If you find a fraudulent auction, follow this link for
reporting fraudulent auctions to eBay.


Special thanks go to *bay* for the jpeg above.

From eBay's Trust & Safety (Safe Harbor) Board - Today's Scams In Progress

Scam Descriptions

Basic tips for spotting possible fraud...

THIRTEEN RED FLAGS TO WARN OF A FRAUDULENT TRANSACTION

Credit to Jason Archer (archerman2000 on Ebay) doing business as http://www.archerworks.com/ - he wrote the essence of the following.

  • Never buy from someone who only accepts WESTERN UNION! - This is a big tip off because WU is unsecured and you will never see your money again. Western Union never promises you anything more than what they do: they give your cash to the other party. They have ZERO buyer protection! Don't use this method unless you are 100% sure of the person you are sending the money to, like your MOM or BROTHER.

  • A statement like: "I have a contract with UPS so I ship and insure for free (from overseas) and you will get your Whizbang (a high priced item) delivered to your door." BS - UPS may not insure the Whizbangs, they will ship them but if they break, they will not cover the cost of the product. Does that sound like something a real businessman would do with a $5,000 product???

  • Someone stating they have a business, which they either represent directly or they press upon you that they are part of bigger business, but when you see the e-mail it is a yahoo or hotmail or another free e-mail service provider. If you do not know if they are using a free service try this. Lets say the person is using john@gippo.com - Obviously I haven't heard of this before so I will try to type in (on my internet browser) www.gippo.com. If it is a free e-mail provider that will lead you to the providers home page 9 out of 10 times. [At the time of this posting www.gippo.com comes up as "cannot find server" so I'm not bad mouthing this service should there be a service at this address, it's used for example only.] Most companies run their e-mail servers in parallel and as part their web server. For example, I do own my own business and you can e-mail me at jason.archer@archerworks.com; you can see that by using the test described above, it leads to my business site. Obviously there are reasons that someone may have a legit business and still use an internet based e-mail address but for the most part watch out for this.

  • Another thing I have personally seen done by scammers is with their NAME. Something simple like posting your name at the end of an e-mail can be a clue. Why on earth would you sign a name like George and use john@gippo.com for your e-mail address? Most people don't unless of course you are changing your name on e-mails and are too lazy to register for a new free e-mail address. I caught two people like this, but I think they were the same individual.

  • Phone numbers: many won't give you phone numbers to their business. I don't know a reason why someone would be afraid that you will call them unless of course the number isn't any good or it is to a local grocery store. If you do get a chance, call the person first before completing the auction when a lot of money is involved.

  • Time zones. A beautiful thing about time zones. When you are talking to someone in Japan, they are 12 hrs ahead (est) so check the times you receive e-mails from these people. I say this because I had a person say they were in Romania and I would get instant answers from them while I was in NJ, but if I stayed up late they weren't online, kind of funny when Romania is 7 hrs ahead of my time and you would think if I e-mailed at 3am from here, it being 10am there, they would probably be around to answer back... unless of course, their business requires them to work strange hours, which is quite out of the ordinary.

  • Also, consider how good the supply of Whizbangs is or how many manufacturers of Whizbangs are located in Romania or wherever!

  • Address. I received an address for the person to wire the money to by WU. Obviously I could not go to Romania and see if they were home. So I did the next best thing. I typed in the street address they gave me into a search engine and I received about 4 web hits telling me that this was an address to a hotel and surprise, surprise, the room was available for rent. Don't believe me; try it. Go to google.com and type in your own address. Maybe it won't come up with a link but try my address here for my business. 4043E FCN or try 4043E Andrews Lane and you will see that all the links are to my postings on the net for my business (I have multiple ways to receive mail so sometimes I use the shortcut). Try this with the phone numbers too, it works. Search engines are pretty impressive and the easiest way to find most anything, physical or in cyber space.

    The bottom line is to find out about your seller. The internet is a great way to find deals and to buy items, but try to get to know your seller as well as possible.

