HIJACKED ACCOUNTS, SCAM EMAILS & TRADING SAFELY ON EBAY

Post #1 - Account Theft/Hijacked Accounts

Post #2 – How To Spot a Hijacked Account

Post #3 – Scam, Phish, Spoof Emails

Post #4 – Cleaning Your Computer If Your Account Was Hijacked or You Clicked on a Link

Post #5 – Account and Online Safety

Post #6 – Safe and Fraudulent Payments

Post #7 – How To Handle an Item Not Received or Significantly Not As Described Item

Post #8 – How To Handle an Unpaid Item

Post #9 – Know Your Trading Partner

Post #10 - Fake Second Chance Offers


For more information regarding hijacked accounts, scam emails, online safety and other account related problems, please read the informative posts in this thread.

Hijacked Accounts, Scam Emails & Trading Safely on eBay

Post #1 - MB

Account Theft/Hijacked Accounts

Are there listings or bids on your account that you did not make? Has your password been changed, but not by you? Are you receiving messages about items you haven’t listed or bid on? If so, then chances are your account has been hijacked.

If there are listings, the first thing you need to do is cancel all bids and end the listing. If you are the bidder, contact the seller and tell them your account has been compromised.

The next step for anyone is to contact Live Held for Account Theft.

http://livechat.ebay.com/Chat/servlet/AppMain?__lFILE=index.jsp&grp=ATO&PlacementID=000_ATOHelp1

The will walk you through all the steps to secure your account.

If can’t reach them, you can also let eBay know by using the link to email them in this policy page:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/confidence/isgw-account-theft-reporting.html

You will need to clean your computer in case there is spyware, a Trojan, or keylogger program installed by the hijacker. They may be watching what you are doing.

Instructions for this are in the 4th response in this thread.

How To Spot a Hijacked Account

There are many signs an account may be hijacked.

The member has been strictly a buyer, but is now suddenly listing many high end items including electronics, cell phones, computers and vehicles.

The member has sold items before, but not the same as those now listed. They sold used clothes, knick-knacks, and are now listing expensive items.

The account has had no activity for months, or even years.

It’s a one day listing that may have a Buy It Now price that’s too good to be true, or the item is well below it’s retail value.

If there's an email address to contact them before bidding or about a doing a Buy It Now, but the listing doesn't have a BIN.

The item location and where the seller is registered are different.

For more information about fraudulent transaction, please see:

Jenny_Lake's "13 RED FLAGS to Warn a Bidder of a Fraudulent Transaction"

http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=red-flags

Scam, Phish, Spoof Emails

Have you received an email supposedly from eBay or PayPal that asks any for personal information? If so, chances are this is a scam or “phish” email from a scammer trying to hijack your account or steal your identity.

Please Do Not Become Their Latest Victim!

These emails look very real and can include eBay or PayPal graphics that make them appear to have come from there.

All emails from eBay will refer to you by your user ID as well as the name your registered with. It will also appear in you’re My Messages if from eBay.

Neither eBay nor PayPal will ask for personal information in an email, especially one with a link to sign in into either site. Some of this information includes:

Your name
Bank name
Account number
PIN number
Social Security Number

They will not ask you to update, confirm or verify your account information through a link in an email.

They will not email you stating your account may be cancelled or suspended
Your credit card is expiring or has expired
You may/will be suspended for impersonating another member
You failed to answer our previous e-mail, so we are suspending your account
There was suspicious activity and your bank asked them to verify your account has not been compromised. (If there was a problem, your bank would contact you, not eBay or PayPal)

If there is a problem with your account, they will

NEVER click on a link in these emails. They can send you to a fake sign in page where they can harvest information. They can also download spyware or keylogger programs, or a Trojan where they can follow any move you make online.

If you do click on a link, please follow fatiguee’s advice on cleaning your computer in the post above.

If you are not sure an email you received came from eBay or PayPal, forward them with full headers to

spoof@ebay.com or spoof@paypal.com

If you don’t know how to put an email on full headers, you can find out here:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/rfe-unwelcome-email-headers.html


For more information regarding spoof emails, please read the following:

Hallowt’s Discussion Board thread

http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jsp?forum=107&thread=2324299&modifed=20031226100841

eBay’s spoof tutorial

http://pages.ebay.com/education/spooftutorial/

http://pages.ebay.com/help/confidence/spoof-email.html

Being well informed is the best defense against these criminals!

