From collectibles to cars, buy and sell all kinds of items on eBay
aAdvanced Search
Last Post Aug 10, 2009 2:51 AM by: philip2727
Replies: 416
)
abuttonlady
Posts: 2,870

**Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails** .Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...*IMPORTANT INFO*

Sep 12, 2003 10:32 PM
post 1
Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...
This is becoming an all too prevalent scenario on eBay.
Some things you need to know to protect yourself:
TIPS

Click the help? link on eBay's Navigation bar and find this resulting page:
Link

Then by exploring the links, you will find a number of pages dealing with the subject of account safety
Link

Link

Link

the Live Help link from the home page is great for answers you can't find anywhere else.
Members on the boards are very helpful too.

eBay takes Account Theft issues very seriously. Please know that once you report them
that eBay is taking action.

if you recieve emails asking for your personal info...forward it, with headers, to
spoof@ebay.com

WITH headers...how to get these:
Link

Link

Do NOT post your email address to the boards..even in asking for help or a response to a thread. These address's are also harvested and scam spam sent to them. Please know that the reason contact info is not allowed to be posted is that it can be used for identity theft.
For anyone who has posted an email address on the boards...and you discover that you want it to be erased...you can 'self report'...that is, click the report button on your own post...send the report, and it will be removed.

If you have an eBay user name that is an email addy, I strongly suggest you change it. Most of the hijacked accounts I have found have email addy user ID's.
Changing your ID will not cause the loss of your valuable feedback.
Link

*what to do if you have an account theft*

Users with takeovers need to report them on the rules and safety webform:
Link
then click: account concerns/ unauthorized use of my eBay account/there are auctions listed on my account that are not mine.

contact this LIVE help specifically for Account takeover problems
Link

found on this page
Link

Link

*Further info*

Link

Please remember that eBay NEVER asks for your Social Security Number, Passwords, PINs or mother's maiden name.

*password safety*

make sure the password for your email program is very secure. Use a combination of numbers and letters and change it periodically. The same applies for the password hint question. It's also important to use different passwords for the various online accounts you use (Paypal, online banking, etc).

If you have concerns that an email may not be from eBay, please write to ebay BEFORE replying to the request. Be sure to include a copy of the email so that eBay may double check it.(spam@ebay.com)

In the instance that you have responded to these type emails with the information requested above,
Please change your eBay password and password hint. In addition,you may want to do the following for your protection of your personal information and identity:

A) cancel your credit cards immediately

B) file a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where it
was stolen, because this proves to credit providers you were diligent, and is a first step toward an investigation (if there is one).

AND NOW MOST IMPORTANTLY:

C) Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and SS#.

The numbers are:
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289

Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

Finally, identity theft is handled by U.S. Postal Inspectors as mail fraud. Make online reports at: usps.com
Link

If you don't have a firewall on your computer...get one.
Link
Here is a free one at zonealarm.com or zonelabs
there are websites to use to test your security as well.
Link





Reply
Name:
Email:
 
Tip: To create a link - type the desired text, highlight it with your mouse and click[Click for url tag]
Tags:
 
)
abuttonlady
Posts: 2,870
(1 of 416)

**Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails** .Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...*IMPORTANT INFO*

Sep 12, 2003 10:34 PM
AB post
***Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails***
Date: 07/21/03 Time: 09:50:06 AM PDT

Some community members have received deceptive emails claiming to come from eBay. Fraudsters who send these emails hope that recipients will reply or click on a link contained in the email and then provide personal information (i.e., eBay passwords, social security numbers and credit card numbers). We refer to these emails as “Spoof Emails.”

We encourage you to be cautious when responding to any email request for personal information. Remember, if you are ever asked to provide information to eBay, you can simply open a new browser, type www.ebay.com, sign-in, and use the Site Map to navigate the site.

You can also take a few simple steps to protect your account and prevent senders of spoof emails from doing harm:

1.Be sure you are on an eBay page – It is generally not a good idea to click on links in an email. However, if you do, be sure that you are signing into a genuine eBay web site by looking at the address/location area of your browser. At an eBay.com sign-in or log-in page, the URL (link) that appears in the address/location area of your browser will begin with "http://cgi.ebay.com/", "https://scgi.ebay.com/" or "http://signin.ebay.com/". Please pay close attention to all characters in the address, including the forward slash (/) that follows "ebay.com". Even if the address/location includes the word "ebay", it may not be a genuine eBay web site.

