< I hope we read about them in the newspaper soon, just like PAoutdoorsman.
Overtime has been selling resealed packs on ebay for at least the last 7-8 years. Unlike most pack factories that come on strong and fade away just as fast, he has been doing this since the earliest days of ebay. His endless supply of 79 wax is a running gag among unopened collectors. In this case, the changes that ebay has made (Paypal only, sellers can't leave neg FB) are helpful with crooks like this, as he previously accepted only money orders and would retaliate in kind to any neg FB he received. >>
///////////////////////////
overtime NARU
I know overtime has been NARU'd but that was just the original ID...he's had several others over the years, all from the same guy.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I know overtime has been NARU'd but that was just the original ID...he's had several others over the years, all from the same guy."
////////////////////////////
I knew you knew.
Just making it clear and easy for the folks trying to play at home.
He's definitely one of the laziest of the resealers as far as bothering to cover his tracks. Most of the others at least have completely different alt IDs for buying wrappers. This guy just buys lots of cards and wrappers and sells them under the same user ID..The dead giveaway in the 1979 baseball packs is the gum--instead of the thicker-sized gum that Topps used for these packs, OT uses skinny gum from late '80s packs.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Dealer to be tried on fraud charges Materials to alter items found at L. Paxton Twp. warehouse, police sayThursday, September 18, 2008 BY MATT MILLER Of Our Cumberland County Bureau Investigators found an "assembly line" for fraud when they raided the Lower Allen Twp. warehouse of collectibles dealer Roger Hooper, a Cumberland County detective said Wednesday.
Hooper had a machine for resealing vintage packs of sports cards, which have more value if they've never been opened, Detective Earl Bock said.
Thousands of loose cards and piles of stale chewing gum were in plain view, he said.
It was obvious that Hooper was compiling his own packs and passing them off as unopened originals, Bock said during Hooper's preliminary hearing before District Judge Charles Clement Jr. on fraud charges.
Hooper said he never tampered with collectibles or knowingly sold a forgery. "To my knowledge, everything was legit, 100 percent legit," he said.
His lawyer, Corky Goldstein, insisted the criminal charges aren't warranted and that the allegations should be dealt with in a civil lawsuit.
But Clement ordered Hooper to be tried in county court on counts of engaging in fraudulent business practices, theft by deception and dealing in proceeds of illegal activity.
The charges stem from Hooper's dealings with a Virginia sports memorabilia collector and with a Carlisle man who helped Hooper sell items on eBay.
The investigation isn't over.
"Reams and reams" of complaints from other of Hooper's customers poured in after a July article in The Patriot-News outlined his legal troubles, Senior Assistant District Attorney Daniel Sodus said.
David Herrell of Harrisonburg, Va., said that Hooper conned him out of approximately $5,000 during a 2006 auction by selling him fake autographed items and packs of supposedly virgin football cards that had actually been opened.
Expert appraisers verified the frauds, Herrell said.
He said Hooper was "rude and dismissive" when he complained. "He told me to put it on eBay and sell it as is," Herrell said.
"How do we know that you didn't open the packs?" Goldstein asked.
"I wouldn't have the first idea of how to go about resealing them," Herrell said. "I'm a collector, not a fraudster."
Goldstein said an earlier probe of Herrell's claims by the state auctioneer licensing agency didn't prompt any penalties against Hooper.
Ned Kerstetter of Carlisle said he allowed Hooper to sell items through Kerstetter's eBay account.
Kerstetter said he received a flood of complaints that the items, including packs of coins and sports card packs, weren't as advertised.
Hooper wouldn't satisfy many customers, Kerstetter said, so he drained his own savings and retirement accounts and borrowed money to give $50,000 in refunds.
He said he sued Hooper three years ago and that suit, which prompted the criminal probe, is pending.
Hooper testified that he did sell on eBay in 2000 or 2001, but said that his account was shut down without explanation.
The machine that Bock claimed was used to make bogus sports card packs was actually for sealing items in plastic for shipment, he said.
He said the piles of sports cards, chewing gum and wax sealing material the detective saw were from card packs that had been damaged by rodents or the elements.
