eBay nightmare-PLEASE READ

Stooge

Its been a few months at the very least and it happened before I read anything on this board, but I fell victim to an eBay scam e-mail.

We have sort of alittle "Family" here on the board and we all look out for 1 another and this is the forum so this is my story.

I received an e-mail from eBay and it was asking me to "Up-date" all of my personal information. The e-mail looked normal and had ebay's logo and looked ligit, so I filled in all of the blanks and went my merry way. I was stupid and wasn't thinking!!! Well about 2 weeks ago, I received an email form eBay stating that they intercepted someone trying to take over my acct. and that they suspended it. Well I had to copy-n-paste the address line and go to a "live" chat with eBay and explain to them as to who I was, so after several questions, I was let back into "MY eBay" so I could buy/sell. I thought that it was all over with...I was wrong!

I was online about 11amCST on 2/25/04 and found an e-mail from eBay thanking me for changing my e-mail address with them. My mouth was hanging open, so I went to ebay and accessed my accounts and low and behold I owe $2,933.76 just for the listing fees! Then I went to selling to find 48 items all "Buy it now" and the cheapest item was over $5,000.00. They were all camera equipment. I was floored and about threw up.

I immediately went to live chat and they stated that I may have a "worm" and/or a "Trojan horse" in my computer (Which I don't and did not have) and she stated that she would not discuss anything online with me at all and asked for my telephone #. So she called and now I'm in the middle of changing everything from my checking acct. to my e-mail address and Paypal and everything else and my acct. with eBay is still suspended.

Lucky eneough I had just paid for the last 3 coins I just bought and that went through w/o any problems.

PLEASE...PLEASE...I IMPLORE YOU DO NOT ANSWER ANY E-MAILS FROM EBAY THAT ASK FOR YOUR INFORMATION OR ANYONE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER.

The only good to come out of this was that I was not taken for anything, but some time changing my accts. which is enough trouble in its self, and that I can post this to warn my fellow collectors whom I admire so much!!!

Thankyou for reading this, I hope that it helps.

Paul.

MoneyLA

Im sorry this happened to you but this is a scam that has gotten a lot of publicity and even eBay has warned about it. People are stealing logos and addresses to forge the ID of ebay and banks and credit card companies, even ISPs such as AOL. Never respond directly to such requests for account info as they companies already have your account info. When in doubt, contact the company directly. You should also contact the police and the FBI is now tracking these things. You should also notify the credit reporting agencies -- experian, etc. -- and put a "fraud alert" on your social security number. you might find they have opened credit cards in your name. I put the numbers for "credit fraud alert" in my website moredeals.com -- enter "credit fraud alert" in the SEARCH box and it's in the first article. sorry again, alan mendelson

jimtre

Got one today! In the subject it says jimtre URGENT

Of course I have had them before and ignored them.

Dear Jimtre,

During our regular update and verification of the accounts, we couldn't verify your current information. Either your information has changed or it is incomplete.

As a result, your access to bid or buy on eBay has been restricted. To start using your eBay account fully, please update and verify your information by clicking below :

https://scgi.ebay.com/saw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?VerifyInformation

Regards,
eBay

LALASD4

I average 1 or 2 of those e-mails a day, never click on any link on a e-mail. If you need to do something go to their site. also, sacn you compter everyday!

Mistercoinman

Hi Paul, What a bummer,we all have recieved that e-mail one time or another. I'm glad it did not cost you anything but inconvenance.

Mark

Paul:

That SUX big time! Was eBay a little helpful in resolving the problem or was eBay a lot helpful? I hope the latter!

Mark

Colorfulcoins

Paul, so sorry to hear...even worse when it happens to one of the good guys!

NL7HT

Sorry to hear that you got sucked in. Glad that you reacted as fast as you did and did not get hurt. I know
a few that have been hurt bad by this scam.

Recently a big bust in Europe caught one of these bad guys with the help of the FBI, eBay and a number of
other police agencies in the country involved. They do catch a few of these guys, but only after they have
stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some they never catch.

If you ever get another one of these emails requesting information, change your view of the message to
include the full header of the message. Then forward it to spoof@ebay.com You will receive an
automated message letting you know they got it and are checking it out. You will receive a second message
later telling you if it was/was not a eBay message. This helps eBay try and track down these guys. Every
message I have ever forwarded to eBay has been a bogus message. I average about 1 a week.

Bob

Stooge

Thanks guys! I appreciate the support. Ebay has been very helpful and I am not the only person to fall victim. She said that there has been Hundreds of us to fall to these losers and they try everyday.

I will let you know what happens

Thanks, Paul.

sinin1

I am curious how they got the items listed without you knowing?


they had your account and password - so they just entered them and sent payment to them?


