WATCH OUT: AI at eBay is locking people out by changing passwords with no recourse to reset them
I logged into my account at a library 8 days ago, and that same day received an email saying they had deleted my very complex password because of a potential "security breach."
Of course, there was no security breach, and AI over-reacted, but the worse thing is that I was locked out of my account until last night. I spent 4.5 hours over several days, spoke to 17 different eBay employees--some over the phone and some over the chat function. No one could tell me the new password, or get an reset email through, although the chat transcripts, and "how did we do?" emails came through just fine.
None of the normal reset options worked. None of the links completed, and no one was able to help me until last night when I FINALLY got a guy willing to do something about it. The link in their original email telling me what they did was a dead link too.
JUST A WARNING.
Apparently, signing into your account from a new location is now a big "no no."
oldwestcoins
·3 years agoYour sign was "......you logged on at a library." Library computer systems are the most hacked in the world. It's like sitting on a toilet seat that thousands of people just sat on. The city library service near me was hacked last year and they were down for two weeks. If you are logging into any computer other than your own, you should be logging into a VPN service such as NordVPN or Surfshark. When I leave home, I use Surfshark for everything, including my iPads and iPhones. Just an FYI.
oldwestcoins
·3 years agoAs a retired IT Mgr of one of the largest companies in the world, I simply laugh at all the false hype the news and Politicians are giving regarding AI. It obviously remains true that people are most afraid of something when they don't understand it. AI = yawn. The powers-to-be want you to be afraid on purpose. Quit falling for their Jedi mind tricks. 🤣 And FYI - the world isn't flat.
stevemartin60
OP3 years agoI just find it annoying that every time they do something to "help us," it hurts us.
slippinjimmy
·3 years agoWere you using your own device on the library wi-fi or were you using a library device?
It makes a difference.
stevemartin60
OP3 years agoTheir device. Still, the point is not that they are overreacting, but that THEY ARE NOT LETTING YOU BACK IN.
slippinjimmy
·3 years agoA new device on a public wi-fi, yeah that will do it.
stevemartin60
OP3 years agoThanks for all the helpful commentary, peeps!
stuff4divas
·3 years ago@maxine*j wrote: I don't even use WiFi at home for anything important or sensitive. For that, including eBay business, I still use a desktop, with a Linux OS, and a wired ethernet connection. Despite passwords and encryption, I still feel like I'm broadcasting when I use WiFi.
@maxine*j I'm with u on that! I'm hardwired from my desktop MAC and never use my phone for eBay stuff or any other sensitive accounts
southern*sweet*tea
·3 years agoI'm a hacker.
I have my scanning tools searching open networks for potentially profitable user ID and password information.
I snag someone's Ebay account login. I now have access to that person's account. PAYDAY!! I steal your info and you won't even know it until all sorts of bad things happen.
That's why the account was locked - the login from a public IP was suspicious.
This is why you don't log in to anything on public wifi and why you enable 2FA on everything. Soooo many people blame "the site" for being hacked, when in reality 99% of the time it's their own carelessness.
Not sure why you would have so many issues re-enabling your account though. That had to have sucked big time. 😫
stuff4divas
·3 years ago@stevemartin60 as frustrating as it may be, i think it's a good thing for ebay to lock someone out if they log into the account from public internet connections, hot spots, etc
at least u now know not to use those types of connections to log in
thanx for letting us know ðŸ˜
toomuchstuffagain35
·3 years agoReally? When ebay has done nothing but PUSH people to "upgrade to the app" and basically use whatever wifi is available for years?
stuff4divas
·3 years ago@toomuchstuffagain35 YES, i'd rather be locked out than hacked, it's a much scarier world with AI
Speaking for myself, should have indicated that b4
coolections
·3 years agoJust so you know, no one has to upgrade and use the app, and no one has to use public wifi.
maxine*j
·3 years agoI don't even use WiFi at home for anything important or sensitive. For that, including eBay business, I still use a desktop, with a Linux OS, and a wired ethernet connection. Despite passwords and encryption, I still feel like I'm broadcasting when I use WiFi.
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oldwestcoins
·3 years agoTry a VPN like Surfshark. One of the best services to keep the doors locked.
toomuchstuffagain35
·3 years agoDidn't say they were "forcing" us to use it did I?
I said they were PUSHING us to use it with their constant screen blocker splash ads.
yuzuha
·3 years agoUsing the app doesn't mean you need to use public wifi. I use the app to check in on my sales when I'm out of town. I ALWAYS use my own personal data plan to do so.
coolections
·3 years agoSorry you did not know this but NEVER log into EBAY from a source that is community shared. A library is one of the worse place to do that.
stevemartin60
OP3 years agoThanks. I could not get into ANYTHING (even these message boards) to use secret questions, or anything else. That is what was so frustrating.
NONE of the links for resetting worked, and none of the methods 16 eBay employees knew about worked.
The 17th, a supervisor, did something no one else would try, or I would still be locked out
Unavailable member
·3 years agoThanks for the heads up.
But with eBays 2 step verification that shouldn’t happen unless you didn’t set that up.
You can also set up secret questions to recover your account if that should happen again.
You can find where to do that in your account settings.