By the way, even if using super-secure passwords, don't forget the malware out on the internet, in general.

I recently got a nifty, high tech USB flash drive from a company that calls it the Iron Key, and it has an identity manager that just logs you in automatically. It's hardware-based encryption.

The only catch is that you absolutely must not use the internet secure surfing (called Secure Sessions by Iron Key) service when actually on the eBay site, as it'll mask your real IP and create an issue for your account (I forgot to toggle the onboard Firefox browser that comes with the Iron Key to the OFF position and had to reset my password, but 99% of the time, I check to make sure it is turned OFF before logging in).

All the same, the identity manager will log you right in (helps protect against keyloggers).

Great security device. It'll self-destruct (think James Bond movies) if you forget the correct password and try 10 incorrect attempts (or if someone gets a hold of your key, somehow), so no one's gettin' your data then (be sure to back all that stuff up somewhere else, right?).

Iron Key.

Check into it, as there's a Personal one that, while not inexpensive, is still worth it for the security.

**NOT to be confused with some other email encryption program you might see out on the web. The actual flash drive is named Iron Key (I'm not sure if the other iron key email encryption thing is from the same company).

Just Google "Iron Key secure flash drive" to find the right one.

Great gadget! Best security purchase you can make to secure your data. Military strength hardware encryption. And, surprisingly, not too geeky to use (their tech support is great even if there is a problem and you need to reinstall a feature to get rid of glitchy problems from time to time).

Again, just don't log in while the internet privacy feature called Secure Sessions is turned on. I've already locked myself out of my own account pending ID to verify it's really me, so that's why I plug this key with that warning (I've done it so you don't have to).

Iron Key. Get one.

"I studied government to learn that it doesn't work"

Actually, it's the fraud facilitated by eBay that you have to protect yourself from mostly.

Shill Bidding on eBay: A Case Study

For anyone who buys on eBay, a detailed case study of another classic instance of blatant shill bidding and the abuse of eBay’s proxy bidding system—all exacerbated by eBay’s introduction of “hidden bidders”—and a detailed comment on eBay’s disingenuous attitude thereto, at http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=24033

“Today we’re dealing with phase two or phase three [he can’t remember which] of disruptive innovation. We’ve had the disruption, now we must disrupt our own disruption. ... We had to create a vision of the future so people could let go of a very successful past.” —John Donahoe (Sept 2007) … “The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.”—Albert Einstein … And the ugly reality of dealing with the eBafia/PreyPal complex ... http://bit.ly/11F2eas

Hey, eBay's second quarter finacials are due out tomorrow; should make interesting reading once all the spin is peeled off.

“Today we’re dealing with phase two or phase three [he can’t remember which] of disruptive innovation. We’ve had the disruption, now we must disrupt our own disruption. ... We had to create a vision of the future so people could let go of a very successful past.” —John Donahoe (Sept 2007) … “The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.”—Albert Einstein … And the ugly reality of dealing with the eBafia/PreyPal complex ... http://bit.ly/11F2eas

“eBay revenue shrivel hits nine month mark”
See http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/22/ebay_q1_earnings/

Only a 29% drop in profit over same period last year. Then I suspect that sellers would have been expecting such a result. All those 99c listings selling for 99c, when they do sell. I wonder how Amazon is going—tomorrow will tell.

“Today we’re dealing with phase two or phase three [he can’t remember which] of disruptive innovation. We’ve had the disruption, now we must disrupt our own disruption. ... We had to create a vision of the future so people could let go of a very successful past.” —John Donahoe (Sept 2007) … “The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.”—Albert Einstein … And the ugly reality of dealing with the eBafia/PreyPal complex ... http://bit.ly/11F2eas