2. Report Fraudulent Email -- If you have any doubt whether an email is from eBay, use your email client’s “forward” feature to forward a copy of it to spoof@ebay.com immediately with full header information, if possible. If you have already replied to the fraudulent email, contact your bank and/or credit card companies immediately to prevent identity theft.

3. Check Your Account – eBay recommends checking your My eBay and Account Preferences periodically to ensure that no one has tampered with your account.

Your vigilance helps us ensure that eBay remains a safe and vibrant online marketplace. For more information on how to protect your eBay password and your account, please visit the eBay Security Center. You can access the Security Center by clicking on Help from the Navigation Bar at the top of every eBay page, then clicking on the "Security Center" link.

regards eBay







Reply
Name:
Email:
 
Tip: To create a link - type the desired text, highlight it with your mouse and click[Click for url tag]
Tags:
 
)
abuttonlady
Posts: 2,870
(2 of 416)

**Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails** .Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...*IMPORTANT INFO*

Sep 12, 2003 10:35 PM
Here is another issue I've noticed people reporting...

Doing an eBay search and then immediately getting spam from sources not related to eBay offering similar merchandise.

This would be because of spyware on your computer.

Link

great freebie for killing spyware...also has a cookiewall.

ALSO...if you use Gator or another program to save passwords, etc.? This is the BEST way for hackers to get ALL your password info in one 'convenient' place...what was convenient for you...also is for them. Don't make it easy for any would be hackers.

More tips:
remember to keep your virus protection up to date.

Please know that when the transactions start adding up, you never know how many times your email addy gets added to address books of many eBay users. Most virus afflictions are not the result of hackers..just the fact that someone did not keep their 'own' puter up to date.

A good tip for us all to remember is to disable the action in your email program which automatically adds any email you reply to...to your address book.





Reply
Name:
Email:
 
Tip: To create a link - type the desired text, highlight it with your mouse and click[Click for url tag]
Tags:
 
)
abuttonlady
Posts: 2,870
(3 of 416)

**Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails** .Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...*IMPORTANT INFO*

Sep 12, 2003 10:36 PM
The Rules and Safety Webform also has a place to report accounts that may be Hijacked...that are NOT your own.

so if you are the buyer in a transaction where you suspect the seller is not who his ID card claims.. IE Seller & item listed in the US but after auction emails ask for funds to be wire transfered to the Ukraine...
you need to report it here:
Link

Select: Member Problems : Contact Information / Identity Offenses : A user is falsely representing that he or she is another eBay member.

Click Continue, and on the next page scroll down and click Contact Support. Fill out the webform, with all the detail you can.
Including an item # if you are in a transaction.





Reply
Name:
Email:
 
Tip: To create a link - type the desired text, highlight it with your mouse and click[Click for url tag]
Tags:
 
)
abuttonlady
Posts: 2,870
(4 of 416)

**Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails** .Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...*IMPORTANT INFO*

Sep 12, 2003 10:36 PM
Some more info from kelley@ebay.co.

Regular spam --ie: "I saw you bid on xxxx and I can sell you one for your bid" type mail will always go to spam@ebay.com. Expand the header, then "select all" from your Edit menu, then copy into a new outgoing email and send.

Those email that look like they came from eBay or Paypal, but want you to go to a link and put in your personal information, can be sent to spoof@ebay.com or spam@ebay.com. Chances are good that yours will not be the first one reported, but just to be sure, keep sending them in.

While eBay does everything possible to shut down these operations, I think we can expect them to continue until no one responds and gives them what they want. So, ultimately, education is the strongest weapon we have. Keeping your email address off public areas will help, as will being wary of what email sent to you through the Email Forwarding System you answer. You do want to answer any legitimate questions from a seller or bidder, but watch for nonsensical questions that might be sent simply to obtain your email address.
Kelley,
eBay Community Development





Reply
Name:
Email:
 
Tip: To create a link - type the desired text, highlight it with your mouse and click[Click for url tag]
Tags:
 
)
abuttonlady
Posts: 2,870
(5 of 416)

**Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails** .Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...*IMPORTANT INFO*

Sep 12, 2003 10:37 PM
b>Another good reason NOT to use your email address as an ID:

Scammers can easily register a free email address that looks very similar to your email address... simply changing a l to a 1, for example, can be so decieving that when they email your customer...who just purchased an expensive item from you...they could easily fall for it and send the scammer YOUR $$$.