    I see people who are about to get ripped off in the coming days... I can't contact them because the SCAMMER got smart and made it a private auction. I can't send this bit of information to them, because I can't see their user names. But maybe this post will be seen by a few and it will get their attention.

    Remember this... Always pay secured, use the following:

    Credit Cards (Visa, MC and AMEX have buyer protection and they will, more likely than not, give you your money back after you file a claim)

    TT (bank to bank transfer) Why? TT will get permission to find out about the bank account, you can make sure it wasn't just opened 1 day ago and the same person that is selling you the item is the same person who has opened the account. To open bank accounts you have to have an identification file on record.

    ESCROW is safe too but watch out for Escrow frauds, use only known sources, www.escrow.com - don't use a new service because they may have been set up as part of the scam.

    Why PAYPAL is OFF THE LIST -

    I personally use PayPal for about 80% of my business transactions so it is secure in the sense that your info is safe. However, this year PayPal changed their policies and now they don't offer Buyer protection because they are not considered as a merchant but a transaction service. They route money from one person to another (like WU). All my posts on e-bay request PayPal for payment and that is okay because I offer ways to find out who I am and in a sense, meet me. That is part of knowing the seller, but if you used PayPal only (money in your PayPal account) filing a claim maybe a long road to travel. But if you do you use PayPal check the sellers reputation on PayPal.

    You can go to www.paypal.com and search for PayPal shops; do a search on the "business:" and there you can see if they are listed and their reputation. From there sky is the limit; all links that come up should have ways to call or write etc..

    Bottom line: when using PayPal, it is best to know your buyer.

    I believe that PayPal provides a great service and I recommend them to most but they are a large business (teamed w/ E-Bay) and therefore, they have the big business mentality.

    There are ways to make the system work for you instead of getting lost in the system both for E-Bay and PayPal. E-mail me if you are a victim of a scam I maybe able to help you try new avenues that you haven't tried to get your money back. [Also, see AUCTION HELP ARTICLES]

    Q: There are sellers that have accumulated a lot of negative feedback. How does a buyer know that these are the same people that have been hosing other buyers for some time if they people simply get a new ID?

    this_is_my_posting_id 06/20/03
    Here are some tips which I've used... normally right before I hit the back button -

    A new seller who's auctions have a nice, minty fresh HTML. Newbies don't normally setup an elaborate page in the beginning.

    Right click on photos, select "properties" and look at the image host. The name for the photo host can say a lot, as the seller usually won't change that from their previous user ID.

    Overall if something looks fishy, don't take a chance.

    IF a car dealer wanted to sell you a brand new Mercedes Benz for $3,000 wouldn't you think something was wrong... well what if they said "Here are pictures only and yours will come in the next two weeks. Oh and I only accept cash." Wouldn't that throw up a warning sign? Well to most it would, but with High Priced Whizbangs, most people get sucked into the idea that "Oh yeah, I can get this great deal" and then, they loose a grand or two. When they actually get a Whizbang, it will have cost them more because of the fraud. Please be careful!
    PLEASE REMEMBER - BE SMART - IF YOU THINK IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE - IT PROBABLY IS!

    Also see: Scam Auction Red Flags

    and see: Digital Matrix - Anatomy of Cyber Scams

    See an article about Internet auction scams becoming more elaborate

    Thumbnail Guidelines

    What to look for in a seller: (strong feedback, payment protection, etc.)
    Note: Be aware that there are buyers and sellers of "feedback" on eBay.
    It's possible to acquire many positive feedback records for a few dollars.
    >> Pay attention to the character and quality of the feedback history! <<

    Red flags for buyers: (e.g. seller offering large ticket items after being only a small item buyer - id theft, money orders and wire transfers only, sending money off-shore, etc.)

    Most common eBay buyer problems: (e.g. ID theft, pirated software, off-auction email solicitation, no merchandise, etc.) See AUCTION HELP ARTICLES

    If it seems too good to be true, it likely is (cheap computers through off-shore addresses, buying lists, pyramids, etc.)

    by **general**
    The Do's and Do Not's of technology product buying on eBay:

    Given the thousands of new auctions per day on eBay, it is impossible for eBay to catch all of the scammers and stop the auctions before someone gets ripped off. It is up to you, the buyer, to educate yourself enough to avoid being ripped off.