Actually, it's eBay that you mostly have to protect yourself from: Shill Bidding on eBay: a Case Study For eBay “watchers”, a detailed case study of shill bidding and the abuse of eBay’s proxy bidding system—all exacerbated by eBay’s introduction of “hidden bidders”—plus a detailed general criticism of eBay’s “clunky” auction platform, and policies, at http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=24033 Anyone contemplating bidding on an eBay auction should read this case study so that they can be aware, if they are not already aware, of just how primitive and open to abuse is the eBay auction system. A synopsis thereof: very little of the auction system security, that eBay claims to offer buyers, exists in fact; contrary to their claim, it can be demonstrated that eBay has no “sophisticated” nor “proactive” system in place for the detection of undisclosed vendor (“shill”) bidding and indeed appears to do nothing about such criminal activity except as a reaction to a user’s report of suspicious bidding activity; eBay appears to have no effective matter-of-course verification of users; unscrupulous users can apparently have as many user IDs as they may have email addresses; many of eBay’s “rules”, concerning the retraction of bids, cancellation of auctions, etc, are nominal only and are no bar to the machinations of the unscrupulous seller; as a result, eBay’s “proxy” bidding system is so open to abuse by such unscrupulous sellers that to use it, as eBay intends it to be used, can be an invitation to pay your maximum; by the lack of any such effectual security, eBay effectively, and knowingly, “aids and abets” unscrupulous shill-bidding sellers to defraud naïve buyers; the masking of bidding IDs with non-unique, absolutely anonymous aliases serves little other purpose than to obscure such shill bidding, and defeat any attempt at comprehensive analysis of individual bidding patterns to expose such activity; the quarterly changing of even these non-unique, absolutely anonymous, bidding aliases serves absolutely no other purpose than to stop even experienced eBay users from attempting to track suspicious bidding activity over time; the anonymous, individual bidder Bid History Detail pages, supposedly supplied to offset the absolute masking of bidding IDs, although better than nothing, can present an ambiguous view and, in such circumstances, are of dubious value; anyone naïve enough to “nibble” bid on a seller-elected “private” auction (ie, “User ID kept private”), on the balance of probability, is going to be defrauded; when suspected fraud is reported, and is found by eBay to be proved to their satisfaction, eBay will conceal that fact from the victim of the fraud; this then is the concealing of a crime after the fact, surely, a crime in itself; eBay will never acknowledge to a victim that a fraud has been perpetrated, nor indeed will they acknowledge that such fraud is even a problem on eBay; eBay therefore sees no reason to provide any mechanism to aid in the recovery of any monies so defrauded; if eBay did have any truly sophisticated and proactive system in place for the detection and control of shill bidding, we would not now be having this debate; and for those buyers (and honest sellers) who embrace eBay believing that eBay acts as an “honest broker” between buyer and seller, I can only say that there are fairies at the bottom of your garden too.

“Today we’re dealing with phase two or phase three [he can’t remember which] of disruptive innovation. We’ve had the disruption, now we must disrupt our own disruption. ... We had to create a vision of the future so people could let go of a very successful past.” —John Donahoe (Sept 2007) … “The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.”—Albert Einstein … And the ugly reality of dealing with the eBafia/PreyPal complex ... http://bit.ly/11F2eas

Open a claim with PayPal. If they can't help you (which they may not if the person is no longer registered), do a charge back to your credit card. This really is one of the reasons ebay started "mandating" Paypal (or other electronic type payments) If you paid by check, contact your bank immediately and stop payment. If your check has cleared, you may just be out. Talk to your bank to see if they recommend you changing your checking account.... There is as awful lot of information on cleared checks. If you paid by money order, contact the post office about starting a fraud complaint and tracking the MO.

Say it isn't so! Finally untagged!

The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. An evil soul producing holy witness Is like a villain with a smiling cheek. - [1596 Shakespeare Merchant of Venice i. iii. 93]

I always refer to eBay users as “eBay users”, for to refer to them as “members”, as eBay does, is to imply that the organisation is run for some benefit of those “members”—it is not: No action taken (or not taken) by eBay management has anything to do with benefiting or protecting eBay users (buyers or sellers); eBay’s every action (or lack thereof) is purposed solely towards benefitting eBay—and by whatever means, no matter how unscrupulous—undoubtedly more to do with the recovery of those “lost” executive performance bonuses than with any direct consideration for stockholders—and if at any time there appears to be some benefit to eBay “users”, that will be purely coincidental.

