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There are phishers trying to get your Ebay information and they are getting bolder and better at it. Every day I get spam telling me that I have to change my password, that I need to change my information and it will all be fine if I just click here. And lets not forget the emails that badger us to pay for an item that doesn't exist. How dumb do you think we? If we bought an expensive item, wouldn't we remember it? I know I would. They threaten to turn us in and have us kicked off Ebay, all you have to do is click here and pay. If you do a search on Ebay, either the Ebay sellers name doesn't exist or it belongs to some innocent seller who has no clue their name has been hijacked. You'll also find out the item number is invalid.
These phishers also send mail from Paypal. I get at least two emails a day from "Paypal" telling me I need to change my personal information and to "click here". If I click, I'm giving them access to my Paypal account.
DO NOT click on any email buttons. Ever! The button isn't going to take you to Ebay or Paypal. Its going to a third party with larceny in their heart who will steal your personal information. Go directly to Ebay and click on My Messages and you will find all the messages that came from Ebay. You can do the same on Paypal.
The emails look identical to the ones sent out by Ebay. The phishers are getting more sophisticated. I got one this week that actually mentioned my item number. The question involved was stupid, but it pertained to my item. That's what caught my attention. Then I realized it was sent to my Ebay ID name and NOT my name. Ebay only sends out emails with your name on them, not your Ebay ID name. I almost clicked on the link to answer the question, but my brain kicked in and I stopped.
If I had clicked in the link, they would have been given my Ebay log in information. I did this a long time ago and my account was hijacked by someone who loaded up 50 auctions in seconds on my Ebay account. They were listing Sony 50" TV's for $200. IF I had a 50 " Sony TV, I sure wouldn't sell it for $200. IF you were cruising Ebay and you saw a Sony 50" TV for $200 on a buy it now from someone who had a large amount of positive feedback, you might be tempted to buy it. Not only is there NO TV, they've got your $200 and YOUR personal information, plus my information. If I hadn't been online when it happened, I wouldn't know it was happening. I called Ebay and they stopped it immediately. Ebay said when you click on their link, the phisher's link will install a program on your computer that counts your keystrokes, so they have free reign on your computer. DO NOT EVER CLICK ON THE LINK IN AN EMAIL FROM EBAY OR PAYPAL.
You also need to be careful if you have an Ebay store. I used to put my away notice on the store when I went out of town. The last time I posted that I was away, someone not only hacked into my account, they changed my Ebay name and password and my AOL name and password. I spent HOURS on the phone straightening it out and convincing them that I didn't change anything. I don't post when I'm away. It hurts my customer service, but it saves me headaches.
Also be careful if you are in a WiFi hotspot. I logged into Ebay from a hotel lobby and within 15 minutes, there were bogus listings on my account. It was a major hotel and here was no one else in the lobby, so I thought it was secure. It wasn't.
Take action! Learn to protect yourself from phishers who just want to steal your information.
When you get an email that says its from Ebay, but you suspect it is a fraud, forward it to spoof@ebay.com. They'll let you know if its a spoof within a few minutes.
Ebay will have your full name in the top of the email. Go to your messages on Ebay and see if it originated from Ebay. If its legit, it will be in your list of messages and you can answer it from there.
If you get a suspicious email from Paypal, DO NOT click on the link. Forward the email to Spoof@paypal. com. Log into your Paypal account for your messages.
If you do accidentally click on a fradulent email, notify Ebay or Paypal immediately and change your information. Its also a good practice to change your password occasionally.
These phishers also send mail from Paypal. I get at least two emails a day from "Paypal" telling me I need to change my personal information and to "click here". If I click, I'm giving them access to my Paypal account.
DO NOT click on any email buttons. Ever! The button isn't going to take you to Ebay or Paypal. Its going to a third party with larceny in their heart who will steal your personal information. Go directly to Ebay and click on My Messages and you will find all the messages that came from Ebay. You can do the same on Paypal.
The emails look identical to the ones sent out by Ebay. The phishers are getting more sophisticated. I got one this week that actually mentioned my item number. The question involved was stupid, but it pertained to my item. That's what caught my attention. Then I realized it was sent to my Ebay ID name and NOT my name. Ebay only sends out emails with your name on them, not your Ebay ID name. I almost clicked on the link to answer the question, but my brain kicked in and I stopped.
If I had clicked in the link, they would have been given my Ebay log in information. I did this a long time ago and my account was hijacked by someone who loaded up 50 auctions in seconds on my Ebay account. They were listing Sony 50" TV's for $200. IF I had a 50 " Sony TV, I sure wouldn't sell it for $200. IF you were cruising Ebay and you saw a Sony 50" TV for $200 on a buy it now from someone who had a large amount of positive feedback, you might be tempted to buy it. Not only is there NO TV, they've got your $200 and YOUR personal information, plus my information. If I hadn't been online when it happened, I wouldn't know it was happening. I called Ebay and they stopped it immediately. Ebay said when you click on their link, the phisher's link will install a program on your computer that counts your keystrokes, so they have free reign on your computer. DO NOT EVER CLICK ON THE LINK IN AN EMAIL FROM EBAY OR PAYPAL.
You also need to be careful if you have an Ebay store. I used to put my away notice on the store when I went out of town. The last time I posted that I was away, someone not only hacked into my account, they changed my Ebay name and password and my AOL name and password. I spent HOURS on the phone straightening it out and convincing them that I didn't change anything. I don't post when I'm away. It hurts my customer service, but it saves me headaches.
Also be careful if you are in a WiFi hotspot. I logged into Ebay from a hotel lobby and within 15 minutes, there were bogus listings on my account. It was a major hotel and here was no one else in the lobby, so I thought it was secure. It wasn't.
Take action! Learn to protect yourself from phishers who just want to steal your information.
When you get an email that says its from Ebay, but you suspect it is a fraud, forward it to spoof@ebay.com. They'll let you know if its a spoof within a few minutes.
Ebay will have your full name in the top of the email. Go to your messages on Ebay and see if it originated from Ebay. If its legit, it will be in your list of messages and you can answer it from there.
If you get a suspicious email from Paypal, DO NOT click on the link. Forward the email to Spoof@paypal. com. Log into your Paypal account for your messages.
If you do accidentally click on a fradulent email, notify Ebay or Paypal immediately and change your information. Its also a good practice to change your password occasionally.
Guide created: 11/16/07 (updated 08/02/09)
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