    DO:

    • Do read the ENTIRE auction, including the payment and shipping details.
    • Do UNDERSTAND what you are reading, and what is for sale (info or product).
    • Do ask all questions BEFORE bidding. If you do not receive a response to your email, stay away.
    • Do check the feedback of the seller. This does not mean see how many negatives versus positives they have; Actually look at what they have sold in the past. If they typically BUY Christmas Ornaments, but are now SELLING a brand new Notebook Computer for a low-low price, this should send up red flags.
    • Do your homework about a product BEFORE you try to buy on eBay. Go to the store, see it, test it, make sure you know what it is, and that you like it. Get an idea of the realistic retail price before you start bidding. Check online resources for reviews and product information.
    DON'T:
    • Don't assume anything. (You know the saying...)
    • Don't bid until you have read the entire auction. Entirely! And understand it. So many people report what a great deal they got, only to find out that the auction was only for "Information on how to get [a whizbang] for $50.00". These are traditionally known as ponzi scams, or matrix scams. Some scammers will hide the "info only" statement within the body of the text somewhere. So READ EVERY WORD.
    • Don't bid until you have successfully contacted the seller. A legitimate seller will reply to questions. This is especially true of non-businesses.
    • Don't bid on any auction where Western Union is the only method of payment accepted. These are ALWAYS scams.
    • Don't bid on a high-priced item from overseas, no matter how good a deal it seems.
    • Don't bid on an auction for expensive electronics from a seller who in the past has only sold collectibles lunchboxes (for example). This is probably a hijacked account.
    • Don't bid on an auction for high priced electronics from a seller whose account has been inactive for six months. This is probably a hijacked account.
    • Don't bid on an auction for computers from a seller who refuses to divulge their location. Or who has conflicting addresses.
    • Don't bid on a high priced item from a person with zero feedback. Contact the seller, search for previous ID's for that seller, etc. It is your money you stand to part with if this zero feedback seller is a front for a scam.
    • Don't fall for the email you may receive with an offer for the same item you are bidding on. The person is in Spain, for example, for a few weeks, and Western Union is the only way to get the money to him. These are ALWAYS scams. Think about it, why would an alledged American put a computer up for auction if they are going to be in Spain for a month???
    • Don't send money via Western Union to anyone whom you do not know. This is the favorite method of collection for scammers.
    • Don't bid on an auction where the seller states that the item will not ship immediately, but after around 30 days have passed. These are cleverly disguised matrix scams. You may receive your item, but the odds are very much against you.
    • Don't bid on an auction for software unless the seller can authenticate the product. Operating systems must be sold with their original license, for example.
    • Don't bid on an auction selling information about how to get wholesale electronics or how to get free product from manufacturers. These are not scams, but they are sucker deals. The links are old and inaccurate, and the free product will never happen unless you buy hundreds of pallets worth of goods from the manufacturer.
    • Don't get into any transaction for electronics from a stranger off-eBay. You are on your own when your money is stolen. If you want to purchase off eBay, go to a reputable dealer's web site.
    Also more at: How To Not Get Scammed Buying and Selling Technology Products on EBAY
    Including Scams and Fraud descriptions:
  • The Western Union Scam
  • The Matrix Scam
  • The Professional Matrix
  • The Bait and Switch Scam
  • The Junk Scam
  • The Free Stuff "Info Only" Scam
  • The Subtle Differences Scam
  • Buyers from Indonesia
  • Useful Links

    Report a Fraudulent Auction to eBay

    More thoughts about screening auctions before you bid:

    by swordzman56

    -Check both the abstract and description of the item thoroughly. If something huge is missing or broken (like a drive--you need 'em all), don't buy it.