Hooper said he usually sells items "as is," gives potential buyers time to examine them and offers refunds if complaints are made promptly, which wasn't the case with Herrell and some customers who complained to Kerstetter.
"Did you misrepresent anything that was sold?" Goldstein asked.
"No, sir," Hooper replied.
Fraud is an inherent risk with collectibles, Hooper said, and even he gets scammed sometimes.
"When you're in this type of business, it comes with the territory," he said.
STAY HEALTHY!
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
A buyer of a few of his/her packs emailed me asking for more details. He also stated that he paid with Paypal. I advised him to file a Paypal SNAD claim.
Even more pathetic, he steals pics of packs and boxes from other auctions and passes them off as his own. Recently, he actually stole a pic of a 1978 wax box from Steve Hart of bbcexchange (of all people) to hawk his resealed garbage.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
IF YOU BOUGHT THIS ITEM INTENDING TO PAY FOR IT HERE IS YOUR INVOICE. IF YOU USED BUY IT NOW JUST TO LEAVE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK YOU WILL BE REPORTED TO EBVAY THE NEG WILL BE REMOVED AND SO WILL YOU.
Ok, I won an auction from the other ID just to verify that it was the same person. I also received a response from her/him. Since I won an auction from both, I can request contact info for both.
Her response first:
<< <i>ID LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THESE ALT IDS ARE? MADE UP JUST LIKE YOUR BUY IT NOW AND LEAVE NEG BS...LOL >>
My response (added the links for your viewing pleasure): What are the chances that you would have the same address as jasontaliaferro (ebay ID) and be selling the same wortheless packs.
IF, he gets one more NEG this weeked, he should be gone by Monday.
For at least 30-days; maybe longer.
////////////////////////
These SCUMBAGS need to be stuck-too like white on rice. They will change their IDs, but there are things we should all be able to recognize about their listings.
It is best not to reveal everything we know about them in this forum. They can go to school on what they read here, and hinder the effort to erradicate them.
/////////////////
Excellent start to wave two of the Card Pirate Busters.
Folks Who Bite Get Bitten. Folks Who Don't Bite Get Eaten.
Overtimecards has ceratin tendencies when he lists that make his auctions easy to spot. Stealing scans and photos doesn't help either. Nice to see these dirtbags get some just desserts for a change...unfortunately, there are some others, too.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
"Well, in the last few hours I have had two people buy items, and then immediately leave negatives, for what reason I'm not sure. So there have been some changes to my buyer requirements, if you can't bid you may not meet those new requirements. I may lift the requirements once I'm able to reach the two buyers and discover the reason for why they placed bids and didn't give me a chance to deliver the product. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and would certainly appreciate your business."
so will you guys pay for your packs so I can be unblocked
A couple email's I just sent to the Richmond Police Department:
#1: Good Morning,
You guys might be interested to read through this thread at Collector's Universe about 2 Richmond residents using multiple IDs on Ebay to sell fraudulent, repackaged baseball cards. If you are unaware, there is big money in this business. While these 2 individuals don't seem like the brightest stars in these type of scams, they have been making some decent money while praying on the trust of others. We have succeeded in getting one of them removed from Ebay over the weekend but the other is still there. The one who has been removed will more than likely re-sign up under a new name and begin again. Please take a look at this thread exposing them and at a minimum, you will have a nice laugh on a Monday morning. http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=11&threadid=686163
take care and thank you for your service and the possibility that you may look further into this rampant fraud.
and #2: Hello again,
I forgot to mention that the user that was removed from Ebay (Mary Trueman) was claiming in several messages sent through Ebay to myself and others that her husband was a Richmond police detective. Again, please read the thread located in the first email I sent to get all the information that was uncovered on these 2 individuals.
It always amazed me about ebay...If someone, a scammer, in a local township such as say a business like a roofing contractor, perpetrates fraud, such as intentionally trying or succeeding in selling defective or fraudulent merchandise, that person is prosecuted and hopefully fined or imprisoned.....but on ebay, the only penalty is usually just getting naru'ed and the scammer simply tries to open up another ebay account and do the same thing over and over again. Shouldn't the scammer on ebay be fined or imprisoned as well?
