Ebay 2nd chance scam
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Buerkmania
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Sun 05 Sep, 2004 18.01
Evening all. I think I've been a very stupid boy and fallen for a scam. Recieved an email saying I could have a second chance in an auction for a laptop that I had placed a bid for. I replied to the email saying that I was interested and they asked me for my address, which I gave them. Nothing has shown up on my ebay account, which made me a bit suspicious. I have not given any bank details, but fear it could be too late anyway. Anyone had a similar experience?
That was the head story today on Forth One news. You're probably humped until they catch the person who sold them (if it is the same story).
EDIT: Just seen you haven't put any bank details in which is a good thing but you did give your address. There seems to be a lot of this now-a-days on eBay.
Heres an article from Forthone.com:
EDIT: Just seen you haven't put any bank details in which is a good thing but you did give your address. There seems to be a lot of this now-a-days on eBay.
Heres an article from Forthone.com:
E-BAY SCAM ALERT FROM FIFE POLICE
Internet shoppers are being warned about a scam targetting customers using the eBay auction website which could cost them hundreds of pounds. Fife Constabulary says victims are being sent fake e-mails offering a "second chance" to buy goods. Officers have received dozens of complaints from customers in the past fortnight who have been left empty-handed. The force's computer crime unit says fraudsters behind the scam send e-mails which appear to be from eBay, but actually direct shoppers to a fake website to collect their bank details.
As long as you haven't given your bank details, I'm not really sure what the problem would be.
These don't sound like the sort of people who would turn up at your house and try to pry the money out of your hands!
I would report it to eBay and the police, and leave it at that.
These don't sound like the sort of people who would turn up at your house and try to pry the money out of your hands!
I would report it to eBay and the police, and leave it at that.
Unfortunately the police will do nothing. They will just inform you that it's a civil matter (which to the average person means 'it's a crime which won't be punished because of the expense of pursuing civil justice').
My friend once got scammed out of £200 buying a phone from ebay. The auction closed early, and my friend actually had the bank details of the person who was selling the phone to transfer the money to. No phone came. Although the identity of the person could be established through her bank details, the good old data protection act fulfilled it's usual purpose of protecting the criminal more than the victim.
Inicidentally, is it time that access to civil justice will improve? Having a split criminal and civil justice system, with the police only having a remit to act in criminal matters means that any pursuit of civil justice can be made only through the courts. This in reality means, as I've said above, that civil justice can't viably be pursued by the average person, and effectively means that most people in this country don't enjoy the protection of a whole half of the law and the scammers are effectively free to rip off anyone and get away with it if they make sure that only civil proceedings and not criminal proceedings could be brought against them; and whats worse is that they know this, and do it on a daily basis.
My friend once got scammed out of £200 buying a phone from ebay. The auction closed early, and my friend actually had the bank details of the person who was selling the phone to transfer the money to. No phone came. Although the identity of the person could be established through her bank details, the good old data protection act fulfilled it's usual purpose of protecting the criminal more than the victim.
Inicidentally, is it time that access to civil justice will improve? Having a split criminal and civil justice system, with the police only having a remit to act in criminal matters means that any pursuit of civil justice can be made only through the courts. This in reality means, as I've said above, that civil justice can't viably be pursued by the average person, and effectively means that most people in this country don't enjoy the protection of a whole half of the law and the scammers are effectively free to rip off anyone and get away with it if they make sure that only civil proceedings and not criminal proceedings could be brought against them; and whats worse is that they know this, and do it on a daily basis.
Auctions cannot and should not close early on eBay, so its their own fault for falling for that one
It really pisses me off when you're selling something on there and all you get is messages saying "If you end it early, I'll buy it for X amount, honest".
It really pisses me off when you're selling something on there and all you get is messages saying "If you end it early, I'll buy it for X amount, honest".
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Buerkmania
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Sun 05 Sep, 2004 18.01
[quote="cat"]As long as you haven't given your bank details, I'm not really sure what the problem would be.
Well that's what I'd like to think, Cat. I just worry that all they need is the address to hack into somethin that has my bank details. Luckily the address I gave them was my home address, whereas the address on my bank account is my uni address. Maybe that will help.
Well that's what I'd like to think, Cat. I just worry that all they need is the address to hack into somethin that has my bank details. Luckily the address I gave them was my home address, whereas the address on my bank account is my uni address. Maybe that will help.
They will need more that your address. After all they could get your address out of the Telephone directory or off the electoral role.Buerkmania wrote:cat wrote:As long as you haven't given your bank details, I'm not really sure what the problem would be.
Well that's what I'd like to think, Cat. I just worry that all they need is the address to hack into somethin that has my bank details. Luckily the address I gave them was my home address, whereas the address on my bank account is my uni address. Maybe that will help.