eBay Accounts Hijacked and Used to Scam Buyers
The 'Times Online' is reporting on what seems to be a rash of eBay-account hijackings with a boatload of fraud to match. There are apparently 20 million British eBay registrants, roughly a third of the population, and crooks are taking advantage of many of them by stealing their accounts and posting bogus items for sale. Once a sale is complete, the crooks take off with the proceeds. By stealing another user's account, a fraudster can get around the ratings system that many eBayers use to determine whether a given auction is real or a fake. Auctions may appear to be hosted by a user who has completed many successful transactions, while in reality that user has probably been locked out of their account and has no idea about the auction. The article mentions one account stealer who had snagged over 30 accounts from others and was using them to sell cars, typically the most expensive items brokered on eBay.
The article isn't too specific on how exactly these eBay users' accounts are stolen, but presumably it's accomplished by password-snagging e-mail scams, also known as "phishing." Or if people use really obvious passwords (that include their name, for example, or, the word password), then it's easy for scammers to just guess their way into people's accounts.
Since eBay itself doesn't offer much in the way of protection for buyers or sellers, the "winners" of the auctions may actually find themselves financially duped even worse than the supposed sellers, who only have to get their accounts back and clear their names.
So far, the problem seems to be a bigger deal in the U.K., but there is no reason this same scam can't make its way Stateside, so what can you do? Well, as a seller, you can choose a strong password to keep others from just being able to easily turn your account on you. And, as always, watch out for phishing scams, where official looking e-mails trick you into typing in your username and password on an unauthorized site. If everyone followed these simple guidelines, eBay and other account infiltration scams would be minimized. .
If you're buying anything expensive on eBay, make sure to get in touch with the seller, and, if anything smells shady -- like, they don't really know all that much about the 18-century armoire you're about to buy -- then don't click that "Bid Now!" button.
From Times Online
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
JENNGGA said 5:15PM on 1-31-2008
all of us aol subscribers have been getting these phishing emails. I get them from ebay and paypal. Remember not to click on any link in any email from ebay or paypal. Go to their website and log in. If I have no messages then I know if was a scam. I wish aol could figure out how to keep the spam/phishing emails from getting through.
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TechMessMgt said 6:48PM on 1-31-2008
The government should hold eBay accountable for every fraud attempt to an eBay customer. They have billions, they can afford the lawyers. Their unsuspecting clients can't always do so, yet their information is passed about without concern from eBay. That would make eBay take notice and service their eBayers like a hardspace business does.
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jamoor said 8:21AM on 2-01-2008
When enough people decide to take action to make e-bay accountable then this will all stop.
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Brendan said 10:00AM on 2-01-2008
you people on here are all amatuers, i have been on ebay for a decade, with no problems. If you learn how the scams work, they are easy to avoid.....
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Delora said 1:18PM on 2-01-2008
Ebayers and Paypal users. Paypal has a "Security Key". It is available at the Paypal website. It is easy to register and use. It is a battery operated device that generates a 6 digit code that only you can get from the little 4" x 2" device. It fits right on your key ring. This same "Security Key" can be registered and used for Ebay as well. Once registered you type your two lines of entry, then the code. Only the person that has that information and the "Security Key" can get into the account. Good Luck!
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AJ said 2:51PM on 2-07-2008
I am fairly new to EBAY. Since joining Ebay, soo many changes have occured. I really don't like not being able to see the Neg. feedback on buyers or sellers. I lost money to a buyer. All he had was positive feedback...So why didn't he pay me? who knows! I have now found another site I am going to work with. When I hear the security system has been upgraded, then maybe I'll return to EBAY. Fortunately, I wasn't on Ebay long enough to biuld my reputation (unlike someone who has been on and built their reputation as a seller or buyer to have to move somewhere else). Sorry EBAY....I am done!
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Rich from Wantagh said 9:48PM on 3-10-2008
Hello,
Recently, for the first time, I found an item an item for sale on my seller's eBay account which I had not listed. eBay confirmed that it was listed deliberately by a person with fraudulent intent. But, they would not give me any more details.
This happened immediately after the first time that I ever used the "keep me logged in" feature. Did this happen to anybody else? I can imagine a "man in the middle" attack using my logged-in session.
Or, on the the other hand, is it just that my password was somehow guessed or cracked? I am very careful when surfing, but I suppose I might have been tricked by a fake eBay login page.
Or, is it likely that my PC has been penetrated, and now harbors a Trojan that is stealing keystrokes? I have no other evidence that this has happened.
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Rich from Wantagh said 7:57PM on 3-11-2008
Well, I have determined that my fraud was just a coincidence and had nothing to do with the "keep me logged in" feature. (Although, in my Live-Chat with eBay Security, they recommended against using that feature!)
In fact, my problem was caused when I fell for a "phishing" attack email which told me I had become an eBay "PowerSeller".
Watch the URL whenever you log in anywhere! I sure will.
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lisa said 6:43AM on 3-22-2008
E-Bay supports no one ever....get over it and E Bay...They don't speak to ANYONE. They will break you with emails, over, over,over,over,and over again....with NO FKN results...A computer, or possibly an idiot responds...BEWARE STAY AWAY!
