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Another Ebay warning to heed


Rockets

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This just happened to me and I almost fell for it.

I clicked on an item and was immediately sent to the log in screen

where I started to enter my data. Had I not looked up at the address

bar, and saw it wasn't a https: ebay address, I would have been SCREWED.

I didn't really think twice about being asked to log back in as

this happens to me often. Probably due to me leaving my machine up and

staying logged in all the time causes it to time out.

The theives are getting slicker all the time.[:@]

Be careful out there!

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Absolutely report it to eBay. They do file FCC complaints on the spoofers if they are in the US, and Dept of Justice is going after them outside the US. Ever since eBay went "public trading" on NYSE, they are getting much more responsive and sensitive to the problems. Worst one lately is Paypal; within an hour of paying for anything by paypal, you could get the same spoofs for about a month. Anybody "burned" by a spoofer needs to report it to local law enforcement and if you are not happy with their actions, report it to the Feds. Remember this golden rule of law enforcement.... If the problem is not on record, then it's not a problem. The squeaky wheel gets greased applies!! I work in law enforcement... The important thing is to raise as much hell as practical about the problems. email your congressional reps, etc.

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Hi Rockets,

I had the very same thing happen to me and I didn't enter all my information either (I didn't even hit the enter key), however, just by entering some of my username and password the bad guys were able to use enough of my information to break my password. After that (about 8 hours) some really bad things started happening. They got into my eBay account and then they broke into my email account as well. It was a mess.

My advice would be login to every service you use and change the passwords immediately. I know that sounds ugly but the alternative is really awful. Trust me, I learned the hard way.

Jeff

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I was in the process of reporting it, but Ebay had already shut it

down. I'm also a little PO'd at Ebay. They make it hard as hell to

report anything. Hoop after hoop after hoop one must jump through and

THEN they ask for more information about the listing..which means you

have to go all the way back........ it's be nice (smart) if they had a

hot button you could click on the report the item right then and there.

Jeff, that sucks! I don't remember how many characters I had typed in

before I caught myself, but it wasn't many. I can only hope that my

dual layer firewalls, spybot detectors and ZoneAlarm will be

enough to shield me....yeah I know it's never enough....

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I was in the process of reporting it, but Ebay had already shut it

down. I'm also a little PO'd at Ebay. They make it hard as hell to

report anything. Hoop after hoop after hoop one must jump through and

THEN they ask for more information about the listing..which means you

have to go all the way back........ it's be nice (smart) if they had a

hot button you could click on the report the item right then and there.

Jeff, that sucks! I don't remember how many characters I had typed in

before I caught myself, but it wasn't many. I can only hope that my

dual layer firewalls, spybot detectors and ZoneAlarm  will be

enough to shield me....yeah I know it's never enough....

Ebay does have that feature. Scroll to near the bottom of any auction page and click the "Report this Item" link.

If the case of the one you mentioned in this thread though, if it is the type I think it is, you are immediately re-directed to the scammers server and never really see the auction. That type has to be reported by email including the title of the auction. Send that to rswebhelp@ebay.com

Bob Crites

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Most members of the forum generally know how to avoid scams and frauds on the internet. Every year, especially during the Christmas season (which pretty much starts now), we have a number of internet fraud problems reported to the agency I work for here in south Florida. We've done press releases in the past, etc. to try to help those members of our community unfamiliar with the problems posed by scam artists and frauds.

Not to offend anyone, or their level of sophistication, below is an edited version of that release. Anyone who has additional tips, ideas that can help folks, etc., Please feel free to post them, add to this thread, etc.

Hopefully, together, we can help someone (especially a Forum member)avoid being the next victim.

_____________________________________________________

"Internet Scams.... Don't Be The Next Victim!

Simple recommendations to avoid them from (local law enforcement agency).

As we approach the holiday season, there will be a dramatic increase by criminals to use the internet to defraud you, steal your "accounts" and "passwords", or even worse, steal your identity.

Many "scams" or frauds on the internet often seem to come from an internet sales company that you might have done business with in the past, or more commonly now, from on-line auction sites like eBay. Auction sites like eBay are great places to look for things you want or need, but there are some basic security practices that we would like for you to consider. Hopefully, you will not become a victim of a fraud, and your "trips" to eBay and other on-line auction sites will be safe and enjoyable!

Before we give you some pointers on good security practices for online auction sites like eBay, let's point out a few very basic computer security practices that will greatly reduce your chances becoming a victim of an internet scam or fraud.

First, if you don't have an internet security & antivirus program, we recommend that you consider obtaining one. Windows' itself has come a long way with their "firewall", but it is only the first "wall" in defending your computer and the information it contains! There are a number of very reputable security software vendors, and it is well worth the price of the software and their annual subscription.

Second, and we know it's an inconvenience, don't ask "Windows" to save your "usernames" and passwords. While many people "save" the user name and password, we strongly recommend you don't do so for any reason. If someone "hacks" your computer, they will find the usernames and passwords you have saved. Don't write down your passwords in a document on the computer, they can be found if someone "hacks" the computer. If you cannot remember these things, write them down on a piece of paper, or a "post-it" note, and keep them in a convenient place near your computer.

Third, many legitimate websites offer the option of "saving" your password for you, or offering to "keep you logged in" every time you visit their site. Never do that, and whenever you are asked for your username and password, make sure the website name where you are going to "log in" has an "https://" in front of the web site name. If it does not, don't go there!

Fourth, when you "visit" any website, avoid giving out your email address, name, or any information that can identify you for "special offers", or to be placed on a "subscription" list, or similar requests.

Lastly, if you are not using your computer, get "off line". Staying connected is a very poor security practice. If someone "hacks" your internet provider, they can "see" your computer. If they can "see" your computer, they can attempt to get into it.

For eBay users, if you have not already done it and you intend to use eBay, we recommend that you go to the eBay site and create an account with a username and a password. Again, don't save the username and password on your system.

Another problem you can also have is that if you are not "logged" on to eBay, you are vulnerable to being "redirected" to fraudulent sites when searching.

Also, and often overlooked, are the eBay security instructions and "safe practices" on their website. We suggest that you read them. If you suspect something is wrong, or do not feel comfortable with someone that's selling you something, send them an eBay email. If they are legitimate, they will respond to you on the eBay system.

Typical scams involving eBay usually involve "spam" or email messages from a fake "ebay" seller or buyer, offering to sell you something as a "second chance", or "off-eBay"; or wanting to buy something from you that you were looking for during a search. Never respond to these emails or offers. If you do, it is quite likely that you will be redirected to a fraudulent website that will attempt to access your computer. Legitimate eBay "second chance" offers will be in your eBay "mailbox".

As far as reporting what you believe are attempts to defraud you, we understand that most people in our community probably don't have the time to send all of these 'spam' messages, attempts to get you to log on to fraudulent sites, requests for "personal" information, etc., to eBay security. If you don't have the time, simply delete them from your in-box. Never open them! If you do have the time, and we encourage this, log onto eBay and report them to their security department. It helps eBay investigate where they are coming from, and ultimately will help protect you and your account.

Unfortunately, if you believe you have been "scammed", or defrauded, report the incident to (your local law enforcement agency). If law enforcement does not have information about these scams and a reliable idea of how bad the problem really is, they will not be able to consider dedicating valuable resources to going after the offenders. Another good reason to report these instances, is that if eventually someone is caught and prosecuted, particularly in the US, having a law enforcement report with documentation of your losses can contribute to the case, and you might be entitled to restitution.

____________________________________________

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