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Ebay fraudster changing tactics?
For the past couple of months, a scammer has been listing new high-end
bikes for sale on eBay at steep discounts. Originally this was being done using hijacked user IDs. At first, the hijacked user ID was changed to "akron_bike" with a numeric suffix, then "secom_bike", and for the past few days there have been unchanged hijacked user IDs and some zero-feedback new IDs. Today, the listings that I strongly suspect are from the same fraudster are in a new format; the background has been changed, the text has been changed, the photos now appear to be taken direct drom the manufacturers' publications, the listings show 2005 models instead of 2004, and they're not as prolific. They still bear the telltale signs of fraud, though; the bidder ID is private, the text instructs the buyer to contact the seller *before* bidding to obtain the bike at a "buy it now" price despite the fact that there is no Buy It Now feature in the listing, the seller has a zero feedback, the listing details do not make any potentially safe method of payment available, and the price for the product is well below dealer cost for an item that could not possibly be obtained for that amount. Here's just one of the listings: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2292907864 I will note also that when I first became aware of these listings, the claimed location of the supposed seller was in California, but that has now been shifted to the UK. The listing text now states "Escrow accepted", but the listing details do not; even that escrow is likely to be fake. Buyers beware. -- Typoes are a feature, not a bug. Some gardening required to reply via email. Words processed in a facility that contains nuts. |
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#2
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Have you reported this suspected fraudster to eBay? They take fraud very
seriously, and if you point out all the questionable tactics in the auctions, may well shut this person down and cancel their auctions. Good luck! I looked at the first site you posted here and agree that it looked very fishy.... Emily "Werehatrack" wrote in message ... For the past couple of months, a scammer has been listing new high-end bikes for sale on eBay at steep discounts. Originally this was being done using hijacked user IDs. At first, the hijacked user ID was changed to "akron_bike" with a numeric suffix, then "secom_bike", and for the past few days there have been unchanged hijacked user IDs and some zero-feedback new IDs. Today, the listings that I strongly suspect are from the same fraudster are in a new format; the background has been changed, the text has been changed, the photos now appear to be taken direct drom the manufacturers' publications, the listings show 2005 models instead of 2004, and they're not as prolific. They still bear the telltale signs of fraud, though; the bidder ID is private, the text instructs the buyer to contact the seller *before* bidding to obtain the bike at a "buy it now" price despite the fact that there is no Buy It Now feature in the listing, the seller has a zero feedback, the listing details do not make any potentially safe method of payment available, and the price for the product is well below dealer cost for an item that could not possibly be obtained for that amount. Here's just one of the listings: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2292907864 I will note also that when I first became aware of these listings, the claimed location of the supposed seller was in California, but that has now been shifted to the UK. The listing text now states "Escrow accepted", but the listing details do not; even that escrow is likely to be fake. Buyers beware. -- Typoes are a feature, not a bug. Some gardening required to reply via email. Words processed in a facility that contains nuts. |
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Emily wrote: Have you reported this suspected fraudster to eBay? They take fraud very seriously, and if you point out all the questionable tactics in the auctions, may well shut this person down and cancel their auctions. Good luck! I looked at the first site you posted here and agree that it looked very fishy.... Emily "Werehatrack" wrote in message ... For the past couple of months, a scammer has been listing new high-end bikes for sale on eBay at steep discounts. Originally this was being done using hijacked user IDs. At first, the hijacked user ID was changed to "akron_bike" with a numeric suffix, then "secom_bike", and for the past few days there have been unchanged hijacked user IDs and some zero-feedback new IDs. Today, the listings that I strongly suspect are from the same fraudster are in a new format; the background has been changed, the text has been changed, the photos now appear to be taken direct drom the manufacturers' publications, the listings show 2005 models instead of 2004, and they're not as prolific. They still bear the telltale signs of fraud, though; the bidder ID is private, the text instructs the buyer to contact the seller *before* bidding to obtain the bike at a "buy it now" price despite the fact that there is no Buy It Now feature in the listing, the seller has a zero feedback, the listing details do not make any potentially safe method of payment available, and the price for the product is well below dealer cost for an item that could not possibly be obtained for that amount. Here's just one of the listings: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2292907864 I will note also that when I first became aware of these listings, the claimed location of the supposed seller was in California, but that has now been shifted to the UK. The listing text now states "Escrow accepted", but the listing details do not; even that escrow is likely to be fake. Buyers beware. -- Typoes are a feature, not a bug. Some gardening required to reply via email. Words processed in a facility that contains nuts. Dear Were Thank You very much for this, John |
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