There are lots of frauds and scams going on in the Internet today and eBay is not excused. So, it's important for surfer to detect early signs of fraudulent activities before it gets them.

Here's some tips on how to do it:

1. Buyers should look for the seller's feedback section. If a seller has many feedbacks and almost 20% or more of them are negative, chances are transaction with this seller will turn out a hoax, even if the seller has provided positive replies.

2. Online shoppers should be aware of emails contending it's from E-bay and certifying some seller as a good one. It's already anomalous in the first place because E-bay does not send emails. Plus, E-bay would definitely not certify a seller even if he or she has a remarkable selling history.

3. Buyer should be aware of sellers that insist on wire transfers like Western Union as mode of payment. In fact, E-bay does not recommend their buyers to use wire transfer services. If the seller insists on it, then, no doubt it's a scam.

4. Buyer should also be aware of "too-good-to-be-true" prices. Chances are items that are priced way below their real prices are signs of imminent fraudulent activities. This is true in most, not all, situations.

5. Online shoppers should take note of phishing emails. These are emails that require subscribers to fill out forms provided in the email with warning statements saying the subscriber's account will be closed if the person concerned will not provide the required pertinent information. Once given, anomalous activities are on their way like identity theft.

6. Buyers should also be aware of sellers that let them pay the bid amount to wire transfers directly from the buyer's checking account. Worst, the seller contends that the given bank account is Escrow's.

7. Obtain more information about the eBay seller before bidding on any item(s) they are selling. Besides looking at their feedback score, look to see when they started on eBay and whether or not they have used identities in the past. Switching identities frequently does not look good-- you have to ask why they feel the need to do so.

8. Online shoppers should be weary of institutions claiming they are escrow but ask payments be made to a person instead of a corporation. This is a clear case of scam. So, to shun away from probable scam attacks, it's a must for every E-bay buyer to keep these tips in mind. It's better to be safe than dumb.

9. If you have an uneasy feeling, go with your gut. It's better to side on the error of caution then to get stuck paying for an item you either will never receive or get something you were not expecting.

10. Compare selling prices of other "like" items and what their prices are going for. If you are looking to bid on an item that is priced way low or way high then I would be careful. Also, be very careful to look at what the shipping rates are! In some cases the fraud can be in the form of asking a buyer to pay outrageous shipping costs. For example, let's say you are looking to buy a baseball card. You should not be spending $29.99 shipping on an item like that.

11. If the seller is from another country, especially be sure to look into their selling and feedback history. Alot of scammers take place from foreign soil. Also, if you know an item being sold in illegal in the country in which you reside, and a foreign seller is selling it, don't buy that item. A good example of this is illegal or prescription drugs, or anything that has been banned in the country in which you reside.

If you feel that you may be a potential victim of fraud on eBay, you must take certain measures first. Ebay encourages you to first try communicating and working with the seller as much as possible. If you need to esculate to the next level, then visit eBay's online reporting center at: http://crs.ebay.com/aw-cgi/ebayisapi.dll?crsstartpage

Also, if you submitted your payment to the eBay seller using PayPal, you can file a claim through PayPal to get your money back. This does take time and is not always guarranteed. My recommendation is that if you have an uneasy feeling with a potential seller, DO NOT BUY ANYTHING from that person. That's the best form of prevention from a potential scam.

I hope you have found this information helpful and you can learn more about buying and selling on eBay by reading my other guides and reviews.