Buyers (and Bidders) Beware!
operates from a foreign country.
Here are suggestions from some of the experts on ways to protect yourself from fraud on the Internet:
* What are the seller's payment instructions? If you are asked to wire cash by Western Union, be suspicious. If the address is outside North America, be extremely suspicious! Use Paypal if that is offered, or at least pay with a credit card which has protections giving you limited liability. You may be able to get your money back.
* Do not give any private information to anyone claiming to be from eBay. The information is sent to a phony site where hackers use it to access your accounts at eBay or even your bank. EBay never asks users to provide that kind of private information.
* Robot programs decipher passwords with sophisticated software programs. Using symbols or numbers in a password will prevent this type of thievery. (Of course, you know better than to use obvious passwords or to give your password to anyone else!)
* If prices seem too good to be true, they probably are. You never have to "buy now" - take time to research the item to find what you should reasonably expect to pay.
Sources:
1. © 2003, The Kansas City Star
2. © 2003, The Kansas City Star
3. SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER 12/2/02
Links to useful sites about Internet Fraud:
WMLD WWWBoard - bulletin board for those who've been cheated on eBay
Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC)
Buyer Beware!, 1998
My Links to Fraud and Fakes sites
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