Cleaning Your Computer If Your Account Was Hijacked or You Clicked on a Link.

• Go to your Start button; Microsoft Update (or Windows Update, on some computers). You'll be taken to the Microsoft site.
• Once at Microsoft, your computer will be scanned and you'll be shown two types of updates: Express and Custom ... this can take a while ...
• When the page finally loads, download and allow to be installed EVERYTHING listed as an 'Express Update' . . . . .OR . . . a 'Critical Update'
• Often, these Windows updates will require that you reboot your computer, after they've downloaded and installed . . . . if this request is made, that's okay.

. . . . . then . . . thru your browser controls, do this:
• Delete ALL your Temporary Internet files (in most browsers other than Internet Explorer, these are called your 'Cache')
• Delete ALL your cookies
• Delete ALL your Internet History files
. . . . . . Why this should be done thru your Browser controls: Deleting the foregoing files thru Internet Explorer will NOT delete the same types of files accumulated by other browsers. Since a lot of people are now using alternative browsers, it's important to get rid of these files thru your browser controls. Each browser knows where it stores all this 'stuff' . . . and each browser stores these files in places of its own choosing.
. . . . . then . . . . .
• Empty your Recycle Bin (make sure there's nothing of value to you, there, before taking this step)
. . . . . REASON for the above steps: There are several forms of malware that can take up temporary residence in any of the above places . . . . until the next re-boot. On the boot cycle is when this malware will actually install to other, harder-to-investigate areas. Also, some AV software doesn't scan the Recycle Bin files very closely.
. . . . . then . . . . .
• Make sure that your Anti-Virus software is totally current . . . if it isn't . . . update it.
• You can update any Anti-Spyware software you're using, at this time, also . . .
. . . . . then . . . . .
• Restart your computer into "SAFE" mode. Your screen will look "fat and ugly" . . . this is normal.
• If you don't know how to boot into Safe Mode, this link will give good step-by-step instructions for most versions of Windows:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial61.html
. . . . just pick the version of Windows that you're running and follow the instructions . . .
• Most Anti-Virus software runs just fine, while in Safe Mode . . . . Anti-Spyware software runs well, too . . . computers don't mind being booted into Safe Mode, at all . . . their work load is lighter, in Safe Mode. Users hate Safe Mode because the screen looks so different.

• Run a full-system Virus scan ... scan EVERYTHING! Your scan may be a little slower, in Safe mode, but it will be as thorough as is possible.
• If the scan shows something abnormal, follow your Anti-Virus software's instructions for the removal of the malicious code
. . . . then . . . run your scan, again and remember to change your password . . . . . again.
• If the scan shows nothing . . . then . . .
• Run your Anti-Spyware scan, also . . . have it remove any intruders it might find . . . . then . . .
• Restart your computer normally
. . . . . . then . . . . . .

• Check for any updates for any software you might be using that doesn't update thru the Windows/Microsoft Update process.
. . . This includes, but is not limited to:
→ Any Browser OTHER THAN Internet Explorer (which updates thru the Windows Update process) that you might be using . . .
. . . this includes Firefox, Opera, Netscape, Mozilla, etc.
→ Any Adobe Software . . . including the Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat . . . almost everyone has the Adobe Reader installed.
→ The Flash or Shockwave Media Player(s) . . . . these are used to create the animations in banners, etc., that we frequently see online.
. . . . . The Flash/Shockwave Players now belong to Adobe, so any updates for these can be obtained from the Adobe.com site.
→ Any Media Player OTHER THAN the Windows Media Player that you might have installed
. . . This includes QuickTime, WinAmp, RealPlayer, MPlayer, the Nero Player, and countless other media players . . .
→ Any version of the Sun Java software you may have downloaded. If you haven't downloaded the Sun Java software, disregard this item.

WHY checking on all these updates is so important: In recent months, hackers have found several very serious security vulnerabilities in all of the above products. Thru these vulnerabilities, it's possible for strangers to access or even take control of your computer, monitor your actions, and steal your confidential data. Hackers seem to be able to keep finding vulnerabilities in many of the above products, even as the older vulnerabilites are fixed. Some software makers are exceptionally good about notifying the user of any of the above products that an update is available and should be downloaded and installed. Other software makers are not so diligent . . . the user can always check, without being prompted . . . Anti-Virus software may not catch intrusions that utilize the above types of software to gain access to a computer.

