Strange Name and Address Added to Shipping Preferences in User Profile
A friend just discovered a totally unfamiliar person's name and a street address in her Shipping Preferences yesterday. Of course, she deleted the other address and notifiied ebay who were less-than-sympathetic, telling her if she suspects fraud to "...file a police report..."
Yeah...thanks. Great idea.
How about this:
Have YOUR IT Dept. locate the PRECISE DATE and TIME of the insertion of a completely NEW NAME and address onto her account; They have that technology and the ability; FURTHER, how about looking at that
user's IP ADDRESS and the type of WEB BROWSER they used; that would narrow things down, don't ya think...?
Then COMPARE all that excellent data with the HOUSE ADDRESS they ADDED and GO THERE and TELL them to KNOCK OF THE HACKING...!!! Or ELSE!
Ahhhh....the dream world I live in is a lonely one. I'll just brush it off and go feed the pigeons.
kathiec
·8 months ago@theloyalskeptic
Oh for pity's sake. No one who has responded has in any way, shape, or form said anything that remotely resembles excusing the people who accessed her account. It's simply a cold and hard fact that the vast majority of people who are hacked have performed some kind of action that has opened their computer to the hackers. It's not a condemnation of the person who was hacked or an approval of the hackers. So please stop being so defensive.
The sad fact of the matter is that, in lieu of your friend actually coming here and answering questions herself, you've been given all the advice anyone can give. Contact the Security Center. And unfortunately she'll have to do that herself. You can't do it for her.
gone.c-33
·8 months agoMost phishing victims don’t even realize they’ve been phished until something actually happens.
It’s great that your friend noticed before someone used the account to order a big ticket item (maybe they were unable to, if your friend doesn’t have their PayPal account linked or a payment method saved).
I would suggest that she runs a full malware scan of their computer, then change their eBay password again, and if they use the same password anywhere else, change it there again.
Fact of the matter is, looking up the IP address of whoever did this would be fruitless, they are most likely using a VPN and even maybe using Tor. This isn’t TV.
mudshark61369
·8 months ago@theloyalskeptic ,
In your reply posted at 3:41pm yesterday you wrote:
"5. She wisely took a 'screenshot' of it; then deleted it and then contacted eBay Support by clicking on 'Help and Contact' at top of the page
6. She sent me a text showing me the screengrab, and I totld her to do what she was already doing which was notify eBay".
Unfortunately, your advice was wrong. You should have told her to scroll to the bottom of a regular ebay page and click on Security Center. On Community pages, at the bottom Security Center is located under the Tools & Apps header.
The advice suggested by @mtgraves7984 to have your friend post a topic here, would not violate her Privacy any more than it has been already due to her own actions. Your privacy has not been compromised by posting here. We've had to ask several questions, in order to try and figure out how or why the address got on her account. Questions that could only be answered by her.
eBay may have been able to find out when the address was added to her account, but that is about all. The fact that is, the address could not have been added unless someone gained access to her Password.
You may feel we've provided "insulting suggestions on how she failed in her responsibilities as a user of the services provided her by this site and dumbed down suggestions".
They were posed as questions that need to be answered in order to get an idea of how this could have happened. Try adding a new address to your own account. In order to do that one has to sign in again to add/delete addresses, as soon as they click on the Edit button, on their account page. Someone gained access to her information in order to add the address.
Her info could be obtained a couple of different ways, which unfortunately 99% of the time are due to a lack of security on the part of the account holder. Letting someone use / borrow their device, Logging in on semi-public unsecured wi-fi hot spots at coffee shops, restaurants... Using their device after it was lost or misplaced, Sharing their device with a friend or family member, Responding to an email purporting to be from ebay, Saving usernames/passwords on her device in an unsecured link.
theloyalskeptic
OP8 months agoYeah, she really messed up, huh?
Those criminals that logged into her account had every right to access her data and shuffle things
around on her profile.
Heaven forbid they get caught and punished.
I wish them a long productive life as upstanding members of society.
Serves her right.
She's really gotta be more careful how she uses any website to order stuff or even browse.
Hurray for all the hackers of the world!
I didn't know this was a 'Sanctuary Site for Criminals'.
eBay should start an Ad Campaign to let people know, but if they use that slogan I get 10%...!
theloyalskeptic
OP8 months ago"...The fact that she did not know enough to change her password, or did not tell you she had changed her password, or you did not tell her to change her password only serves to promote the various suggestions that she succumbed to a phishing attack or some other scheme to gain information about her account..."
-@tobaccocardyahoo
'Fact'...? That '...she DIDN'T CHANGE her password..'?
She DID change her password; Immediately upon discovering the security breach with her account.
I repeatedly stated that 'FACT' in the posts above.