<< <i>but on ebay, the only penalty is usually just getting naru'ed and the scammer simply tries to open up another ebay account and do the same thing over and over again. Shouldn't the scammer on ebay be fined or imprisoned as well? >>
Steve, despite the fact that you are a Phillies fan, I completely agree with you. Local criminals selling fake goods are prosecuted as soon as caught. On eBat they are only prosecuted in extreme cases with high dollar amounts invlolved or when one wealthy buyer that gets scammed will not let it go and continues to pursue it. IMO eBay is just as guilty. The scammers are allowed to roam free because eBay refuses to prosecute so they can avoid publicity and get publicly labeled a haven for scammers.
Zep, I know the Chief of Police "David McCoy" and his assistant Major Buckovich as they use a product my company manufacturer's. I plan on calling the department tomorrow to bring this up to them, and to find out if their is a detective Trueman or officer Trueman on the department. Look forward to letting everyone know what they have to say.
It always amazed me about ebay...If someone, a scammer, in a local township such as say a business like a roofing contractor, perpetrates fraud, such as intentionally trying or succeeding in selling defective or fraudulent merchandise, that person is prosecuted and hopefully fined or imprisoned.....but on ebay, the only penalty is usually just getting naru'ed and the scammer simply tries to open up another ebay account and do the same thing over and over again. Shouldn't the scammer on ebay be fined or imprisoned as well?
How about if a person tried to walk out of a store with a 2.99 can of tuna? That person would b seeing a judge in the morning.
Ebay needs to do something or it is fast becoming like yahoo.
i vehemently applaud the efforts of those who continue to expose the scammers, GREAT WORK......it's one of the main reasons i come here to read these threads, to be ed-juh-k-tid.
<< <i>How about notifying one of their local TV news investigative reporters. Might make an interesting story on a slow news day >>
/////////////////////////////
Excellent idea.
Three Things:
1. Make sure to play up the element that one of them may be impersonating a Richmond Police Detective.
2. Give the reporters the full printed file of stories on PAoutdoorsman. (This is critical to showing that LE is starting to take this stuff seriously. Any related FBI reports and HBO stories are also important.)
3. Give the reporter the addys of any myspace/facebook pages that are available on the SCAMSTERS.
......
Folks Who Bite Get Bitten. Folks Who Don't Bite Get Eaten.
The way to avoid this is to pay via PayPal for any purchases, BEFORE leaving FB.
Use a credit-card; the money is NOT at risk, and will be refunded by PP on a SNAD claim. (Reloadable credit/debit cards are available at WalMart. They can be used to register on EBAY and to fund PP payments.)
Also, alt IDs must have "valid" contact info, or the FB will be removed. (GO-PHONES are super-cheap at WalMart.)
///////////////////
If the fight is to be won - and fear is to be instilled in the crooks - the Card Pirate Busters will have to use some of the same tactics that the most sophisticated SCAMSTERS use.
Folks Who Bite Get Bitten. Folks Who Don't Bite Get Eaten.
" IMO eBay is just as guilty. The scammers are allowed to roam free because eBay refuses to prosecute so they can avoid publicity and get publicly labeled a haven for scammers. "
//////////////////////////////////////////
EBAY has already been thusly labeled. They don't care. Security - Loss Prevention - at Safeway/HomeDepot has noted that EBAY is largest fence in history. EBAY ignores the "noise."
EBAY is in a rough place. sellerdome.com shows that about 25% of EBAY's top 100,000 sellers are now NARU or have ZERO listings.
The "churn" of IDs is critical to the Ponzi scheme that EBAY has running on Wall Street. It is in their interest for as many FAKE IDs to be in the mix as possible. New registrants are used to convince investors/suckers that EBAY "is growing."
........
Since May, it is estimated that between 60K and 100K small sellers have been suspended for varying periods of time. MOST of these folks register NEW IDs; many register SEVERAL new IDs. For purposes of the Wall Street SCAM, each new registrant is counted as an "active user." The suspended sellers remain "active users," too. (An active user is a registrant that has bought/sold in the past 12-months.)