Scammers could also email underbidders with this address, thus causing them to think they may be getting an offer for the chance to purchase what they lost. It's suggested that seeing the seller's email ID would make it possible to compare the correct address with a scam one. But I maintain that the scammer would be less likely to have it in the first place if you don't use an email ID.

Of course...to get your selling ID email...all anyone has to do is use 'ask seller a question'...and when you reply..they have it.
Precautions: Nonsensical questions are something to watch for... you will have the member's ID when they email tho... Check their bidding, buying and feedback history...if you are not sure about answering. Also...you don't 'have to' answer with your selling ID email...if you have more than one email address;)





Reply
Name:
Email:
 
Tip: To create a link - type the desired text, highlight it with your mouse and click[Click for url tag]
Tags:
 
)
abuttonlady
Posts: 2,870
(6 of 416)

**Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails** .Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...*IMPORTANT INFO*

Sep 12, 2003 10:37 PM
Some more good info about passwords:

this page has info about using alt codes Link

Flash! Consider for Your Password!
I believe eBay has changed the format somewhat and no longer gives the "secret question" and the opportunity to try and crack the registrant's code; no longer just gives the information on following pages instead of sending it to the registrant's email address. Still, passwords are among the weakest link, if used as most do and just use some simple word or the like.

I have discovered that it is possible to have more than 30 characters in your password and the word you use as the response to the "Password hint." If you are not familiar with the use of the "Alt" key and the number pad over on the far right of your keyboard, no matter. This will tutor you about that.

The Alt key and selected number combinations on the keypad will give you characters not on a standard keyboard. The one that comes to mind is the letter "ß" in the German alphabet which stands for the letters "ss." If you will depress the Alt key now, and hold it and enter these numbers on the keypad, you will get this "ß." Depress Alt and enter these numbers 0 2 2 3. ß should be your result.

There are a whole passel of these starting with 0 0 3 3 which gives "!" I would suggest using at least 8 of these characters along with a meaningless random entry of 8 letters and numerals. In other words 9g (then Alt+0200) which gives È and Alt+0 2 1 0 which gives Ò. So now you have made the first four characters "9gÈÒ" Repeat this until you have a minimum of 16 characters and you will have an uncrackable password or password hint. i.e. "9gÈÒh5ÿñl2Óº4xÖÇ" I recommend writing down the Alt+ strokes you make so that if you ever need to retrieve them, you won't be forever excluded (it does such a good job.) It might be beneficial for you to discern all of these characters as they are helpful in showing your prowess with words like 'façade' or 'voilá' (in French for instance.) Good luck and beep if you need help!

Copyright ©2000-2003 Air America. All Rights Reserved
"Used with permission - Air*America*"





Reply
Name:
Email:
 
Tip: To create a link - type the desired text, highlight it with your mouse and click[Click for url tag]
Tags:
 
)
abuttonlady
Posts: 2,870
(7 of 416)

**Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails** .Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...*IMPORTANT INFO*

Sep 12, 2003 10:38 PM
By: grumpy3b:

Thought I would post this here for people who are getting those "spoof" emails. It provides a way to look at who the site you are being referred to really belongs to:

Link

The above link contains good information about hwo to look into potential problems and also where to begin reporting potential threats to.

This next link is for the same site but is a direct link for looking u numeric IP addresses or even just partial site information:

Link





Reply
Name:
Email:
 
Tip: To create a link - type the desired text, highlight it with your mouse and click[Click for url tag]
Tags:
 
)
abuttonlady
Posts: 2,870
(8 of 416)

**Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails** .Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...*IMPORTANT INFO*

Sep 12, 2003 10:38 PM
A couple very useful sites...from the eBay response email, you get it when you turn in a spoof.

If you entered information such as your social security number or credit
card numbers into a web site that you were directed to via a spoofed
email, you need to take immediate action to protect your identity. The
following web sites have valuable information on the steps you should
take to protect yourself:

Link

Link





Reply
Name:
Email:
 
Tip: To create a link - type the desired text, highlight it with your mouse and click[Click for url tag]
Tags:
 
)
abuttonlady
Posts: 2,870
(9 of 416)

**Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails** .Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...*IMPORTANT INFO*

Sep 12, 2003 10:50 PM
Read posts from other members regarding Account Theft

original threads:

Link

Link





Reply
Name:
Email:
 
Tip: To create a link - type the desired text, highlight it with your mouse and click[Click for url tag]
Tags:
 
)
lady*kimba
Posts: 28
(10 of 416)

**Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails** .Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...*IMPORTANT INFO*

Sep 17, 2003 7:12 AM
I got his one today........

