(fwd) WARNING! New Ebay SCAM! (fwd)

From: John Lawson <jpl15_at_netcom.com>
Date: Sat May 15 22:44:38 1999

  Usually I remain aloof from e-bay stuff, as I do not use, or much
like, the system. HOWEVER, this seems an easy way to get scammed by
someone and does not appear to be reasonably detectable until it's
too late.
 
  I have deleted identifying bits in the text to keep from
propagating innocent IDs all over.

  Forwarded message follows:

--------------------------------------------------------
Xref: ix.netcom.com rec.radio.swap

I don't normally post on this group, but this is so important that it
needs to get out as quickly as possible before anybody else gets
burned.

Late last month (April) I had put a XXXX repeater up for sale on Ebay.
It was bid on by quite a few different persons. The high bidder on it
didn't contact me for four days and finally sent an email backing out
of the deal. This resulted in a negative feedback being placed which
made it public knowledge that he had back out.

Two days ago I was contacted by two of the higher bidders. Each had
been contacted by a person in Xxxxxx Xxxxx, California wanting to
know if they were still willing to honor their bid on the repeater!
Now this is the very same repeater sitting in my shop as I type this!
Since the email address of the seller in the original auction was
overlooked (you would have to do a search of past auctions to get a
 peek at it) this person played the part very well as the owner and
managed to get two money orders sent to him.

The address he uses is a mail drop on XXXXX Rd in Xxxxx Xxxxxx, CA.
If you see this street come up in any dealings with a person out in
that area BEWARE!

PLEASE if you have been or get contacted by anybody on Ebay who wants
to pursue a bid you made on an item, double check his email address
from the original auction page.

Ebay has been notified and I'm pushing to get the bidding history
either removed or modified to notify all involved that the history has
been accessed.

Thank you for taking the time to read.


  Signed XXXXXXXXX

----------------------------------------------------------

End forwarded message

  Since we here are dealing in a different line of equipment, I did
not include the alleged miscreant's address or city... but the
algorithm of the scam can be applied anywhere. Of course I realize
that anyone can post anything they like to Usenet, but this has the
Ring of Truth to it.

 Caveat Vendor..... just another reason I dislike e-bay. No *real*
auction is timed... the sale is made final when no other bidder
increments the price... so even 'sniping' has a balancing force
against it: the ever-rising price. When there is a known time limit
for the sale to expire, then how can that be fair?

  Cheers

John
Received on Sat May 15 1999 - 22:44:38 BST