As long as it is in EBAY's interest to have SCAMSTERS on the site, the crooks will remain. That does NOT mean it is not worth fighting the criminals; only that it is VERY difficult.
Folks Who Bite Get Bitten. Folks Who Don't Bite Get Eaten.
I have noticed the number of "new" ebay sellers who are obviously well skilled and experienced at putting together an ebay auction from the way the auction is presented - Ya just "know" these are sellers who got booted off ebay and have simply come back with a new ID.
<< <i>I have noticed the number of "new" ebay sellers who are obviously well skilled and experienced at putting together an ebay auction from the way the auction is presented - Ya just "know" these are sellers who got booted off ebay and have simply come back with a new ID. >>
/////////////////////////////////////
That is VERY true.
It should, however, not be thought that ALL such sellers are "crooks."
MANY small sellers have been TOSd based on the "new rules."
Remember, a seller who sells less than 20 items a month, will be bot-suspended for 30-days IF they get JUST ONE NEG or NEUT. (Many such sellers are suspended when NPBs leave NEGs.)
buy.com gets HUNDREDS of NEGs and NEUTs each month. Their sell-through-rate remains at less than 3%. While they chase away HUNDREDS of buyers each month, THEY are the kind of sellers EBAY wants; high-volume.
Also, some sellers are starting new accounts in order to preserve the perfect FB on their long time accounts. They use the disposable accounts to prevent having YEARS of GREAT FB from being destroyed by the bottom-feeding SCUM that EBAY has loosed on honest sellers. They are even willing to endure the 21-day PayPal holds; EBAY loves these "new" sellers.
Folks Who Bite Get Bitten. Folks Who Don't Bite Get Eaten.
You know, I hear what all of you are saying, but I have to ask: how would ebay patrol these scammers? How would they truly know if someone is selling fake packs? 1) they don't have time to investigate every possible instance and probably don't have the resources. 2) Can they really be expected to rely on the word of folks like us who report these scammers? I mean if you think about it, we all could do the same thing to BBC exchange's items on Ebay but we know that Steve is an honest source of unopened material. Some sellers could use these same tactics to give honest sellers the boot so there would be more demand for their product. I don't know, I just think that relying or demanding that Ebay take a proactive stance would be unrealistic on the system. Perhaps what has transpired on this thread is the only efficient solution at this time until someone comes up with a better idea. I have noticed that the selling prices for some of these fake packs seems to be approaching the true cost (both in terms of materials and human resources). This is good news in a way, but still does depress the prices of good product.
Comments
101
<< <i>Super job!
http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=everything4sale08&&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller&iid=270293761102&sspagename=VIP:feedback:2:us >>
There's a lot a red to be seen on that page.
Overtime has been selling resealed packs on ebay for at least the last 7-8 years. Unlike most pack factories that come on strong and fade away just as fast, he has been doing this since the earliest days of ebay. His endless supply of 79 wax is a running gag among unopened collectors. In this case, the changes that ebay has made (Paypal only, sellers can't leave neg FB) are helpful with crooks like this, as he previously accepted only money orders and would retaliate in kind to any neg FB he received. >>
///////////////////////////
overtime NARU
I know overtime has been NARU'd but that was just the original ID...he's had several others over the years, all from the same guy.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I know overtime has been NARU'd but that was just the original ID...he's had several others over the years, all from the same guy."
////////////////////////////
I knew you knew.
Just making it clear and easy for the folks trying to play at home.
I know overtime has been NARU'd but that was just the original ID...he's had several others over the years, all from the same guy."
////////////////////////////
I knew you knew.
Just making it clear and easy for the folks trying to play at home.
He's definitely one of the laziest of the resealers as far as bothering to cover his tracks. Most of the others at least have completely different alt IDs for buying wrappers. This guy just buys lots of cards and wrappers and sells them under the same user ID..The dead giveaway in the 1979 baseball packs is the gum--instead of the thicker-sized gum that Topps used for these packs, OT uses skinny gum from late '80s packs.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Dealer to be tried on fraud charges
Materials to alter items found at L. Paxton Twp. warehouse, police sayThursday, September 18, 2008
BY MATT MILLER
Of Our Cumberland County Bureau
Investigators found an "assembly line" for fraud when they raided the Lower Allen Twp. warehouse of collectibles dealer Roger Hooper, a Cumberland County detective said Wednesday.
