Seller - FRAUDULENT - TRYING TO GET $ | Ask a Mentor

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Seller - FRAUDULENT - TRYING TO GET $

Here is an email I received after ebay took down all 74,000 of listings - I had done a buy it now but it was not the typical buy it now. I believe the link below takes you to an ebay look alike site to make a payment (I typed the link in to the browser (instead of clicking on it AND also copied the link and pasted it to a word document) - Got this tiny url instead of the below url = https://tinyurl.com/yl7r8skz

Also, checked the email address and .TOP extension is 39% of the time associated with fraud. There is no company name and the phone number is from MA not California where the pawn shop was located.

I hope no one got suckered.

Here is the email:

This was a stock liquidation, most of the items are sold.

You may proceed to buy it now at the following link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/571776619098

Please let me know once it is sorted out so I can arrange shipping.

Thanks,

Sales Rep. | PawnShop

sequoiasales14

149 View listings

Posted 2 years ago · Edited 2 years ago·Last reply 2 years ago

1 comment

eburtonlab

Mentor2 years ago

5541 View listings

The seller referenced in your message title was most likely the victim of an account hijacking -- no need to drag that username through the mud any further.

The pawnshop scam is very old, and likely will reappear again next weekend using a different hijacked account. It is the technique itself that users should look out for, not any particular name.

The scam involves hijacking an existing eBay account, listing hundreds or thousands of auctions for luxury items starting at 99 cents to attract attention, and including within each auction an image or a message directing users to contact the seller off of eBay via email or through another site to make a purchase.

eBay will eventually pull the listings before the auctions end, but by then the scammer will have collected many email addresses of potential victims so the scam can be continued via email. The scammer will typically contact the victim and either request payment via an untraceable/irreversible payment method or direct the user to another scam site.

Obviously if the transaction takes place off of eBay, there is no protection via eBay, and a minimum the seller is violating eBay policy and avoiding eBay fees, and encouraging buyers to get involved in risky off-eBay transactions.