She has 'succumbed' to nothing but, aside from 'eastlaneave', insulting suggestions on how she failed in her responsibilities as a user of the services provided her by this site.
Any friend worth their salt would defend that, as I am here, now.
The only thing that could possibly be labeled 'controversial' in this thread is the ignorant statements made earlier about her suggested lack of 'doing the right thing' in a timely, logical manner; to which I suggest was inappropriate.
Back to my original post:
I still find it impossible to believe that--this far along-- there's NO mention of the technology that eBay undoubtedly has at their fingertips to pinpoint the time, place, and location of the alleged perpetrator in this 'crime'.
To me, that would be justice, and this issue would be over.
mtgraves7984
·8 months ago"... aside from 'eastlaneave'..."
@theloyalskeptic
Has your friend tried all that @eastlaneave suggested? If so, did your friend get any satisfaction? Trust me, we're trying...
tobaccocardyahoo
·8 months agoSomeone has gained unauthorized access to your friend's account.
That is a non-controversial statement.
Without a major security breach, which would be reported by the news media and responded to by Ebay, it is likely that this entry to her account resulted from some action she took to make herself vulnerable, That is a fact which is backed up by the opinion of computer security experts.
The fact that she did not know enough to change her password, or did not tell you she had changed her password, or you did not tell her to change her password only serves to promote the various suggestions that she succumbed to a phishing attack or some other scheme to gain information about her account.
She needs to review all of the transactions on her account to determine if any shipped to this scammer's address. She needs to review her credit card or other payment status to determine whether any unauthorized charges were made.
If there were any unauthorized transactions or charges she needs to notify her payment card issuer.
She may also need to notify her home owner's or renter's insurer. In some states there is coverage for these losses and she needs to make sure she has the information needed if a claim is necessary.
This is a PITA without question.
eastlaneave
·8 months ago@theloyalskeptic
-- Your friends account may have been hacked and someone may be using it fraudulently.
She can call 866 961 9253 if she hasn't already.
it is a dedicated line for customers who may have experienced fraud on their account
If this number does not work, you can have eBay call you, here
Start here https://www.ebay.com/help/account/protecting-account/get-help-hacked-account?id=4196&from=ContactUs
Scroll to the Bottom of the page
1) Click "Contact Us" or the ? then:
In the CHAT WINDOW
2) Type "I need help"
3) Click "Fraud" (or your topic)
4) Type "Agent" in the chat window
5) You may need to click "Something Else" or "More Options" or type "Agent" a few more times
6) Click “Have Us Call You†(or "Chat with an Agent")
-- If you use a call filter on your phone, turn it off temporarily, or it might block the incoming call.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Your friend should:
1) Change your password if you are able. https://accountsettings.ebay.com/profile
2) Log out from any session you do not recognize (this is very, very important)
https://signinalert.ebay.com/sgninalrt/sessions
3) check bank information
https://ppcapp.ebay.com/myppc/wallet/list
4) Name address etc
https://accountsettings.ebay.com/profile
5) Addresses (I realize this is where they started, but check again)
https://accountsettings.ebay.com/uas/addresses
-- Here is a help page where you can learn more: https://www.ebay.com/help/account/protecting-account/get-help-hacked-account?id=4196
and
https://www.ebay.com/help/account/contact-ebay/contact-ebay?id=4379
theloyalskeptic
OP8 months agoThank you I'll let her know.
Best,
TLS
theloyalskeptic
OP8 months agoHello, all; and thanks for the input.
I think I need to better communicate the scenario here:
1. My friend was logged-in as a user on HER private ebay account. It's her's and only her's.
2. She was checking to see tracking on an item she purchased on ebay recently.
3. When she clicked on her 'Shipping Preferences' button for her account,
it showed her NORMAL, CURRENT shipping address and her legal name as 'Preference 1' (or at the top)
4. Under 'Additional Addresses' it showed a TOTALLY strange name of a 'person' and a totally unfamiliar street address as a 'Preference 2' (below the first address)
5. She wisely took a 'screenshot' of it; then deleted it and then contacted eBay Support by clicking on 'Help and Contact' at top of the page
6. She sent me a text showing me the screengrab, and I totld her to do what she was already doing which was notify eBay.
There was no 'spam' or 'phishing' emails involved here. No attempts to lure her off the ebay site. ALL of this took place within the confines of the ebay site proper.
theloyalskeptic
OP8 months agoHello,
To clarify, my friend did use the correct method for contacting Support, via link on her profile within eBay.
She definetly didn't get railroaded to an off-site scam page or phone number, etc. thank goodness.