Hooper had a machine for resealing vintage packs of sports cards, which have more value if they've never been opened, Detective Earl Bock said.
Thousands of loose cards and piles of stale chewing gum were in plain view, he said.
It was obvious that Hooper was compiling his own packs and passing them off as unopened originals, Bock said during Hooper's preliminary hearing before District Judge Charles Clement Jr. on fraud charges.
Hooper said he never tampered with collectibles or knowingly sold a forgery. "To my knowledge, everything was legit, 100 percent legit," he said.
His lawyer, Corky Goldstein, insisted the criminal charges aren't warranted and that the allegations should be dealt with in a civil lawsuit.
But Clement ordered Hooper to be tried in county court on counts of engaging in fraudulent business practices, theft by deception and dealing in proceeds of illegal activity.
The charges stem from Hooper's dealings with a Virginia sports memorabilia collector and with a Carlisle man who helped Hooper sell items on eBay.
The investigation isn't over.
"Reams and reams" of complaints from other of Hooper's customers poured in after a July article in The Patriot-News outlined his legal troubles, Senior Assistant District Attorney Daniel Sodus said.
David Herrell of Harrisonburg, Va., said that Hooper conned him out of approximately $5,000 during a 2006 auction by selling him fake autographed items and packs of supposedly virgin football cards that had actually been opened.
Expert appraisers verified the frauds, Herrell said.
He said Hooper was "rude and dismissive" when he complained. "He told me to put it on eBay and sell it as is," Herrell said.
"How do we know that you didn't open the packs?" Goldstein asked.
"I wouldn't have the first idea of how to go about resealing them," Herrell said. "I'm a collector, not a fraudster."
Goldstein said an earlier probe of Herrell's claims by the state auctioneer licensing agency didn't prompt any penalties against Hooper.
Ned Kerstetter of Carlisle said he allowed Hooper to sell items through Kerstetter's eBay account.
Kerstetter said he received a flood of complaints that the items, including packs of coins and sports card packs, weren't as advertised.
Hooper wouldn't satisfy many customers, Kerstetter said, so he drained his own savings and retirement accounts and borrowed money to give $50,000 in refunds.
He said he sued Hooper three years ago and that suit, which prompted the criminal probe, is pending.
Hooper testified that he did sell on eBay in 2000 or 2001, but said that his account was shut down without explanation.
The machine that Bock claimed was used to make bogus sports card packs was actually for sealing items in plastic for shipment, he said.
He said the piles of sports cards, chewing gum and wax sealing material the detective saw were from card packs that had been damaged by rodents or the elements.
Hooper said he usually sells items "as is," gives potential buyers time to examine them and offers refunds if complaints are made promptly, which wasn't the case with Herrell and some customers who complained to Kerstetter.
"Did you misrepresent anything that was sold?" Goldstein asked.
"No, sir," Hooper replied.
Fraud is an inherent risk with collectibles, Hooper said, and even he gets scammed sometimes.
"When you're in this type of business, it comes with the territory," he said.
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
<< <i>Good morning fraud busters >>
LOL!!!
Link To Scanned 1952 Topps Cards Set is now 90% Complete Plus Slideshows of the 52 Set
IF YOU BOUGHT THIS ITEM INTENDING TO PAY FOR IT HERE IS YOUR INVOICE. IF YOU USED BUY IT NOW JUST TO LEAVE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK YOU WILL BE REPORTED TO EBVAY THE NEG WILL BE REMOVED AND SO WILL YOU.
Steve >>
Steve, trueman has been around a long time and is one of the most notorious pack sealers
Thanks Steve
Steve
Steve
<< <i>< I hope you guys are right.
Steve >>
Steve, trueman has been around a long time and is one of the most notorious pack sealers
Thanks Steve
Steve >>
Thanks Steve
Steve
<< <i>
<< <i>Super job!
http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=everything4sale08&&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller&iid=270293761102&sspagename=VIP:feedback:2:us >>
There's a lot a red to be seen on that page. >>
I FREAKIN' LOVE IT!! LOL!!!