    -Be wary of machines that do not include an operating system AND recovery media. If, heaven forbid, your new-to-you PC should fault because of bad software, you need a way to get back to Square 1 quickly. If you do buy a system without an OS and/or the media, make sure you have access to your own legitimate copy of the OS (the QuickRestore disc from your current Compaq does NOT count; nor does your XP upgrade, as it needs a full version of 98 or better as "bait")

    -Check specs, and watch for bogus ones. The big guys all have the exact specs of their machines posted on the Web. Compare what they know against your seller's assessment. Don't fall for overclocked or otherwise modified systems; these can be dangerously unstable (Exceptions: custom cases, and systems with upgraded parts)

    -Ask the seller, esp. if his description was short. Get as much info as you can. This does not always work, however.

    -Obtain and verify serial numbers, if possible. Notebooks are hot. Insanely hot. So, you need to be sure that the one you're buying isn't stolen goods. While eBay does its best to thwart sales of stolen goods, it can't track every sale of every item. I don't know if it has a verification system of its own for these things. To be safe, look it up with the computer maker.

    • By sdmike1

    NOTICE

    If you receive an e-mail that appears to be from eBay, but it asks you submit account or personal information, DO NOT repond to the inquiry. It is a fake e-mail intended to get your personal information, such as your eBay ID, your Paypal information, or even your personal and credit card data. Ebay will NOT send notices of this type! Typical "scams" include 1) warnings that your account has been (or will be) suspended and they need your credit card information to verify it, 2) requests for updated personal data, 3) requests for personal information as part of an "account audit", or other reasons.
    If you receive such an eMail, do not respond to it. Instead, forward the message in it's entirety to eBay at the following address:

    spoof@ebay.com

    Account Theft by stealth has happened more recently. If it happened to you, immediately
    Report Account Theft
    eBay will act on it promptly!
    Protect yourself and never submit your personal information or account passwords
    by email or by using a link in an email sent to you. Also see: Protecting Your Identity
    and: Securing Your Account and Reporting Account Theft

    This is now attached at the TOP of all eMail sent through the eBay mailer:

    eBay Marketplace Safety Tip: If this email is an offer to sell your item without winning the listing on eBay, please report it to us at spam-non-ebay-sale. Please do not respond to it. Regardless of the apparent feedback of the sender or any claims they might make, such an offer is not only against our rules, but it is extremely risky. It is unsafe to purchase such an item through a transaction that is not out our site. You will lose the benefit of eBay's purchase protection programs, and run the risk of losing your money.

    You may also report other spam offers related to eBay items to eBay.

    Scammers Use eBay's Message System to Troll for Victims

    "PayPal Spoof Site Asks for Users' Account Info"

    Be aware that there is a new Web site that spoofs ("acts like") the PayPal online payment site and attempts to trick PayPal customers into divulging sensitive account and billing information.

    "PayPal customers are directed to the site, www.paypal-billingnetwork.net, by an e-mail message that appears to come from the Mountain View, California, company. The message claims that due to a "recent system flush," the customer's billing and personal information is "temporaly unavailable" (sic)."

    "The actual site is almost identical to PayPal's real site, with the same graphics, layout and wording. In fact, many of the links on the site point back to the actual PayPal Web site. PayPal could not be reached for comment about the scam site."

    ...," users are presented with a form that asks for a wide range of personal and financial information including Social Security number, driver's license number, date of birth, and credit card information."

    "The PayPal scam is just the latest example of brand spoofing, which security experts say is a growing problem."
    ....
    "The FTC recommends checking for "sloppy copy" such as spelling mistakes or grammatical errors in the solicitation. Consumers should also check with the company in question before providing any personal information on a Web site, the FTC said."

    The information above is from a Yahoo! News story on Wed Jul 9, 2003 -
    See this archived story PayPal Users Warned of Spoof Site at PC World.

    Note: There are other financial transaction web sites that have also been the subjects of "spoofing". Be very certain that you are using a legitimate web site when engaging in financial transactions or when you provide any sensitive personal intormation on the web.

    by seadog
    Another to be added to the Scam list: spam seaking passwords

    		•
    Report a Fraudulent Auction to eBay


    - - IF YOU THINK IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE - IS IT?