The above-mentioned products should be checked for updates at intervals of about one month, if the updates aren't set to download automatically — and not all of those above-described products automatically notify the user about updates. There have been exploits written for other products, such as alternative browsers, 'Office-Type' software, etc. It doesn't hurt to check for updates to anything that wasn't issued by Microsoft that happens to be installed on our computers.

The exploits are written to capitalize on flaws inherent in the software itself . . . thru these flaws, assorted malware can find its way onto our computers — and so can hackers. Some of the malware is transmitted via e-mail, some of it can be transmitted from viewing malicious websites or portions thereof . . . and hackers can just 'walk right in and help themselves', thru the security flaws . . . . this is why all of this 'seemingly-unrelated stuff' has been listed . . . it all ties in together, in the overall view of how ill-intentioned people gain access to user data.

• Then . . . . once you've taken all the above actions, and you're sure that there's nothing on your computer that could be 'leaking' your data to some stranger . . . . you might consider changing your password(s) one more time . . .

—fati—

(Credit to Fatiguee, our resident expert)

Account and Online Safety

Never log into eBay or PayPal using a link in an email. Always log in on the sites themselves.

Never give your eBay ID and/or password to anyone. You are responsible for any activity on your account. Never stay logged on when you leave your computer.

Never give any personal information through a link in an email. If you win or sell an item, your trading partner is given any personal information necessary by eBay and/or PayPal. If they need to call you, they can always pull your contact information.

If you receive an email from someone you don’t know, especially one with an attachment, do not open it. Delete it.

Protect your computer. Always run a firewall, and anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. Clean your cookies, cached files and history daily.

The following is a link to a user’s Me page that is filled with information regarding online safety and dangers that lurk.

http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=4acct-safety

Safe and Fraudulent Payments

Knowing what payment methods are and aren’t allowed on eBay is the first step to not being scammed.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/safe-payments-policy.html

For Buyers

Never pay to a PayPal account that is not linked to the auction or where the seller’s name is different.

Never use Western Union instant transfers. You will never see your money again, or receive the item.

If the seller cannot accept payments via PayPal, and that is how you planned to pay, you are not required to pay by any other method. Report the seller as a non-performing seller.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/seller-non-performance.html

Usually when a seller’s account can’t accept payments, it means that PayPal has frozen their account.

If you pay via check or money order, always make a copy of the check or make sure you keep your copy of the money order.

Never send cash. There is no proof you ever sent it.

For Sellers

Be very careful ofthe Nigerian or counterfeit check payments.

These “buyers” claim they are from the US, appear to be registered in the US, but are actually using hijacked accounts. They really reside another country such as Nigeria. They will ask you to please send the item to someone in who’s in college in Nigeria, getting married in the Ukraine, or other valid sounding reasons.

Once you’ve sent the item, you discover that the item was paid for with fake or stolen funds. Once this happens. You are not only out the money, but the item as it’s withdrawn from your account. PayPal will also reverse the payment and you will owe them.

If you get an offer such as the above, report it using this link:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/contact_us/_base/index_selection.html

Selling and managing your item > Continue > Problems with buyers or sale > Report buyer paid or tried to pay with fake or stolen funds > Continue > Email Us.

If you receive a bad check, contact the buyer’s local police. You can look up the location here:

Buyer's local police department which you can find seller's city/town here:
http://www.usacops.com/

You should also file a UPI because the item has not actually been paid for.

Here is eBay’s page for sellers who have been defrauded with addition resources:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/confidence/isgw-fraud-defrauded-sellers.html

How To Handle an Item Not Received or Significantly Not As Described Item

If you have a problem with an item not being received or arrived different than what was described in the listing, you should know the following.

Item Not Received

If you paid for an item and it hasn’t been received, contact your seller first. If you get no response from the seller or they are uncooperative, and it’s been longer than 10 days, you can file an Item Not Received dispute.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/inr-snad-process.html

If you mailed you payment, you should wait a little longer to allow time for your check or money order to arrive and to clear.

