New Possible Scam on E-Bay

[TATE]

Just posting this as a warning - it's on CCB as well.

I bid on a Josswest cue and don't get the item. So I am contacted by another E-Bay member (with good, but a small amount of feedback) offering me a JW at a decent price. I respond that I might be interested. I would like their name, location, and photos of the cue.

Instead I get a written description, no name, no photos. And to be safe, the persons says we can use "Federal Escrow Service".

So, I e-mail back saying, no. I want photos and their name, and I will only use Proficient Billiards escrow service, because I trust that if anyone knows a good cue when he sees it, it's Scot.

I get back an e-mail saying "No I will only use Federal Escrow - the deal's off".

Well, to make a long story short, I have reason to believe (But I might be wrong) that the escrow service at the web address he gave, is a phony baloney. Federal Excrow is out here and they are real, but it is at a different web address! I've e-mailed the escrow service and am waiting for a response. They are supposed to be in Ohio. The "real" Federal Escrow is out here, and they know nothing of this other outfit. I reported this to E-Bay already.

This is a great reason not to buy outside of E-Bay's system, and to insist on a known escrow service.

Chris

 

[kokopuffs]

BID SIPHONING

If it turns out that the person contacting you is legitimate and the escrow service is legitimate as well, then the seller is conducting something called Bid Siphoning, something that could ban him/her from ebay. So what. As long as the deal is legit I see no problem conducting the transaction - if it IS legitimate.

 

[TATE]

BID SIPHONING

If it turns out that the person contacting you is legitimate and the escrow service is legitimate as well, then the seller is conducting something called Bid Siphoning, something that could ban him/her from ebay. So what. As long as the deal is legit I see no problem conducting the transaction - if it IS legitimate.

The offer doesn't bother me and it's none of e-Bay's business as far as I'm concerned. Otherwise, why do they give us the ability to contact each other and make all this info public?

I reported it to E-Bay because I'm pretty sure the escrow service is a fraud. The site looks 100% professional, but there is no contact phone number. I did a "whois" and the domain name was only registered about 10 days ago. I also called the legit "Federal Escrow" and they also have received questions about this other site.

Chris

 

[kokopuffs]

Then it sounds fraudulent to me, especially since there's no photos and the escrow service sounds unstable to say the least.

Bid siphoning has happened to me and I never had a problem. The buyer/seller and I discussed the item over the phone and I verified their feedback as well as mailing address. And yes, there are flakes out there wanting you to wire them money to some Podunk town in the Roumanian outback.

 

[TATE]

Then it sounds fraudulent to me, especially since there's no photos and the escrow service sounds unstable to say the least.

Well, I checked the ID for feedback (standard operating procedure) before I answered the e-mail.

Now I look at it closer, the user ID is from England, has a great history of feedback, and buys a lot of seeds and plants. In fact, I think she's an older lady, judging by what she buys, not the kind to sell a Joss West!

I would bet this is a stolden identity/password on E-Bay. I notified the user ID of this as well.

Sheesh - these crooks are getting clever!!!

Chris

 

[Koop]

Well, I checked the ID for feedback (standard operating procedure) before I answered the e-mail.

Now I look at it closer, the user ID is from England, has a great history of feedback, and buys a lot of seeds and plants. In fact, I think she's an older lady, judging by what she buys, not the kind to sell a Joss West!

I would bet this is a stolden identity/password on E-Bay. I notified the user ID of this as well.

Sheesh - these crooks are getting clever!!!

Chris

Chris,

That is very possible. On our local news channel here in Boston did a big story on people who's EBay id's were stolen. I think the background check you did is enough to at least suspect this might be the case.

Best of luck,
Dave

 

[kokopuffs]

When I did the background check on a too-good-to-be-true deal, it appeared that the seller lived in Nebraska. Then I get emails with totally weird keystroke/fat finger errors like I never saw before. Finally an email arrives requesting me to wire money to Roumania. ...one born every second.

 

[TATE]

When I did the background check on a too-good-to-be-true deal, it appeared that the seller lived in Nebraska. Then I get emails with totally wierd keystroke/fat finger errors like I never saw before. Finally an email arrives requesting me to wire money to Roumania. ...one born every second.

Yeah - they can't even speak english. I just got a nasty e-mail from the scammer chewing me out for turning him in to E-Bay! He's not only a fraud, he's a psycho!!!

Chris

 

[TATE]

I just got an answer from E-Bay. The original e-mail I received with the offer was not sent through E-Bay's system - it was only dummied up to look like it. They had my e-mail address and knew who I was. So the user ID was someone else's. When I saw they had good feedback, I was looking at a random name they picked.

Things are getting scary out there. My advice is not to deal outside of E-Bay.

Chris