorry i know that many of you would like to personally see the car before paying but believe me i do not have the time to do this. The car looks exactly as shown in the picture. Just send the $8,800 and it will ship within hours." (Riiight!!! According to the criminal, eBay has a warehouse!)
"Please excuse that i`m contacting you but i want to make you a good offert. i'm from Greece and i have a electronics company. This e-mail was sent via eBay mailing system. This is not a spam e-mail. This is a real offer from eBay." (Since when did eBay start making offers to sell electronics from Greece? Oh, and just in case you are wondering... this IS a real SPAM e-mail.)
"We would also like to say that dealing with this seller will be one of your smartest choices ever: we guarantee that whatever shipping or payment method he will use, you will have your products delivered on time and without any hassle from your part." (Supposedly from eBay assuring you of the wisdom of dealing with this criminal.)

It pays to be educated--

Don't Be Scammed 101:

If you see an item (Harley, BMW, Kubota Tractor, whatever) for sale at 1/4 to 1/2 of its normal retail value, WALK AWAY.
If they tell you their eBay e-mail is broken and to contact them by another e-mail, WALK AWAY.
If they tell you the transaction is guaranteed by eBay's Safe Harbor, Square Trade, or ANYBODY for that matter, WALK AWAY.
When the 'bid button is broken' and they ask you to "e-mail me about that", WALK AWAY.
When the buy-it-now price is listed, but the buy-it-now FEATURE is not present, WALK AWAY.
When the bidder list is restricted and they ask you to contact them to be an approved bidder, WALK AWAY.
When they ask you to wire money ~~overseas~~ anywhere, WALK AWAY.
When they offer to ship a car, boat, or motorcycle by air, for free, WALK AWAY. (Come on, the shipping alone could run thousands of dollars!)
When they ask you to consumate a transaction OUTSIDE of eBay, WALK AWAY.

"I sold this so called buyer a Rembrandt etching for 1000.00 and he claimed he was representing a client and was sending a money order with extra money and to send the extra when they arrive. Well, I got 4 money orders for 950.00 each yesterday. 3800.00. I called Travelers Express and they are all bogus. I had a feeling this is a scam. First he wanted me to send the extra to England, now its Nigeria (because his 'Client has Gone for conference on INTERNATIONAL ART AND ANTIQUE SHOW LENDS HELPING HAND TO NGERIAN AUTISM CENTRE & CHILDREN HOPE FOUNDATION in Africa)!! He wanted me to Western Union the 2800.00 extra to him." (That was a wise move calling the money order company.)
"I do not post often to this forum - I am mostly active on the PHOTO/HTML board. But I do read this forum daily, and because of the advice you have given to others, I was able to save a friend over $4,000. A friend wanted to send money via Western Union to Greece for a motorcycle. The bottom line of this story is, if it had not been for this board, I would have never known what to look for, or seen the flags, and for that good people - THANK YOU!"
"Just received email from suspension@ebay.com addressing me by my user name followed by my email address in parentheses. Informed me that my ebay account had been recently compromised... required to open and investigation... to speed up the process required to verify your eBay info by following the link below... I did not proceed but forwarded it to spoof@ebay.com and was immediately informed that it was not legitimate. The bad grammmar here and there helped, but more than that the warnings that a legitimate site would never ask you to open a link. Less than a week ago I also received a spoof email posing as Paypal, both a first for me. Please be careful, don't open any links, forward to spoof@ebay.com and delete! My condolences to those snared by these people, and to those who ridicule the unfortunate who responded, have a heart!"

