Also notice the seller has 2 laptops for sale, both accepting, you guessed it. Wire transfer only. Registered same day as he listed items, and both have very brief descriptions.
Well, a potentially VERY COOL update in my eBay saga.
I just got an email from eBay, and from a real, actual person. He's with eBay's Safe Harbor, working in the Proactive Fraud division.
I was given the URL to report auctions to, along with a brief description of why I think there is a problem with the listing. His email says that the webform is "designated solely for members such as yourself who care about making eBay a safe place for everyone..." and to use the resource responsibly, so they can focus their efforts quickly on potential problems.
I was going to paste the email here, because it sounds pretty cool - and the fact that they apparently DO give a hoot about their users was pretty exciting, but I'm supposed to treat the email as confidential. Well, I suppose I haven't exactly done that by posting here, but I'm leaving a fair bit out, as well as keeping the URL to myself.
They also "respectfully request" that I refrain from placing bids on these fraudulent auctions. I guess I can understand that clearing eBay fees on $100 million dollar auctions might be a little bit of a pain in the ass.
It's pretty cool, anyway.
In fact, I'll get to try this out right away. In the time it took me to have dinner and go do a little work at my new house, these crooks have 4 new auctions up on eBay Canada.
Simply cancelling/bidspamming the auction is not the best way to deal with the problem. An email should be sent to all bidders on the auction telling them how to detect fraud.
<strong>Simply cancelling/bidspamming the auction is not the best way to deal with the problem. An email should be sent to all bidders on the auction telling them how to detect fraud.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yeah, but how long is that going to take?
Plus, correct me if I'm wrong Murbot,...not nearly as fun.
Plus, correct me if I'm wrong Murbot,...not nearly as fun. </strong><hr></blockquote>
Well, ideally, eBay should do it....but I'm sure someone could write an Applescript to bid 99,999,999 and then email all previous bidders.
If you're looking for fun, why not set up your own auctions which look blatently fraudulent and see how many people you can get? (Of course, tell them as soon as they bid.)
Intentionally putting fraudulent-looking ads up would be pretty stupid - what if a fellow "hunter" saw it and decided to bid $99,999,999 on it and screw you over? It would be pretty bad. And you'd have some explaining to do to everyone.
<strong>Intentionally putting fraudulent-looking ads up would be pretty stupid - what if a fellow "hunter" saw it and decided to bid $99,999,999 on it and screw you over? It would be pretty bad. And you'd have some explaining to do to everyone.</strong><hr></blockquote>
You cancel the bid. And the hunter gets the email and knows not to bid again. I don't really how it's stupider than bidding $99,999,999. After all, couldn't the seller then sue you for $99,999,999(especially if by mistake you bid on a non-fraudulent auction)? After all, every bid is a "legally binding contract."
Well, I wouldn't trust to just email these people after the auction ends, there are some really gullible & trusting people out there who would want to be a good buyer, and send their payments immediately. I'm also drawing eBay's attention to these guys by bidding what I do.
I'm not going to do it with this new gang of fraudlent auctions up at eBay Canada again though. (there are a couple more since last night). There are 7 of them, all with brand-spankin' new usernames, all for high end PowerBooks. I'll be sending the auction numbers for all of them this morning, and we'll see what kind of a response I get from eBay.
And don't confuse me with someone going hunting everywhere and ruining any and all suspicious looking auctions - I just know this crook in particular and have been trying to get him to give it up. I'm basically just looking at the Canadian listings too, because there aren't many auctions for G4 PowerBooks at a time there, and when 90% of them are this one crook it makes it impossible for decent guys to run auctions.
I am not worried at all about being sued for the amount because of a legally binding contract - these guys always sign up at eBay using false contact information. There is no way they could sue me when they've lied about who they are - it's pretty obvious they intended to defraud a buyer out of their money when they do that.
<strong>Well, I wouldn't trust to just email these people after the auction ends, there are some really gullible & trusting people out there who would want to be a good buyer, and send their payments immediately. I'm also drawing eBay's attention to these guys by bidding what I do.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Which is why you would cancel the auction an hour beforehand....
[quote]<strong>
I am not worried at all about being sued for the amount because of a legally binding contract - these guys always sign up at eBay using false contact information. There is no way they could sue me when they've lied about who they are - it's pretty obvious they intended to defraud a buyer out of their money when they do that.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yeah, but all they guy has to do is sign up with correct information ONCE, and if you bid 99,999,999 then you're screwed.
[quote]Which is why you would cancel the auction an hour beforehand....<hr></blockquote>
I was talking about bidding on the auctions - not my own auction.
I'm not about to use another credit card to set up a username to sell with, just to "educate" people about eBay bidding. And I'm sure as heck not going to tarnish my own real username with a perfect 40 feedback rating to do it.
Whatever. I get enough positive email from people about this, I'm not going to get into a big argument with you about it.
If this guy DOES use proper information to list the auction, the location will say Spain, Romania, something like that, and not Canada. I'm not about to bid on anything listed in one of those countries, so I'm not worried about getting sued. Won't happen.
I just ordered a New PB 667 for 1900 from a person on ebay , but he has sold computers in the past and has lots of good feedback. I also spoke with him on the phone ( one global source is the company name) do you think I am being ripped off ???? Has anyone else heard of one global source ripping people of ????
Sorry I can't link it right now my computer is a little whacked , but , the stories jive, and people have recieved their comps in the past, it just worries me , because though I can still contact by phone, the seller dropped of ebay.
I need my comp for school , so it better show up -
I'm bumping this thread just because things seem to be starting up again on eBay. I guess that's a sign that Apple's hardware offerings are worth it. Any more scam-busting, murbot?
