Beware of Latest eBay Fraud!

[MisterMcDario]

I checked my eBay listings this morning (aka Soundpost_Strings on eBay) and received 2 emails via eBay's forwarding system with the following content;

"DEAR SIR/MA, WITH DUE RESPECT,I AM JONATHAN JOHNSON BY NAME.I AM AGENT BASED IN EUROPE AND AFRICA AND DEAL WITH AN ARRAY OF CLIENT.ONE OF MY CLIENT HAS JUST PUT A QUOTE ON YOUR ITEM YOU PLACED ON EBAY FOR SALES.IN THIS CASE,I WILL LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU ACEPT A CASHIER CHEQUE DRWAN ON UNITED STATES BANK AS THE MODE OF PAYMENT FOR THIS ITEM.IF YES,GET BACK TO ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN FINALISE THIS TRANSACTION. THANKS AND GOD BLESS. JONATHAN JOHNSON "

The person then wanted to wire money to my account thinking I would give him my banking info. I immediatley called eBay and had this user suspended.

[fiddlecollector]

Another two trying the fake cheque scam,

maclarry51

joelyoly

[your_piano_stud]

Can anyone withdraw money from your account with just an account number?

[Jimbow]

Can anyone withdraw money from your account with just an account number?

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Good question! Wish someone here had an answer.

Jimbow

[Joseph]

Quote:

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Can anyone withdraw money from your account with just an account number?

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According to my bank ... yes, it is possible by a hacker. I had to close an account after giving my information to someone overseas. After winning one of my auctions and getting my information to supposedly wire me the money, his e-mail no longer worked, he was no longer a registered ebay user, and of course never paid for the violin, so I was advised by the bank to close the account immediately and open a new one which I did for security purposes. I'll never give my bank information out to anyone that I don't know personally and will only accept wire transfers via Western Union especially from out of the country. In my case there was no loss, but some aren't so lucky nor aware of the consequences.

[Jimbow]

That is good to know, Joseph.

Does it follow then, that sending a personal check would be equally risky

because of account numbers stamped on the check?

Jimbow

[Joseph]

Don't quote me on this since I'm no financial expert, but I would imagine so ... especially because there is also a bank routing number, personal address and phone number that would just facilitate the hacker's process of withdrawing the money. My business modo is: "Better safe than sorry."

[Ron1]

I wondered why a recent buyer sent me a personal check in payment that had nothing on it except her name, check no., & bank routing no. No address, driver's license no., phone no., etc., etc. She apparently has a special checking account just for eBay purchases. Ron.

[LadyAmati]

Here is a webpage someone posted at fiddleforum about this type of scam, with example e-mails, etc.

http://bustedupcowgirl.com/scampage.html

Some funny examples and warnings.

[Richf]

I'm confused because for ebay purchases from Europe (especially Germany where I have the most experiences) the sellers prefer wire transfers. They gladly give me their bank names and account numbers so that I can send them the money directly. We've discussed this previously on the Pegbox: Germans like wire transfers (which are cheap for them) and dislike checks (which carry greater costs and risks), but Americans like checks and dislike wire transfers (which are expensive for us). If you think about it, everytime you send someone a check, you are giving them your bank routing number, your own account numbers, and your address. I think the only thing the Nigerian (and other) scammers are trying to do is get your goods for free, not get access to your bank information. (Credit card numbers and supporting information are a different matter, I think.)

[LadyAmati]

In the Nigerian scam, they are not trying to get your goods, in fact they don't care what your goods are. They are trying to get you to wire them real money. The trick is that they send you a fake cashier's check for $5000 on a $2000 purchase, and ask you to wire the $3000 difference to them. They are after the $3000, not the goods. The victim cashes the cashiers check and since it looks real and is drawn on a U.S. bank, the victim thinks the money is in their account and then wires $3000 change to the scammer. A few days later, the victim's bank calls them to tell them that the cashier's check is fake. The victim is out $3000.

[fiddlecollector]

Rich, i also prefer wire transfers, i do give them my bank details but i don`t give my address only if requested and then after the money is in my account.

You only have to send them the account holders name and the banks branch address that you use,as well as account no, swift, sort code(routing no??).

I do many of these with Americans and after an initial moan and groan, they realise how easy it is . The money usually shows in my account the same day.

Whether they will send you their bank details is another matter.

[elidatrading]

We pay Gliga, Tian Yin, Jinyin, Strunal and Otto Klier by wire transfer, and Howard Core insist on wire transfer for any payments made from companies in Asia. That's six sizeable companies that routinely use it for everyone including businesses they have never dealt with before. We've used it to pay others on a one off basis too and have received payments that way. It seems unlikley that these companies (and presumably many others) would insist on this method if it wasn't absolutely safe. I understand it's also the way house purchases are completed.

Liz

[sweetmusic]

I'm selling a motorcycle on ebay motors and I've already got 3 scams like the one above.

[Richf]

Now that I think about it, my German ebay sellers are generally reluctant to give me their home addresses, but they gladly give me their bank information. I had found wire transfers to be very expensive, but I've just set up a new checking account with Citibank, where supposedly I can initiate the wire transfers online or by phone at a very low cost. If that works, I will try to do this more often. Checks have always been so slow, and Paypal is getting to be so costly.