When you fall for a scam---

(Aug-29-2006) "I recently bid on a 60GB Ipod for from a person in china. They did not have paypal, and the only way to send him money was western union or a bank money transfer. He would e-mail me just about every day asking if I had sent the money. It took me about five days but finally sent the money through a bank transfer. Well that was Augest 15. This person is now no longer an ebay user, and won't respond to any of my e-mails after i sent one telling him i sent the money. I have tripple checked the email addresses to make sure they are the same as the address when I could get in contact with him. I have filed a dispute with ebay but is there anything else I could do. I have no experience with this any was looking for some guidence on what steps i should take to resolve this issue." (There never was an Ipod, this was a complete swindle.)
"Recently I purchased a car from eBay motors under the supervision of SafeHarbor. SafeHarbor directed how payment was to be sent as well as putting a hold on the sellers account with them to ensure fair trade. They assured me that once payment was verified through Western Union (which it was Feb. 17th) the seller would have 3 business days to send them a tracking number to verify shipment or a refund would be sent to me. This is now the last few minutes of the month of Feb. and I haven't heard from the seller since the 19th OR SafeHarbor since the 17th (that’s 11 days now!)" (SafeHarbor does not supervise ANY sales, you've been duped.)
"New to selling here at e-bay. I wish I would have checked the message boards first. I have just fell for the Western Union Money order scam, and yes, the person was in Nigeria. The person sent me a Fed Ex label from his account which I printed out, I packaged everything and dropped it off at Fed Ex. When the money order didn't arrive, I e-mailed the buyer telling him I had not received payment yet. Then he was telling me in order for me to get paid, I was going to have to give them my credit card number. That is when I started reading everything on here (Trust & Safety Discussion Board). Is there anything that I can do about this or am I screwed? (Not only screwed, but be prepared for a bill from FedEx for hundreds of dollars.)
"I had been contact by a ebayer for $800 amazon gift certificate, and he is willing to sell me at deep discount and agreed to send me the code first before I pay him. And of course, he only accepts Western Union transfer only and lives in foreign country. Today I got the code and spent all $800 on amazon, one of item was already shipped out. So I guess I could safely pay that guy via Western Union, or do you think there are any tricky things that still could happen?" (You could pay the "deep discount" price, then the full $800 when Amazon notifies you that the gift card was purchased with stolen funds.)
"OMG I received a (what I now know to be a fake) second chance offer because I was one of the highest bidders. Unfortunately I fell into this trap, and am out ALOT, I mean ALOT of money. I have reported my information to the FBI. I should have came here first and this would have never happened to me. I didn't see the red flags." ("here" is eBay's Trust & Safety discussion board.)
"Yes, I was the victim of a powerseller spoof email on Tuesday. I am always carefull with email, this just did not occur to me that this was a hacker. They hijacked my ebay account and listed thousands of dollars worth of laptops obviously fraudulent auctions. They took over my email account I had seventy five emails in about four hours of people wanting to know where their laptops were and others wanting to know where to send MONEY ORDERS to. I tried to email those people back saying don't send MONEY!!!! Anyway, ebay fixed it, but my email account is ruined. The cable internet provider can't fix and I can't access it. I had to change my email link in all of my auctions, all passwords for anything I do online."
"I received an email from who I thought was EBay but it wasn't. The name of it in my inbox said something about Updating My Account Information. I clicked on it and the email stated that "EBAY" would like for me to update my Bank Card information on their site. Well I fell for it hook line and sinker. Gave them my Bank Card Number, Expiration Date and the pin on the back of my card that is usually where you sign it. They proceeded to make 2 $1.00 charges to see if I had caught on, then hit me with a $650 charge to some DOTCOM company. I just wanted to let you all know that this was going on and since the rest of the world probably pays more attention to their surroundings than me, it probably won't happen to you but BEWARE anyway's."
"I know in my gut that I have just been scammed. My transaction has all of the classic signs. In my case it as a "preapproved bidders" auction. I checked the seller history and it was stellar so I trusted him. I'll bet it was a hijacked account. I didn't even know such things were possible. Mine was for a Canon 1Ds for $2100 US, not entirely unreasonable given the other bidding I saw going on so I agreed to his offer. Now I know what "off'line" means. Paid via WU. Now woe is me...I haven't heard back from him."
"My brother was offered a good price "off" ebay...the listing was no longer available as it had ended already but the seller mailed my brother who was one of bidders on the item but not the winner. Then some days after the auction, the seller contacted my brother and maybe also other of the bidders of this item and he offered him a good price for the item "off" ebay and claimed that the winner of the auction never paid for the item and therefor he is contacting the bidder who was after to win it. My brother believed in that and is also a bit new to ebay and accepted it was "OFF" ebay and payed as the person prefer through wire transfer as he claimed it was a must cause it was the most safe as it was a lot of money. My brother transferred the money and now he (the criminal) is gone...and no item..no replies to the emails. We tried to contact EBAY for refund but they won't accept it as it was "off" ebay...so what now? What can we do? We have the personal account, name and address and phone number to this person but no proof against him. Help please! It was a lot of money... "
"I have received $8,000.00 in fake checks. People claiming to be from nigeria or europe are sending out fake cashiers checks. When you get a responding e mail to your item saying,"I am a car dealer of 25 years and my client is interested",DON'T ACCEPT ANYTHING!!. They are sending out fake cashiers checks, overpaying items and asking for the overage to be western unioned to their account. Thus, you cash a fake check, give them your product and change, and you're out everything!!DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT!!!"
"Someone listed a harp for sale on ebay, starting bid $1,500 and listed wire transfer of funds as the only payment form they would accept. The user received no bids on the auction and then contacted me after the auction ended to sell the harp privately. Although I wasn't stupid enough to wire him the cost of the harp, I did wire him the shipping charges, and of course, it turned out to be a scam (he closed his email and ebay accounts and has disappeared). I'm out the $250, lesson learned." (I don't mean to harp on this subject, but don't pay for an auction with WU money transfer, and avoid off-ebay deals.)
"About 18 months ago I received an email similar to what you describe but claiming to be from Paypal...and was I ever the perfect sucker. Then [the criminal] promptly went on a $19,000 shopping spree! They had access to my bank acct & credit card numbers. _And_ locked me out of my Paypal acct, of course, by changing the password."
"I recieved an spoof email (which I didn't realize that time). It said that somone has reported an account theft and they need some info from me (user id, password, etc.). So I gave them all this info and then again I recieved another email that says your account has been temporarily suspended for further inquiry (don't use account for 72 hours). All this time I didn't check my account. But when I check it just to see my feedback I saw some auction going on from Canada. Someone is using my account now and I am not able to access it. He changed the location and all the auction format and is using it. Some auctions have ended last night and some are still going on. I am really really worried abut that."

More Help Links

Consumer Fraud Reporting
Filing cross-border (international) e-commerce complaints
About Hijacked Accounts - What to do if someone steals your account
eBay's Page About Email and Websites Impersonating eBay
eBay's Tutorial on How to Spot Spoof (fake) Emails
If the transaction was outside of eBay eBay site
How Not to Get Hooked by a ‘Phishing’ Scam FTC site
How to Avoid Getting Fried by Phony Phishermen SEC site
Fraud Watch International FraudWatch Site
Help With Identity Theft Scamsafe site
APWG - Anti-Phishing Working Group AntiPhishing site
Library of eBay Spoof Email Messages - is your message there?
About Full Email Headers
Pi's Scams to Watch Out For
Crimes of Persuasion
Anti-Scammer & Anti-Hijacker Site
Finding & Reporting Hijacked Accounts
About Nigerian Email Scams
The Exact Location of the eBay Warehouse
Should I Pay Someone with Western Union?

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ebay & Scammers

Scammers And eBay :