Dear eBay User,

During our regular udpate and verification of the accounts, we couldn't verify your current information. Either your information has changed or it is incomplete.

As a result, your access to bid or buy on Ebay has been restricted. To start using your eBay account fully, please update and verify your information by clicking below :

Link

Regards,

eBay

**Please Do Not Reply To This E-Mail As You Will Not Receive A Responce**

in 1950 izp I've only got íó è êàê Same to you What's the difference? aBPHfnF thZKhwRhJVC Jz

I say! Review: Cheeky Fancy that! 562 What's wwrong? 6 Wrong number 931 in 1896 in 1801

.

When you click on the link.....it wants EVERYTHING including you credit card number and PIN numbers, etc....

bad, bad,bad!!!!!!

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

PROUD NAVY MOMMY!

Reply
Name:
Email:
 
Tip: To create a link - type the desired text, highlight it with your mouse and click[Click for url tag]
Tags:
 
)
xnitrousx
Posts: 24,641
(11 of 416)

**Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails** .Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...*IMPORTANT INFO*

Sep 17, 2003 8:42 AM
lady*kimba, you should never click on those links.

1. It shows you are an active account
and they sell the lists to spammers.

2. The site can contain malicious code causing computer
problems.

3. I forgot.

:)
P.S. I am serious about *not* clicking on those links~~

.
.
~ned the toothpick
Reply
Name:
Email:
 
Tip: To create a link - type the desired text, highlight it with your mouse and click[Click for url tag]
Tags:
 
)
abuttonlady
Posts: 2,870
(12 of 416)

**Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails** .Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...*IMPORTANT INFO*

Sep 17, 2003 5:29 PM
#3 if you click and enter keystrokes... you might compromise your account even if you don't 'submit'

some will log keystrokes





Reply
Name:
Email:
 
Tip: To create a link - type the desired text, highlight it with your mouse and click[Click for url tag]
Tags:
 
)
abuttonlady
Posts: 2,870
(13 of 416)

**Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails** .Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...*IMPORTANT INFO*

Sep 17, 2003 7:28 PM
Because users wanting to defraud can get an eBay ID...they can use the eBay email to contact members to solicit transactions based on a member's bidding history.
This is becoming an issue to be very wary of.
what helps is:

1.members receiving offers for transactions off eBay
should forward these offers...with headers to spam@ebay.com

2. use this webform and email eBay:
Link

use report transaction problems>> spam and misc offenses>> user sent unsolicited mail. then on the next page email eBay and copy and include the email and user ID.

read this page...especially about wire transfers. This is a huge issue
Link

repeat offenders will lose their eBay ID





Reply
Name:
Email:
 
Tip: To create a link - type the desired text, highlight it with your mouse and click[Click for url tag]
Tags:
 
)
tradintraci
Posts: 3
(14 of 416)

**Protect Yourself From Spoof Emails** .Account theft ..takeovers...hijacking...*IMPORTANT INFO*

Sep 18, 2003 11:45 AM
I have gotten 5 spoof emails in the last 7 days. I have reported them all, but am tired of getting them already!
The last one I got had very poor grammar AND misspelled customer!
Reply
Name:
Email:
 
Tip: To create a link - type the desired text, highlight it with your mouse and click[Click for url tag]
Tags:
 
Page: of 28

New to eBay Boards? Try a visit to our Community Discussion Boards Help and Welcome Center .

Want to visit another board? You can view our Community Overview Page or select from these lists:

Community Help Boards:

eBay Tools Boards:

Category-Specific Boards:

General Discussion Boards:


Feedback Forum | Discussion Boards | Groups | Answer Center | Chat Rooms | Community Values

About eBay | Announcements | Security Center | Resolution Center | eBay Toolbar | Policies | Government Relations | Site Map | Help
Copyright © 1995-2009 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eBay User Agreement and Privacy Policy.
eBay official time
hosted by LiveWorld