By now, most eBayers should be aware of the "Your account is in danger" scam. That's where someone pretending to be eBay emails you that your account will be deleted unless you give them your password and financial information. That fact that you receive this message should warn you that it is most probably fake.

So some thieves are pushing a new scam with a "softer" approach. Instead of something that you should recognize as being a bogus threat, scammers try to sneak in with an innocent-looking message that pretends to be a "Message from eBay Member."

The two versions that I have mostly seen are:

• "How much is shipping on your item?"
• "Have you decided yet?"

Of course, they include phony links to eBay. So, if you click on a link and type in your password, you've just given your information to a thief.

You can recognize these messages as being different from legitimate questions. A few things that stand out are:

• They don't look quite right. The format may using stolen or imitated links, but they still haven't gotten the formatting correct.
• They don't know who you are. Real messages include your name as eBay knows you. The spoofs usually don't know this information. But don't rely entirely on this, as the thieves will work harder to steal this information too.
• They are very vague. They usually don't even include a legitimate auction that you have open or that you looked at. And, whether they pretend to be from a real eBayer or just invent a bogus variety, they are general in nature.

But, even if thieves ever were to create convincing versions of those items, there is still one thing that reveals that the message was fake:

When you log on to eBay directly (by physically typing in the eBay address), the message doesn't exist in your My Messages section.

Because of this, the way to avoid getting ripped off by these thieves is simple:

1. Never click on links to "eBay" in email messages you receive pretending to be from eBay
2. Always log on to eBay by typing in the address
3. Always use the My Messages feature of My eBay to communicate with unknown buyers and sellers

Additionally, if you suspect that the email is bogus, forward it to eBay following the directions in:

Reporting a Spoof Email

so that eBay can investigate the email.

eBay also has some more information on spoof emails in general:

• Basics of Spoof (Fake) Emails
• Tutorial on Recognizing Spoofs

eBay is a great place to do business.  But the very success of it attracts thieves who want to steal your hard-earned money. By using basic safety practices, you can keep yourself from falling for these spoofs. 

And, to repeat, the simple way to avoid becoming a victim to this type of scam is to:

Always log in directly to eBay and use the My Messages feature.