Her response first:
<< <i>ID LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THESE ALT IDS ARE? MADE UP JUST LIKE YOUR BUY IT NOW AND LEAVE NEG BS...LOL >>
My response (added the links for your viewing pleasure):
What are the chances that you would have the same address as jasontaliaferro (ebay ID) and be selling the same wortheless packs.
His/Her address
HIS
Your address
YOURS
What are the chances?
The link for his (jasontaliaferro on eBay) is registered under his cell phone. Hers/His is registered under the home address.
EDIT TO ADD: Who says myspace is worthless. everything4sale08 is also known as Mary Truemann from Richmond, VA. Here is her pic on myspace:
jasontaliaferro on eBay and in the real world also from Richmond, VA and the same address as Mary Truemann. Here's his myspace pic:
Bravo!
NOTE: his auctions no longer have BUY IT NOWs.
so which one is impersonating a police officer?
No more packs - so who will be the first to discover the next ID?
still these packs and an 82 topps box left:2 1979 topps packs
<< <i>2 1979 topps packs >>
Not anymore!
Great packs
More packs
He, however, has not.
Snorto~
----------------------
Working on:
Football
1973 Topps PSA 8+ (99.81%)
1976 Topps PSA 9+ (36.36%)
1977 Topps PSA 9+ (100%)
Baseball
1938 Goudey (56.25%)
1951 Topps Redbacks PSA 8 (100%)
1952 Bowman PSA 7+ (63.10%)
1953 Topps PSA 5+ (91.24%)
1973 Topps PSA 8+ (70.76%)
1985 Fleer PSA 10 (54.85%)
great job fellas
Hello, I'm interested in your 1979 Topps packs and for some reason I am blocked from bidding on them. Must be an Ebay glitch or something. Thanks
For at least 30-days; maybe longer.
////////////////////////
These SCUMBAGS need to be stuck-too like white on rice.
They will change their IDs, but there are things we should
all be able to recognize about their listings.
It is best not to reveal everything we know about them
in this forum. They can go to school on what they read
here, and hinder the effort to erradicate them.
/////////////////
Excellent start to wave two of the Card Pirate Busters.
<< <i>Hopefully they send out the packs they got paid for
///////////////////////
Hopefully, the victims who bought the resealed GARBAGE will
file complaints with PayPal and get their money refunded.
/////////////
Now that their physical location is noted, the next time they
list fraudulent merch, it will be easy to have their local police
pay them a FAST visit.
////////
I wonder if the FACT that one of them held out the other to
be a "police officer" is a crime.
I guess we will find out.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
"Well, in the last few hours I have had two people buy items, and then immediately leave negatives, for what reason I'm not sure. So there have been some changes to my buyer requirements, if you can't bid you may not meet those new requirements. I may lift the requirements once I'm able to reach the two buyers and discover the reason for why they placed bids and didn't give me a chance to deliver the product. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and would certainly appreciate your business."
so will you guys pay for your packs so I can be unblocked
#1:
Good Morning,
You guys might be interested to read through this thread at Collector's Universe about 2 Richmond residents using multiple IDs on Ebay to sell fraudulent, repackaged baseball cards. If you are unaware, there is big money in this business. While these 2 individuals don't seem like the brightest stars in these type of scams, they have been making some decent money while praying on the trust of others. We have succeeded in getting one of them removed from Ebay over the weekend but the other is still there. The one who has been removed will more than likely re-sign up under a new name and begin again. Please take a look at this thread exposing them and at a minimum, you will have a nice laugh on a Monday morning. http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=11&threadid=686163
take care and thank you for your service and the possibility that you may look further into this rampant fraud.
and #2:
Hello again,
I forgot to mention that the user that was removed from Ebay (Mary Trueman) was claiming in several messages sent through Ebay to myself and others that her husband was a Richmond police detective. Again, please read the thread located in the first email I sent to get all the information that was uncovered on these 2 individuals.
