FYI: identity theft

From: John Foust <jfoust_at_threedee.com>
Date: Tue Nov 23 10:37:23 2004

Bound to happen! A few odd charges showed up on my business
credit card. I caught it quickly, then went into gumshoe mode.

The largest charge was to Staples.com. Someone knew all my info:
name, address, credit card number, three-digit code from the back,
so Staples processed the order. They had the new iPod sent to a
fellow in Los Angeles.

Said fellow was surprised to hear my card had been used:
Why, he'd recently bought an iPod on eBay at a great price.

The seller wanted to be paid via eGold.com, and had sent detailed
instructions as how to send money to an exchange company that
would convert dollars to eGold, which could be used to pay him.

I tracked down several other eBay buyers who had the same
experience with the seller. In three of four cases, the buyers
somehow screwed up the payment process, yet had received their
goods (directly from Staples or BestBuy) in the same fashion.
Meanwhile the seller has disappeared: Yahoo email unanswered,
fake phones and addresses.

This may never happen with classic goods, of course, but you
can see how the scam will work with new goods. It also makes
me wonder if some of the "how to get stuff for free" packages
on eBay aren't promoting this sort of scam. You can see how
thieves could make a lot of money, converting credit card
info to cash.

- John
Received on Tue Nov 23 2004 - 10:37:23 GMT