Significantly Not As Described

If an item arrives broken, damaged, or different than how it was described or pictured in the listings, you should first try to work things out with your seller. That would include items that do not work, are damaged in shipment, or there is a noticeable discrepancy in what you won and what was received. (wrong size, color, chipped, cracked, etc.)

As with an Item Not Received, you if the seller refuses to work with you, file a Significantly Not As Described dispute.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/inr-snad-process.html

In both cases, if you paid using PayPal, it will automatically transfer you there. If you mailed your payment, you will need to file using eBay’s Standard Purchase Protection.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/isgw-buyer-protection-steps.html

Know Your Deadlines

You only have 45 days to file either dispute if you paid using PayPal. You have 60 days to file if you mailed your payment.

Do not let those deadlines pass. Once they have, neither eBay nor PayPal can help you. Do not let a seller stall you past those deadlines. File the dispute. You can always close it if you are refunded or the item arrives. But never close it until one or the other has happened. Once closed, you can't file again for the same item.

How To Handle an Unpaid Item

When you have a buyer that fails to pay, you need to wait 7 full days after the end of auction to file an Unpaid Item Dispute. If you allow mailed payments, it’s best to wait at least 10 to allow for mailing time.

There are only 2 exceptions to waiting the 7 days to file.

The buyer is no longer a registered user, or you and buyer mutually agree not to complete the transaction.

In both those cases, you can file immediately after they occur.

You can either file from the dispute console on your my eBay page, or using this link on this page.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/unpaid-item-process.html

When filing as “mutually agreed”, it is best to email the buyer to let them know you are filing to receive your final value fee credit and releasing them of their obligation to pay. That they will not be getting an unpaid item strike. Many will see the UPI and panic, thinking if they agree, they will receive one.

Once the dispute is filed, the buyer has 7 days to respond.

Do NOT send out second chance offers before you file, or the buyer has responded. If you accept PayPal, all a buyer has to do is pay via PayPal and the dispute will be closed. You could end up with 2 winning bidders and become a non-performing seller to one of them unless you have 2 identical items.

Once the buyer responds, depending on how they do, you can either close the dispute right away citing you no longer wish to communicate, or wait for the buyer to pay. Once closed, you can file for your final value free credit and are eligible for a free relist.

You only have 45 days in which to file. So do not let a buyer stall you by telling you they are going to pay or have mailed the payment. If you are waiting for a payment, do not close the dispute until it arrives. Once closed, you cannot open another dispute for the same listing

Know your trading partner

Check you trading partner’s feedback. Look for any negatives or neutrals. That is the best gauge as to the type of trading partner they are can be seen there.

For Sellers
Check their feedback for negatives for non-payment or being difficult to deal with.

Read their feedback left for others. Do they use feedback in place of communicating if there is a problem? Do they leave negs for slow shipping, or the item wasn’t what they expected?

Check a new members bidding history to see if they are bidding on several of the same items at the same time, or have done multiple Buy It Nows of high end items.

For Buyers

Check their feedback for negatives for non-receipt, or for a wrong or misrepresented items received.

Read their feedback to see if they do not respond to emails when an item hasn’t arrived or there is a problem with one that has. Are they complaints for items taking over a month to arrive? Has the seller refused to sell by refunding after payment was made?

Read their feedback left for others. Is everything always the buyer’s fault?

Are they a new seller only selling higher end items, or an established seller that sold other items but now selling high end items?

Does their location and the items location match?

Fake Second Chance Offers

Many buyers that bid on high end items, but do not win, receive what appear to be a Second Chance Offer from the seller. There are several ways to tell if this SCO is legitimate is to check your My eBay page. A true one will appear as a Buy It Now Item. It will also appear in your My Messages. You can also check with the seller using “Ask Seller A Question” in one of their live auctions to see if they really did send it. You can also check to see if the name and email address match be by pulling the contact information of the seller in whose auction you did not win against that of the seller giving the SCO. You can get it using this link:

http://cgi1.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?UserInformationRequest

With most fake Second Chance Offers, the seller will request that you send payment via Western Union.

eBay has more information regarding fake second chance offers and how to spot them.

http://pages.ebay.com/community/chatter/2006February/marketplacesafety.html

There is more information available here:

http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=red-flags