Thanks again
<< <i>but on ebay, the only penalty is usually just getting naru'ed and the scammer simply tries to open up another ebay account and do the same thing over and over again. Shouldn't the scammer on ebay be fined or imprisoned as well? >>
Steve, despite the fact that you are a Phillies fan, I completely agree with you. Local criminals selling fake goods are prosecuted as soon as caught. On eBat they are only prosecuted in extreme cases with high dollar amounts invlolved or when one wealthy buyer that gets scammed will not let it go and continues to pursue it. IMO eBay is just as guilty. The scammers are allowed to roam free because eBay refuses to prosecute so they can avoid publicity and get publicly labeled a haven for scammers.
How about if a person tried to walk out of a store with a 2.99 can of tuna? That person would b seeing a judge in the morning.
Ebay needs to do something or it is fast becoming like yahoo.
Steve
<< <i>How about notifying one of their local TV news investigative reporters. Might make an interesting story on a slow news day >>
/////////////////////////////
Excellent idea.
Three Things:
1. Make sure to play up the element that one of them may be impersonating a Richmond Police Detective.
2. Give the reporters the full printed file of stories on PAoutdoorsman. (This is critical to showing that LE
is starting to take this stuff seriously. Any related FBI reports and HBO stories are also important.)
3. Give the reporter the addys of any myspace/facebook pages that are available on the SCAMSTERS.
......
The way to avoid this is to pay via PayPal for any purchases,
BEFORE leaving FB.
Use a credit-card; the money is NOT at risk, and will be refunded
by PP on a SNAD claim. (Reloadable credit/debit cards are available
at WalMart. They can be used to register on EBAY and to fund PP
payments.)
Also, alt IDs must have "valid" contact info, or the FB will be removed.
(GO-PHONES are super-cheap at WalMart.)
///////////////////
If the fight is to be won - and fear is to be instilled in the crooks - the
Card Pirate Busters will have to use some of the same tactics that the
most sophisticated SCAMSTERS use.
//////////////////////////////////////////
EBAY has already been thusly labeled. They don't care. Security - Loss Prevention - at
Safeway/HomeDepot has noted that EBAY is largest fence in history. EBAY ignores the
"noise."
EBAY is in a rough place. sellerdome.com shows that about 25% of EBAY's top 100,000
sellers are now NARU or have ZERO listings.
The "churn" of IDs is critical to the Ponzi scheme that EBAY has running on Wall Street.
It is in their interest for as many FAKE IDs to be in the mix as possible. New registrants
are used to convince investors/suckers that EBAY "is growing."
........
Since May, it is estimated that between 60K and 100K small sellers have been suspended
for varying periods of time. MOST of these folks register NEW IDs; many register SEVERAL
new IDs. For purposes of the Wall Street SCAM, each new registrant is counted as an
"active user." The suspended sellers remain "active users," too. (An active user is a
registrant that has bought/sold in the past 12-months.)
As long as it is in EBAY's interest to have SCAMSTERS on the site, the crooks will remain.
That does NOT mean it is not worth fighting the criminals; only that it is VERY difficult.
<< <i>I have noticed the number of "new" ebay sellers who are obviously well skilled and experienced at putting together an ebay auction from the way the auction is presented - Ya just "know" these are sellers who got booted off ebay and have simply come back with a new ID. >>
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That is VERY true.
It should, however, not be thought that ALL such sellers are "crooks."
MANY small sellers have been TOSd based on the "new rules."
Remember, a seller who sells less than 20 items a month, will be
bot-suspended for 30-days IF they get JUST ONE NEG or NEUT.
(Many such sellers are suspended when NPBs leave NEGs.)
buy.com gets HUNDREDS of NEGs and NEUTs each month. Their
sell-through-rate remains at less than 3%. While they chase away
HUNDREDS of buyers each month, THEY are the kind of sellers
EBAY wants; high-volume.
Also, some sellers are starting new accounts in order to preserve the
perfect FB on their long time accounts. They use the disposable accounts
to prevent having YEARS of GREAT FB from being destroyed by the bottom-feeding
SCUM that EBAY has loosed on honest sellers. They are even willing to endure
the 21-day PayPal holds; EBAY loves these "new" sellers.
Rick