    SCAMS

    There are more rip offs in the laptop / High end digital cameras / plasma screens / toy game box & software auctions than in any other eBay areas. Do NOT buy a LIST or get into a "club" or get a CD of supposed wholesalers and so on .. it's just a bunch of crap and it is a rip off!

    TIP: If you search eBay on "scam", you will find several listings that describe a particular scam completed or in progress!

    Question:
    Some sellers are offering $3,000 computers for a "Buy It Now" of about $1,000, but only to qualified buyers. You need to contact the seller first, to get on a "list" of pre-approved buyers. What's going on here? In other words, what's the scam?

    Reply by soundgod on May-28-03
    Yep, a scam .. it usually puts you on a LIST .. (can you say a pyramid scheme?) and your money goes OFF SHORE .. hence, the chance of actually getting a product is VERY slim indeed! (qualified buyer = sucker)

    by jonvan56 on Jun-2-03
    Warning to all!!! First, let me get this out of the way - I GOT SUCKERED! Okay - no need for anyone to tell me. I (duh) used Western Union to "buy" a computer (Their reason for selling: bought at government auction after being confiscated for illegal importation/trying to avoid import duties) from a guy in Romania. I called him. Everything sounded plausible and above board (again - I am a sucker!). So watch out for: Sellers who insist on Western Union payment; sellers from Eastern Europe; sellers who know the right thing to say re UPS/overnight/free shipment, etc; and follow the old adage - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Signed: A depressed sucker
    by toycop on Nov-12-03
    eBay warns of new fraud This doesn't sound new; bait and switch with a twist!
    What about "get all the electronics you want for free" info auctions?

    Reply: ABOUT "INFORMATION" AUCTIONS...by Soundgod

    Those type of auctions are legal .. immoral, but totally legal! At present eBay only restricts the sale of a URL .. you bid, the scammer sends you a URL that is supposed to be the answer to your prayers for getting that laptop, plasma screen, xbox, whatever for pennies on the dollar. EBay will stop those auctions when they "get around to it".

    There is the CD or the eMail "list of wholesalers that are eager to sell at below their cost to anyone that gets their phone number and address." Yea .. RIGHT!! Think about it! Most big time manufacturers no longer USE wholesalers, but go through a controlled distribution process or center so that they can maintain control of the item right up to the retailers loading dock. If you want to buy it at wholesale cost, you will need to be bonded, have a business license, have a resellers permit, have a real address for selling, and be open to the general public, either as walk in or web based .. plus you will have to buy at least a container load of items to qualify, and that can only be done if you have a boatload of CASH or a line of credit that is acceptable to the manufacturer.

    There are the "membership deals" where all members "qualify" for a totally out of reason "discount" on some hot new item. You pay your membership in advance, and wait sometimes as long as a year only to be told that the PYRAMID SCHEME you got suckered into has been busted!!

    And there are the "I will give you the secret of how you can get this stuff for free" sales. Think on that .. IF this idiot could get stuff for free, then why isn't he/she/it selling THAT on eBay and REALLY making some bucks? The "free" usually involves paying 2 or 3 grand for a bunch of software you can get from The Video Professor's overstocked warehouse sale for $6.95 + S&H. Then you "may" qualify for the "drawing" for a free whatever.

    Be aware, there are OTHER schemes either running now, or being hatched in the minds of the scam artists. The addage "If it sounds too good to be true, it IS too good to be true" should always be in the front of your mind.

    by **general** 06/18/03 8:00 AM

    Here's how these info scams make money:
    You're suckered into buying into the auction. Realize that there is no way in hell it could ever work or be legal. But you notice that there is a disclaimer on the "info" you were sold...it says that you can literally cut and paste THEIR ad and use it in an auction of your own to sucker MORE people.

