So I was on vacation and all was well. I did my ebay sales from NY. I open the computer the next morning and I see money gone from paypal, I seem to have paid all my sellers fees, a listing for electronics I do not own, I have a new email address, new passwords, new security question, new payment place.

I made hours of calls to ebay and paypal.

First let me tell you how to fix this and than what not to do.

If this happens to you. Here is how you fix it and stop it before they steal everything and anything.

IN THIS ORDER

1. Change your email address on both sites back to yours.
2. Change all your passwords, including any banks that are linked from ebay/paypal to your online bank accounts.
3. Check your address and phone numbers.
4. Change your security question.
5. Make sure all your auctions are listed.
6. Check your dollar balances.

Write down everything that is wrong and that has happened.

Go to help on ebay, click contact, click live chat (phone does not work). Sit and wait. Type all that has happened and that you want the auctions (if any) that are not yours removed and fees refunded.

While you wait. Open another window and go to paypal. Click help, contact, phone number for fraud. Call them while you are in front of the computer waiting for ebay. Explain anything that is wrong with your account. They will explain the option of a freeze. I did not take it.

You may have to chat and type at the same time. But this makes this go faster to avoid anymore problems.

They will help. I also changed my personal banks that are linked to these sites passwords. I now change all passwords weekly.

So here is what happened. At first I thought that it was because I used wireless in a different city all over. No.

I got an email from Ebay telling me a buyer had a question. I clicked respond without thinking. It asked for my password and username. I forgot this never happens. I did it and than I got an error window that the auction expired. I kept typing it in. Never thought about it again. Looked in my messages for this email and it was not on myebay. Never thought about it. But 24 hours later I experienced the above. It took me a day to remember what happened. I have since gotten many of these emails. They use a very real looking method. My new way of avoiding this is....

When you get an email that says message from ebay member. Do not open it or reply if it is from EBAY themselves. Go to your myebay on the website. Click messages and if it is there reply. If it is not, you should consider it fraud and contact eBay's fraud department.

This is not like when you look in the page header for www.ebay.com on your web bar. They make that look real too. This is a real scam that can fool you. This is the first time, me, an expert got taken.

HERE IS WHAT THE EMAILS LOOK LIKE:

Subject: Question for ebay Seller eBay item 99212575

Response to Question  Respond Now

eBay sent this message on behalf of an eBay member via My Messages. Responses sent using email will go to the eBay member directly and will include your email address. Click the Respond Now button below to send your response via My Messages (your email address will not be included).

Question from seller

Item:  8031141311

This message was sent while the listing was active.

ump4 is a potential buyer.

Hi, what is the shipping cost to Miami FL 33128 ?

The way they presented it way the same way ebay mail looks.

They change the sent from and where they will send to web addresses all the time. Thi is a scam. By the time I wirite this they will change it again. But I stress, I have gotten this every week and now more than 10 times. They could have gotten into my whole life online. Just think what you have on yourself in ebay. Be aware and alert.

Good luck, be aware and always protect yourself.

Please let me know if you liked my help by voting. I hope I help you prevent my terrible vacation woe.