I have heard of others who once they got your info, changed it to them with a new password and account name

$2800 eBay bill seems like lot of movement - so if the guy sold $50K of items with BIN, I am assuming that no product delivery will take place - is that correct?


Do you not visit your my eBay page? or since you are not selling often, do not visit the 'selling' page which would have showed you a big list - how about 'feedback' that needs left? how often do you visit that? it would show all of the new 'sales'?

I hope you got out unharmed - frquently I hear of scammed accounts being held liable by eBay for 'their' services

dpoole

Stooge,

I was one of the early victims of the same scam. I replied to the email as well, with all my info.

Fortunately, I came on here right after, and found a post warning of the scam right away (thanks, guys!). I immediately closed my checking account, cancelled my credit cards, changed my passwords, my PayPal and Ebay accounts, etc. I was lucky enough to have headed off anything bad happening.

I'm so sorry you got the bad news in a more brutal way than I did.

If you change everything out like that, though, you shopuld be OK.

It's important people like you keep putting posts up like this, to warn people! Thanks!

Stooge

I work 3rd shift so I am on "MY eBay" all day long. I had just been on the site just 12 hours prior to getting the e-mail. It happened that quick!

If I am not selling anything and I owe eBay $0, then why should I constantly go and check those pages? With the exception of 1 negative, I have a flawless acct. with eBay. I always paid my debt on a timely manner and sent payment to those of you I have bought from. (Usually w/in 5 days).

There was no payment sent into anyone. They listed bogus items and were hoping that some un-suspecting innocent person would come along, buy something, and send payment. Then I would get stuck with the ebay debt. Real nice huh?

eBay has been extremely helpful and I to this day owe them nothing but my gratitude for their assistance in this matter. As far as I know, nothing was sold through my account. I'm very grateful.

Thanks, Paul.

Dennis88

bad to hear.......

pontiacinf

i always answer those asking....i give em all bunk info

MatthewBabcock

pontiacinf and everyone else... Don't respond to those emails with anything, bogus or not!
Delete them without any keystrokes in any of the input boxes on the message. Depending on
what email program you are using and depending on if you've kept up with all security
patches you can put yourself at risk. Specially crafted email messages can grab information from
your computer. The risk increases with the length of time since the last update.

Email messages that are crafted with html and javascript codes can capture system information
and relay it back to the sender. There are complex schemes out there, but having a personal
firewall and good anti-virus software will greatly reduce the risk.

Messages like the one that Stooge responded to depend greatly upon social engineering (coax
the victom in to do something) in order to work.

raycyca

There are now Paypal fraud E-mails going on now as well!

bushmaster8

<< <i>pontiacinf and everyone else... Don't respond to those emails with anything, bogus or not!
Delete them without any keystrokes in any of the input boxes on the message. Depending on
what email program you are using and depending on if you've kept up with all security
patches you can put yourself at risk. Specially crafted email messages can grab information from
your computer. The risk increases with the length of time since the last update.

Email messages that are crafted with html and javascript codes can capture system information
and relay it back to the sender. There are complex schemes out there, but having a personal
firewall and good anti-virus software will greatly reduce the risk.

Messages like the one that Stooge responded to depend greatly upon social engineering (coax
the victom in to do something) in order to work. >>



Is it true that most all of this "info grabbing" email can not infiltrate Apple 'puters?

MoneyLA

Most virus and worm writers and scam artists write their programs to attack pc's and not apple because pc's are the bigger universe of targets.

someday, some jerk will go after apples...

cheers, alan mendelson

Stooge

I'm finally back on ebay after all weekend of being suspended!

I still have a few things to do though.

Later, Paul.

ABBABEER

I AM THE NEW GUY THAT LOGGED INTO THE KENNEDY FORUM. ( MY FIRST TIME) SAD TO HEAR YOU GOT RAPED, BUT I DID TOO-E-BAY SELLER (TINABIZ88) DIDN'T SHIP THE CRAP CIGAR BOXES I BOUGHT FOR $9.99 + $20.00 SHIPPING. FROM SINGAPORE. I WAS PLEASED TO SEE THAT SOMEONE REGISTERED A NEW COLLECTION OF KENNEDYS. I TOO HAVE COLLECTED THEM FOR A WHILE BUT FINALLY SORTED THE CHAF FROM THE WHEAT. I'LL BE SELLING MOST EVERYTHING THAT ISN'T A KENNEDY ON E-BAY THIS WEEK IN ORDER TO FINANCE THE COMPLETION OF MY COLLECTION. I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT I ACQUIRED A PCGS 1965 MS68 CAMEO, NOT FOR SALE!!!, PART OF THE COLLECTION. HOPE YOU SEE MY NAME IN LIGHTS SOMEDAY. LIKE I ALWAYS SAY AFTER I'VE HAD A DOZEN- - -ABBABEER.