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Ed Newberry said 10:24AM on 3-22-2008
These Scams get better looking and more autentic everytime. I just got a Phishing e-mail yesterday that looked 100% real, It told me it was from e-bay and looked 100% accurate the message read your acciunt has been violated and included a link to supposed e-bay! Had I followed that link and gave the information required I would be a victim today ! e-Bayers NEVER and I mean NEVER respond to an e-mail from e-bay with A LINK that Ask's for your personal information ! Always Sign in to e-bay and go to your my e-bay page and check your messages. If you find a message from e-bay there regaurding an e-mail alert it is real. Otherwise if you give your information in response to an e-mail and follow a link provided You Have been Had !!!
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Susan said 10:51AM on 3-22-2008
I have gotten those kinds of emails on several occassions...I never click on the links and I always forward them to ebay.
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BE said 10:58PM on 2-02-2009
This used to be sooooo easy to do. Many of the old eBay accounts in the late 90's used to be email addresses, like for example ; JaneDoe@aol.com. (Most people just used an email address instead of a user name on eBay back then.) All we did was go to an ebay account of someone with tons of feedback and go back to page 1 of his feedback. Most of the time his first page of feedback was from 1997-1999. We found people who left feedback using an email addresses as thier user names. (As you may know- if your on AOL and you deactive your screen name, after 6 months you lose it and someone else can create it.) So we just created the same email address, went to ebay, and had the password emailed to the new email address. Easy Peasy Japaneasy. Then ebay made it so you couldn't use an email address as your user name- which was fine because there was plenty of old accounts people made and left, then left AOL- so there was tons of accounts. Then ebay made it so you had to put it a zipcode- that ended that. But we never did it scam someone, it was just an easy way to get an ebay account since they suspend you for anything.
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Tom Fitzsimmons said 11:37AM on 10-22-2007
Always remember that these "phishing" scam play on your emotions. They might say you have been kicked off ebay, accused of fraud, anything that will make you click quick and enter your password. Take a deep breath when you get email like this even if it looks official!
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mickelowdeons said 12:00PM on 10-22-2007
I have been a victim of this scam, My account was stolen almost 3 yrs ago and I have reported it time and time again to Ebay and Paypal with no help from either site. I am still unsure how my account was stolen as I have stopped all ebay about a month before the account was stolen. I constantly get emails from buyers wanting their items etc when infact I have no clue about what they are talking about. I have had to close 3 bank accounts that I had listed with each site as once the account on ebay was compromised they(scammers) tried to clear out my bank accounts even after I closed them they tried to withdraw funds from the closed accounts. Ebay still does nothing , however ebay did start calling me threatening me with action because I hadn't paid seller fees etc when I haven't used the account in almost 3 yrs,and ebay has been notified from the start.I have sent every email to spoof@ebay &spoof@paypal and still no help!!!! PEOPLE BEWARE EBAY & PAYPAL DO NOT OFFER ANY HELP WHEN YOUR ONLINE IDENTY HAS BEEN STOLEN!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Linda C said 2:11PM on 10-22-2007
My ebay account was stolden a few months ago and used to sell cars. I learned of it when I received notices from ebay that there were complaints against me and an inquiry from a potential buyer asking questions about the vehicle. Ebay was very helpful in correcting the problem and later told me it was a over seas person that did it.
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barbara said 2:17PM on 10-22-2007
I've been receiving 3-5 'phishing' emails supposedly from email or paypal per day...so many, and some are so plausible, that I have cancelled my ebay and paypal accounts. I certainly don't need this type of problem. Once ebay and PP strengthen their security, I will rejoin. Until then, well, there are lots of other auctions, both online and with genuine auction houses. Since I have cancelled, I still get the same phishing emails, but I can just "delete" them rather than worrying about them.
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Mika said 2:24PM on 10-22-2007
I got a "phising" email lately that said my account had been locked and that I needed to log into my account to straighten out the issue. So, the first thing I did was look at the hyperlink and saw that it was a fake email. I deleted the email and informed everyone I knew not to do this. ALWAYS start a new internet window and go to ebay directly. If there are any issues, you will be notified immediately. I NEVER USE A LINK FROM AN EMAIL for EBAY & PAYPAL. To many losers out there trying to rip you off.
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wallsabq said 2:26PM on 10-22-2007
mail about once a month and report it to paypal, an e-bay company. They write back that they are not responsible for e-bay. Seems it would be too much to ask for them to forward it or send me an e-mail address where to send the information so everyone wins? E-bay used to be a great thing but will be a thing of the past soon if they can't do a better job of protecting their users.
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Michelle said 2:27PM on 10-22-2007
I keep on getting messages from ebay saying how my order is ready. I have no idea what they are talking about. I even got a phone call from a woman claiming that she never received the item I sold her. She tracked my name through the white pages and called my house. I had no clue what she was talking about. Today proved to me that there is something really wrong with ebay.
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wallsabq said 2:27PM on 10-22-2007
mail about once a month and report it to paypal, an e-bay company. They write back that they are not responsible for e-bay. Seems it would be too much to ask for them to forward it or send me an e-mail address where to send the information so everyone wins? E-bay used to be a great thing but will be a thing of the past soon if they can't do a better job of protecting their users.
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