Like many of you here on the forums I occasionally “bid” on some models (or other things) on EBay. The last time I bid on anything was over a month ago. However, yesterday I received an email “From EBay”, or so it said it was from EBay. I was very suspicious of the email, read it several times, and just didn’t think it was really from EBay. I reported it to their fraud and security team. I also received an email from the security people that the email WAS NOT from EBay. They are now checking into it origin.
So just a warning to those bidding on EBay to be careful about emails received from EBay that are sent out that might not be from EBay. I had not bid on anything lately, so if an email shows up “out of the blue” you might want to be very careful with it and check it out. The internet is full of those wanting to take financial advantage (or worse) of people so do be careful.
I sincerely hope this warning gives you all a “heads up” to be very watchful about what you receive in the email. Don’t be a victim of false emails.
Same thing happened to me, got a very very accurate looking e-mail form supposedly Ebay saying someone was making false bids with my ID, they wanted my e-bay account and password, and my internet service provider ID and password, well. Ebay and my provider both state in no uncertain terms that they will NEVER ask you for your password over the internet. So I contacted ebays fraud department and later forwarded the message to them, was told that this is getting to be a pretty common problem. For safety sake I contacted via phone my internet service provider and changed my password and my password on ebay. This would have the same effect of shutting down anyone trying to use my account fraudulently.
I am afraid that I very carelessly responded to this email. Thankfully, I became suspicious later on and found out it was a fake. However, I ended up changing bank accounts and credit card accounts due to it. I also filed a fraud report with the credit bureaus. You just have to be careful or it’ll cost you time, at best, or your identity, at worst.
Then you need to use Webroot’s Spy Sweeper (Retail about 20 dollars) It will scan for sneaky and bad stuff on your PC.
Also look into BHODemon 2.0 It simply hunts Browser helper objects… for instance I experimented with “Weatherbug” for weather info and found a hidden malware that came with it. Otherwise it would have escaped my notice.
XP Pro Service Pack 2 will be using this when it comes out.
Adaware and Spywareblaster are two more items that will assist in finding and eliminating such problems.
In reference to the Ebay warnings above, I follow this procedure…
1- winning a bid, I send ONE email direct “Request total from sellor” asking for mailing information, payment total and invoice to send money order by mail
2- I should receive this information from the sellor. And that is all the email I will deem revelant.
ALL other Ebay or associated emails asking or threatining to cancel, suspend or ternimate various services are discarded on sight. They will need to contact me at my house by telephone or summons via legal due process before they get any information from me.
I NEVER use paypal therefore all mails related to paypal gets discarded. All my banking is done in person NEVER by internet or computer. Pen and paper with checks or cash is adequate for me.
Rarely do I buy items from internet with credit card. Those transactions are tracked and verified thorougly before committing the card number to the sellor usually by phone.
Once a year we change our bank account numbers. We have been lucky so far with eBay but in today’s climate of outright theft and loss of identity one cannot be too careful.
I remember one or two instances of the old ads in MR from decades past selling Brass or valuable items in the hobby and the following issues of MR has reported a theft or break in that targeted such items.
If you sell on eBay keep your physical address secret. If
Tonight at work I talked to a friend of mine who has purchased tons of stuff from EBay. He says these emails come in waves for a while then will stop. After several months they will start again.
I also noticed a newspaper articale today that said that many “gangs” are now into internet theft and do this very sort of thing. Some even go so far as to set up fake “online stores”. All they want is your credit card info and once they have it katy bar the door. [:(] [V] [:(!]
I used to trust the internet. NOT ANYMORE! [:(!]
I will follow Lee’s example and use the telephone or in person dealings from now on. There are simple too many thieves on the internet now.
I use Paypal all the time. What I did was have 1 credit card limit reduced to 300 dollars and told the bank that I don’t ever want it raised. That way if something did happen its only 300 bucks. I or anyone that I know have never had a problem with Ebay or Paypal.
Being a Eaby Power seller ( not in trains though) I have to say that there are some disonest people, we get Spoofining emails all the time, trying to get us to change our password DON’T RESOND to any of these, Ebay will never ask for a password throug email, we use paypal almost exculsvly have no problems, just look at the feedback numbers of a seller they should have at least a 98% positive rating,
One day I got e-mail “Question to Seller” from someone wanting more info on the clocks I was selling. Problem was I was not selling anything on eBay. The items were offered with “Buy Now” option for two grand! Someone had somehow broke into my account and listed two items. I was able to close those auctions.
My advice to all is check your account daily whether or not you are selling or bidding . If someone had not asked a question about the clock, I may have been accused of fraud had someone actually purchased the items and not received them.
Some how some one got my password and listed a Sony video or computer under my name. I didn’t realize it until I received several e-mails wanting to buy it outright. I sent copies of the e-mails to the fraud department and they verified that it was posted from some where out on the west coast (that’s all they would tell me). I had to change my name and my password. I use paypall but it is set up on it’s own bank account and their is never anymore then $20.00 in their unless I’ve made a more expensive purchase.
Every once in a while I get a “survey” form “eBay” wanting my password and my credit card numbers with the pin numbers and I don’t even open them I just hit the delete key. I’ve had them threaten to close my account because “someone is trying to use my account” and they need my help to catch them.
I’ve had very good luck with eBay. I’ve only had one or two problems. One guy worked at Digitrax during the summer and stole a bounch of stuff from thier dead item room and sold it on eBay. I round robined every one that was buying or bidding on his stuff and told them about my being ripped off and as I got other complaints I added them to the list. I even got Zana (co-owner of Digitrax with her husband A J) into the mess. She didn’t know about the theft until we informed her. He was cut-off eBay and Zana pressed charges. He got a probated sentence and lost his summer job with Digitrax.
The up side to this was - I meet some darn nice people - I was even able to go see some nice layouts as three of the people lived within three hundred miles of me. One was only seventy two miles away. One person lives in Nova Scotia and we are planning to stop by and see his layout this fall while we are on vacation.
I e-mail a couple of them every once in a while and we inform each other of good items up for bid.
I’ve bought everything from brass engines to decals in value. We were broken into by some local kids who put three brass engines in th
These have been going round for a while - it’s also known as “Phishing”. No responsible organisation (eBay seems pretty responsible) would ever send out emails asking for your passwords or other personal details, so if you get one either bring it to the attention of the organisation it’s spoofing or simply delete it. I’ve just clocked up 20 buys on eBay (not all train stuff) without any problems at all - it’s not all bad news, though you do need to be careful!
Pay attention to your address bar. If it does not go into a https: condition and stays at http: when looking at an emailed EBay page you are being spoofeds, phished or whatever.
Do not fill in anything asked for or click on submit. That’s when the bad guys get the info. One outfit in Portugal is doing this.
Trace the origin url also. You can get it from right clicking on the suspicious page and clicking on properties. Turn the results into EBay.
Remember you have to do something on your computer before these characters get your info. My recommendation it, if you don’t know who it came from delete it before you open it.
Get in the habit of safe practices and you will have very little problems. Don’t let these so and sos take the internet from you.
The scammers/thieves are not just using eBay’s name. paypal, Citi Bank, Bank One are just a few more whose names and logos are being utilized. The KEY is to NEVER RESPOND to an URL link in an email with personal information (passwords, account numbers, etc.). If you key an address into your computer, you have more or less, control over where the message is being sent. If you ‘click’ on a link … “Good luck!” Computer savvy individuals know enough to check out the ‘headers’ of suspicious email, tho’ that takes time. The average computer user should not take a chance. DO NOT RESPOND TO “LINKS” WITHIN EMAILS WITH PERSONAL INFORMATION, FOR ANY REASON!