My point was, it seemed a little casual as far as how it was all handled; but in eBay's defense, I'm sure this is an occurance that has happened to at least a FEW users prior to this, and they have a system to handle it as they see fit. However, for a 'casual user' such as my frind is, this experience is very unsettling, and she simply was looking for at least a modicum of re-assurance that this would be looked-into since she reported it. So far, nothing has been said in that regard, and she remains confused and slightly un-easy about the safety on the site. I think that's 'normal' and that's too bad it has to be that way in my opinion.
mudshark61369
·8 months ago@theloyalskeptic ,
If your friend did use the proper method to contact ebay "support" and spoke or chatted with a rep, it is highly likely that the subject was not covered in the play book the 3rd party call/chat center reps use to try and help people, so the rep gave her an ad lib response. As I wrote earlier she should use the Security center button to be connected to some one who is an actual eBay employee. The first thing she'll probably be told is to change her password and maybe to set up a 2nd verification, method photo, finger print, PIN number....
" I'm sure this is an occurance that has happened to at least a FEW users prior to this, and they have a system to handle it as they see fit".
I've been posting in these boards since the early 2000s almost daily, and this is the first time I've heard of an address being added to someone's account without their knowledge. It's a scam that would be so easily picked up that I can't imagine why it would even be attempted. Did your friend actually go to their account info and find a different address had been added?
There is one thing she may have run into that she doesn't understand, and that is the use of fake tracking numbers that get a delivered scan in a buyer's zip code but nothing is delivered. That has nothing to do with a new address being snuck on a buyer's account, but it does involve an address in the buyer's zip code being substituted for theirs.
albertabrightalberta
·8 months ago@theloyalskeptic
As you said, your friend is a 'casual user' and as such, probably isn't as experienced as most of us are about spam/scam emails.
Usually when this happens, it's a result of a user mistakenly responding to some type of phishing email in which the member clicks on a link to "verify" their information. That's how the scammers get their login passwords and account information.
I'm guessing that at some point, your friend got an email that appeared to be from ebay but wasn't.
Your friend should change their password.
The reason ebay is less than helpful in these cases is 2-fold.
1. They can't be responsible for users who unknowingly respond to phishing attempts
2. There are hundreds, if not thousands of these occurrences happening every day and although they do warn about recognizing scams, they can't hold everyone's hands.
theloyalskeptic
OP8 months agoThis is definitely not a case where a user did something dumb, such as click on a link to some scam.
This is a situation where an UNKNOWN individual was successful at logging-in to a user's private
eBay USER PROFILE and ADD a different STREET ADDRESS and Recipient Name to that profile's User Preferences
Presumably, the UNKNOWN person at that time had UNFETTERED ACCESS to all of my friend's USER PROFILE data, including birthday; street address, etc.
If any part of that sounds like my friend was at fault, I'm at a loss for how that point could be made.
The FIRST thing she did was change her password; then she deleted the address after a screenshot. Then she contacted ebay.
Is it so difficult to consider that perhaps MY FRIEND did everything CORRECTLY and this issue has yet to be properly addressed by eBay...?
mtgraves7984
·8 months agoIf any part of that sounds like my friend was at fault, I'm at a loss for how that point could be made.
@theloyalskeptic
With all due respect, it's really hard to address "asking for a friend" issues. Could you ask your friend to start a thread?
theloyalskeptic
OP8 months agoNo, as that person's privacy has already been violated enough, thank you.
Believe me, I've more important things to do than sit around making up fantastic untruths in order to receive attention. The amount of deflecting here is off-the-charts.
Why can't we all just consider the facts and address it from there..?
This security issue remains unresolved and no answers as to how it happened have been intelligently presented thus far; only insinuations of 'user error' which is frankly growing old as I run out of 'dumbed-down' versions of an explanation as to what transpired to get to this point.
soh.maryl
·8 months agoThe responders here are all, like yourself, experienced buyers and sellers. They volunteer their time here to answer questions and help others if/when they can.
No one is impugning your friend's honesty or anything else. It's just much easier to discuss an issue if we can discuss the issue with the actual person seeking advice or help.
mudshark61369
·8 months ago@theloyalskeptic ,
"A friend just discovered a totally unfamiliar person's name and a street address in her Shipping Preferences yesterday... and notifiied ebay who were less-than-sympathetic".
Why didn't you advise your friend to post about the issue here? We need to know how she tried to contact ebay. From what you have written, it sounds like she tried looking up a customer service phone number online, and if that is the case she never spoke to anyone connected with ebay. Those phone numbers that people find online as best as we can tell are probably phishing scammers trying to get account info.
On the bottom of most ebay pages there are a line of buttons, one of which is Security center. That is how she should have tried to inform ebay about the address issue. On these community pages the button is under the Tools & Apps header.