Why is ‘Noise’ Donahoe still trying to destroy eBay? Probably because ‘Could be an Evil Monster’ Meg left him the instructions on how to do so. (Good luck California!)

The full analysis at: http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=6502877

“Today we’re dealing with phase two or phase three [he can’t remember which] of disruptive innovation. We’ve had the disruption, now we must disrupt our own disruption. ... We had to create a vision of the future so people could let go of a very successful past.” —John Donahoe (Sept 2007) … “The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.”—Albert Einstein … And the ugly reality of dealing with the eBafia/PreyPal complex ... http://bit.ly/11F2eas

I have complained to E-Bay numerous times about a seller that gets bids from bidders that only bid on sellers items and the items are always relisted. I have not noticed one ounce of difference in the last 30 days and the seller continues to sell the same items with the same phantom bidders bidding until the price reaches a certain level. These bidders never go over a certain amount and always bid up to that amount. Does E-Bay really do anything about shill bidding or is it just over looked so they get their money? I have quit bidding on this sellers items but feel sorry for those who do bid on them they are not really involved in a true open auction.

eBay will take action only if the seller is small; if you are an eBay-favored seller it is open slather of naive auction shoppers.

 

So, yet another example of some very interesting bidding patterns on a major eBay seller’s auctions. Now, these particular patterns could not possibly be any indication of shill bidding because eBay claims it has “proactive” and “sophisticated” systems for detecting such criminal activity and if it was so they would have detected it and done something about it, now wouldn’t they?

 

Regrettably, contrary to their disingenuous claims, the fact is eBay has never had any systems in place to “proactively” detect the rampant shill bidding fraud that so obviously exists on the auctions of many of eBay’s “professional” sellers; indeed, eBay has been knowingly aiding and abetting and, in effect, encouraging such criminal activity since the year dot.

 

Take a tour of the below-linked Excel spreadsheet analysis of about five percent of this particular merchant’s recently completed auctions; form your own view as to whether or not shill bidding wire fraud is involved and whether or not, given eBay's Van Wagoner's involvement in certifying that on investigation no shill bidding was found, eBay is knowingly complicit in such criminal activity …

 

Spreadsheet: http://bit.ly/MJlM6b

 

"Reality TV Star Accused of eBay Shill Bidding Sues Her Accuser"

http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y12/m05/i18/s01

 

"eBay Account Rep Defends Reality TV Star Accused of Shill Bidding"

http://blog.ecommercebytes.com/cgi-bin/blog/blog.pl?/comments/2012/5/1337308248.html

 

eBay introduces absolute anonymity for (shill) bidders

http://forums.auctionbytes.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=21894

 

eBay-Facilitated Shill Bidding Fraud on eBay Auctions: Case Study #1

http://forums.auctionbytes.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=22659

 

eBay-Facilitated Shill Bidding Fraud on eBay Auctions: Case Study #2

http://forums.auctionbytes.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=22904

 

eBay-Facilitated Shill Bidding Fraud on eBay Auctions: Case Study #3

http://forums.auctionbytes.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=22986

 

eBay-Facilitated Shill Bidding Fraud on eBay Auctions: Case Study #4

http://forums.auctionbytes.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=23540

 

eBay / PayPal / Donahoe: Dead Men Walking

“Today we’re dealing with phase two or phase three [he can’t remember which] of disruptive innovation. We’ve had the disruption, now we must disrupt our own disruption. ... We had to create a vision of the future so people could let go of a very successful past.” —John Donahoe (Sept 2007) … “The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.”—Albert Einstein … And the ugly reality of dealing with the eBafia/PreyPal complex ... http://bit.ly/11F2eas