Wow. I never knew Murbot rocked as much as he does. This thread was from before I knew AI even existed. Nonetheless, it got started about the same time as I won an auction of a powerbook G4 (800 DVI) from some shady person living in, you don't say, Madrid, Spain (for only 1400 euros or so). Luckily, I never paid the money, and wasn't half surprised to find an email in my inbox from fcc or something, telling me to hold payment on the item... These people really do make ebay a sucking place.
Comments
Is this you?:
<a href="http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2038921869"; target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2038921869</a>;
Note the user name hehe...
Also notice the seller has 2 laptops for sale, both accepting, you guessed it. Wire transfer only. Registered same day as he listed items, and both have very brief descriptions.
[ 07-15-2002: Message edited by: Carpet ]</p>
At least this guy has Madrid, Spain as the location. Can't see why anyone would want to buy from there...
<strong>
And DAMN!!! That auction I was going to bid on in an hour was just yanked by eBay. I was looking forward to using my new username:
so_many_crooks_so_little_time
LOL!
Great handle! You da man.
I just got an email from eBay, and from a real, actual person. He's with eBay's Safe Harbor, working in the Proactive Fraud division.
I was given the URL to report auctions to, along with a brief description of why I think there is a problem with the listing. His email says that the webform is "designated solely for members such as yourself who care about making eBay a safe place for everyone..." and to use the resource responsibly, so they can focus their efforts quickly on potential problems.
I was going to paste the email here, because it sounds pretty cool - and the fact that they apparently DO give a hoot about their users was pretty exciting, but I'm supposed to treat the email as confidential. Well, I suppose I haven't exactly done that by posting here, but I'm leaving a fair bit out, as well as keeping the URL to myself.
They also "respectfully request" that I refrain from placing bids on these fraudulent auctions. I guess I can understand that clearing eBay fees on $100 million dollar auctions might be a little bit of a pain in the ass.
It's pretty cool, anyway.
In fact, I'll get to try this out right away. In the time it took me to have dinner and go do a little work at my new house, these crooks have 4 new auctions up on eBay Canada.
Jeez, give it up already!
[ 07-15-2002: Message edited by: murbot ]</p>
<strong>Simply cancelling/bidspamming the auction is not the best way to deal with the problem. An email should be sent to all bidders on the auction telling them how to detect fraud.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yeah, but how long is that going to take?
Plus, correct me if I'm wrong Murbot,...not nearly as fun.
<strong>
Yeah, but how long is that going to take?
Plus, correct me if I'm wrong Murbot,...not nearly as fun.
Well, ideally, eBay should do it....but I'm sure someone could write an Applescript to bid 99,999,999 and then email all previous bidders.
If you're looking for fun, why not set up your own auctions which look blatently fraudulent and see how many people you can get? (Of course, tell them as soon as they bid.)
<strong>Intentionally putting fraudulent-looking ads up would be pretty stupid - what if a fellow "hunter" saw it and decided to bid $99,999,999 on it and screw you over? It would be pretty bad. And you'd have some explaining to do to everyone.</strong><hr></blockquote>
You cancel the bid. And the hunter gets the email and knows not to bid again. I don't really how it's stupider than bidding $99,999,999. After all, couldn't the seller then sue you for $99,999,999(especially if by mistake you bid on a non-fraudulent auction)? After all, every bid is a "legally binding contract."
I'm not going to do it with this new gang of fraudlent auctions up at eBay Canada again though. (there are a couple more since last night). There are 7 of them, all with brand-spankin' new usernames, all for high end PowerBooks. I'll be sending the auction numbers for all of them this morning, and we'll see what kind of a response I get from eBay.
And don't confuse me with someone going hunting everywhere and ruining any and all suspicious looking auctions - I just know this crook in particular and have been trying to get him to give it up. I'm basically just looking at the Canadian listings too, because there aren't many auctions for G4 PowerBooks at a time there, and when 90% of them are this one crook it makes it impossible for decent guys to run auctions.
I am not worried at all about being sued for the amount because of a legally binding contract - these guys always sign up at eBay using false contact information. There is no way they could sue me when they've lied about who they are - it's pretty obvious they intended to defraud a buyer out of their money when they do that.
<strong>Well, I wouldn't trust to just email these people after the auction ends, there are some really gullible & trusting people out there who would want to be a good buyer, and send their payments immediately. I'm also drawing eBay's attention to these guys by bidding what I do.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Which is why you would cancel the auction an hour beforehand....
[quote]<strong>
I am not worried at all about being sued for the amount because of a legally binding contract - these guys always sign up at eBay using false contact information. There is no way they could sue me when they've lied about who they are - it's pretty obvious they intended to defraud a buyer out of their money when they do that.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yeah, but all they guy has to do is sign up with correct information ONCE, and if you bid 99,999,999 then you're screwed.
I was talking about bidding on the auctions - not my own auction.
I'm not about to use another credit card to set up a username to sell with, just to "educate" people about eBay bidding. And I'm sure as heck not going to tarnish my own real username with a perfect 40 feedback rating to do it.
Whatever. I get enough positive email from people about this, I'm not going to get into a big argument with you about it.
If this guy DOES use proper information to list the auction, the location will say Spain, Romania, something like that, and not Canada. I'm not about to bid on anything listed in one of those countries, so I'm not worried about getting sued. Won't happen.
I just ordered a New PB 667 for 1900 from a person on ebay , but he has sold computers in the past and has lots of good feedback. I also spoke with him on the phone ( one global source is the company name) do you think I am being ripped off ???? Has anyone else heard of one global source ripping people of ????
You could always email past buyers to see if their story jives with what you're being told by the seller.
Have a link to the auction?
I need my comp for school , so it better show up -
This morning I submitted 7 fraudlent auctions at the URL I was given by the Proactive Fraud guy at eBay.
All but one have been pulled.
I am in utter disbelief.
Right on, eBay.