EBAY SCAM - Look out people!

[smo]

Hi everyone,

HERE'S A HEADS-UP - I've just had a guy attempt to SCAM ME on a guitar/bass pedal eBay purchase, so here's the tactic.

I was bidding on a guitar/bass pedal on eBay.
I then got outbid at the death on the deal - or so I thought.....

I received an email from a different email address than the one I'd been conversing with during the time of the auction.
I then received the same email - or slightly different - from about 4 other email addresses, over a 48 hour period.
Here's an example;

Dear ebay member,I am the seller of the eBay item titled:EBAY ITEM DESCRIPTION AND I.D. NUMBER,
and I've just been contacted by
the eBay staff who informed me that the winner of this item got rejected due to
security reasons (either failed to follow through on the purchase commitment
or outright refused to do so). Your last auctioned bid prior to being outbided
is taken into consideration as eBay policy automatically proclaims you to be
the winner by default.Nevertheless,I need your agreement on this so I may
contact eBay to confirm your winning position otherwise I'll relist the item. If
you're interested please confirm by forwarding this message to
crystyrupt@aol.com and include your name,address and ebay ID.Please contact me at
crystyrupt@aol.com with your response,either yes or no.

Thanks!

Somehow this guy got a lot of the sellers' info - AND a fair bit of mine.
I became very suspicious straight away, and especially so when this guy wouldn't answer any request for a name or phone number. (Bear in mind - I already knew this info. from the REAL SELLER)

Then this guy sends me an email FROM EBAY ITSELF!
From the eBay address "aw-confirm@ebay.com"
The body of the eBay email was requesting that I PAY FOR THIS IMAGINARY ITEM, via Money Transfer no less!
The name and address of the person on the money transfer were;
Alan Romero
Via Romana
23 Firenze
50125
Italy
He said that he was visiting Italy on holiday to see his sister, but he had taken the pedal WITH HIM, in case he sold it eBay.
What??
The eBay auction was for the U.S.

The email addresses he used were;
torntot33@aol.com
crystyupt@aol.com
GMcclc@cs.com
ciobanu.marius777@hotmail.com
But I suspect he may be using some kind of spam program/hack type thing.

ANYWAY - I contacted the ORIGINAL SELLER of the item, and asked him if this "alleged" scammer and he were same person.
He didn't know what I was talking about.

Case closed - LOOK OUT PEOPLE!!!!!!

SMO

[KarateKid25]

i actually had the same thing. the email was smithpeterson@hotmail.com then. Said that they had taken the bass (not an effect) with them etc... it happened in an identical way.

Be wary...

[stoneboy26]

You have reported it to eBay right??

Whether or not it was from an ebay person these should be reported. Whether ebay does anything with it is a different story!!

[Swimming Bird]

That's happened to me before. Back when I was trying to get a Chapman Stick and lost two or three times (I was never around to snipe at the end of the auction) I got a few of these.

Also, it is extremely easy to mask your e-mail address in general. It's so easy that I don't understand why more people don't do it more often -- in early high school back when I was taking C++ I had a friend who was very fond of e-mailing people as "bill_gates@microsoft.com", offering them money, jobs, etc.

[bongomania]

Yeah, there is no way that email was actually from the Ebay system, the sending address was forged. Anytime I get an email supposedly from Ebay (and I get them often) I delete it and go to Ebay's "My Messages" pane. Any email actually sent from/through Ebay will be in that folder.

[smo]

Originally Posted by stoneboy26

You have reported it to eBay right??

Whether or not it was from an ebay person these should be reported. Whether ebay does anything with it is a different story!!

The person hasn't given me their eBay persona.
But I have done one better - I let the AFP, or Australian Federal Police know about it. I'm not sure what they can do - but at least I feel a bit better about it.

[Yvarg]

Originally Posted by Swimming Bird

Also, it is extremely easy to mask your e-mail address in general. It's so easy that I don't understand why more people don't do it more often -- in early high school back when I was taking C++ I had a friend who was very fond of e-mailing people as "bill_gates@microsoft.com", offering them money, jobs, etc.

+1

I have a friend who wrote a program to do just this (for entertainment, he wouldn't ever actually scam anyone).

Thanks for the heads up, smo!

[Foamy]

Originally Posted by Yvarg

+1

I have a friend who wrote a program to do just this (for entertainment, he wouldn't ever actually scam anyone).

Thanks for the heads up, smo!

Wrote a C++ Program? What a waste!
hint: sendmail.cf on any LINUX (Costco $20) operating system.

[niftydog]

What the frog? A C++ program that types "bill@microsoft.com"?!

I often wonder how many applications are "registered" using variations on the above email address.

...and I also wonder what Bills real email is, given that just about every possible variation on his name has already been dreamed up!

[stoneboy26]

Originally Posted by smo

The person hasn't given me their eBay persona.
But I have done one better - I let the AFP, or Australian Federal Police know about it. I'm not sure what they can do - but at least I feel a bit better about it.

Not a bad idea that. I know that the victorian coppers are cracking down big time on ebay scammers!! Especially those trying to to sell cars they don't really have

[KarateKid25]

I passed my scam info onto the feds as well when it occured.

Its all you can do really...

EDIT: I called him names in an e-mail too. That showed him...

[bongomania]

Wait, you turned yourself in???

[KarateKid25]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Wait, you turned yourself in???

damn.... Walked into that one.

Yep... I caught the short bus all the way down to the cop shop too

[Vandelay]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Anytime I get an email supposedly from Ebay (and I get them often) I delete it and go to Ebay's "My Messages" pane. Any email actually sent from/through Ebay will be in that folder.

+1000. These "second chance" scams happen all the time, so eBay recommends that you ALWAYS go to the "My Messages" section of their website to verify a message's validity. If you get an email from an eBay member that doesn't appear in "My Messages", it's a fake.

[Spector_Ray]

Originally Posted by Vandelay

+1000. These "second chance" scams happen all the time, so eBay recommends that you ALWAYS go to the "My Messages" section of their website to verify a message's validity. If you get an email from an eBay member that doesn't appear in "My Messages", it's a fake.

+1

And forward the fraudulent email you get to spoof@ebay.com

[::Saint::]

I didn't have this particular scam happen to me, but I was buying a Diesel Dawg pedal once, which I won, and after I had sent my payment via Paypal I noticed that the user was mysteriously "no longer registered". I waited for a couple of weeks and when nothing showed up I filed a claim and got my money back.

Friggin dinks.

[jomahu]

even if you're second in line for a winning bid, the ebay rules and safety stuff don't apply.
basically, you're on your own. BEWARE.

[PocketGroove82]

Firenze is a great place to vacation! lol

[smo]

Originally Posted by PocketGroove82

Firenze is a great place to vacation! lol

Cool
I'll have to remember that.

[slsproducts]

I just received this and the auction is not over...
Dear slsproducts
You expressed interest on this item. I'm the seller of this item on which you've recently bid on through the eBay system ( Item # 120180516050 ) and I've contacted you because I need to know if you are still interested to buy ... Email me as soon as possible with your answer because I must to know if is necesarly to find another buyer or if you can buy the item(i need to know your final price)...If you accept this offer the eBay policy automatically proclaims you winner. The transaction will go strictly according to eBay's RULES and POLICY and will be supervised by eBay Trust & Safety Department. If you are interested just reply to this message.
I am waiting a fast response!

Thank you!