    Kinda like AMWAY...

    by kennec01 on Jun-21-03
    Selling HP LJ 6L, 1100, 3100, and 3150 paperjam fix is a SCAM. The replacement separation pad fix for the HP LaserJet 6L, 1100, 3100, and 3150 can be obtained free of charge from HP's website. Anyone selling these is getting them FREE from HP and them selling them on eBay for profit. This is the link to HP's site: Paperjam Fix

    by myhidingid
    HP also gives away free printer cleaning kits and you'll find them on eBay for sale.

    by kennec01
    The text listed on HP's website says NOT FOR RESALE.
    Toolkits "Please Note: Toolkits are not for resale purposes. "

    A word about Escrow services:
    eBay ONLY recommends escrow.com
    There have been fake escrow services set up in order to steal money from buyers. Use caution, only use a recommended escrow service or an escrow service whose reputation and integrety can be verified.
    by tmitcham31 on Aug-1-03
    I would like to confess to "pure stupidity". I had an email from a seller that I thought was an Ebay member but not sure now. He knew that I was bidding on a laptop and said he had one exactly like I was bidding on and would sell it to me for 350.00 usd. He gave me his ID .... and email xxxx@yahoo.com. After checking his reviews and several emails back and forth, I agreed to send him money via Western Union....I know I should have been smarter.. but I did and haven't heard from him nor do I have the computer. I guess greed does a lot of things, the price was too good to be true and it wasn't. Just wanted to let you all know about this seller.
    by h**_m*l_m** on Oct-20-03 at 17:35
    I just wanted to share an experience I had with everyone. Recently I bid on a 40 gig ipod and was not the high bidder. Within 2 days I got an email from ebay member WOODSTRO88 claiming that he was from Romania and would sell me a brand new 40 gig ipod for 280 USD. Being the trusting person that I am I wired him $280.00 via Western Union. BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!!!!!!! He promised to send me the device but instead he sent me an email that he had gotten the money but needed another 300 USD for insurance purposes. He said that he would write me a check drawn on an Australian bank for the $300.00 and a certificate for a free ipod. Basically I GOT SCREWED!! My message to everyone is this: Be very careful and selective when dealing with people who offer to sell you items that they have not listed in an ebay auction. Especially if the offer comes from WOODSTRO88 ! Brandon
    See AUCTION HELP - Ripoffs if you have been ripped off or scammed.

    by puc--- I have attempted to bid on several apple items recently requiring pre-approval to bid by pay now. In every case someone purporting to be from either the UK or Italy (despite the auction listed as local) has replied once I've asked for pre-approval to bid requesting pay now by a western union money transfer. The elaborate e-mail makes the process seem like escrow, but it is a scam. Further details on this scam: http://www.auctionguild.com/generic65.html

    by toycop
    eBay Scam Uses IPods as Bait
    by b7508em on Feb-20-04
    This email is scary..a lot of this computer fraud going on?
    Dear sir, thank you for your interest in my products. First of all I want to tell you that I bought this product from a bankrupt computer store and the product is in its original factory box, with all the original papers (warranty and user's manual), hardware and software. The items are in my warehouse and I have more than one. If you agree to the price, I am willing sell it to you right now, before the auction is finished. The product is already packaged and ready to be shipped; shipping is made via UPS in max 2,3 days and all costs are covered by me. The payment method that I prefer is money order at Western Union or you can pay me online with your credit card at (www.westernunion.com). Please get back to me to settle this deal. Take care
    Don't fall for this kind of offer. No recourse for you if they don't deliver.
    On 6/7/04
    *****BEWARE OF SCAM******* If you are going to sell an item on Ebay (laptop, computer, anything)whatever you do, MAKE THE SELL THROUGH EBAY and PAYPAL!!!!! Do NOT try to sell the item outside of Ebay! Watch out for foreign scams! They are very active, alive and doing well! I just got hit pretty hard. I lost my laptop and $1000.00!!!! I learned my lesson. Don't let this happen to you! Big Al.
    Fake Second Chance Offers and How to Spot Them
    If you find a fraudulent auction, follow this link for
    reporting fraudulent auctions
    to eBay.
    Contributors: **general** || sdmike1 || *bay* || soundgod || soloact || thehobbit and others!

    Toolhaus.org offers a suite of tools and useful links for evaluating and researching eBay auctions.

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