eBay/Craigslist Low Priced Tractorson ebay
- Thread starter gizmo
- Start date
- Views: 2307
California
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2004
- Messages
- 16,664
- Location
- An hour north of San Francisco
- Tractor
- Yanmar YM240 Yanmar YM186D
Those are usually fraudulent and Ebay is full of them.
You will see many clues after comparing a few of them, for example Dottie always sold baby clothes before and now suddenly tractors.
If enough people complain ebay will pull that auction and notify anyone who sent a message to the seller through ebay. Otherwise they don't do anything.
The goal of the bogus seller is to receive a real Western Union money order for a down payment. From as many hopeful buyers as possible per tractor auction.
You will see many clues after comparing a few of them, for example Dottie always sold baby clothes before and now suddenly tractors.
If enough people complain ebay will pull that auction and notify anyone who sent a message to the seller through ebay. Otherwise they don't do anything.
The goal of the bogus seller is to receive a real Western Union money order for a down payment. From as many hopeful buyers as possible per tractor auction.
EFC
Veteran Member
It happened to my eBay store. They hijack your store and put a ton of cheep stuff for sale with a buy it now price. They only accept western union or the like. Stay away!!!
Buck.
Buck.
CTyler
Veteran Member
How did they hi-jack your store?
6or7dazeaweek
Silver Member
There's a LOT of smart thieves out there that are computer savvy just waiting to take your money. If it looks to good to be true, it is. I received an official looking email from Ebay today saying that this person was trying to pay me for over 30 days & I had not responded. Perhaps my account on Ebay has been compromised as I have not sold anything on there in a long time
I looked at the entire email header and suspected that the message was fraudulent..in which case I forwarded it to Ebay.
Caveat Emptor!
I looked at the entire email header and suspected that the message was fraudulent..in which case I forwarded it to Ebay.
Caveat Emptor!
Deere_parts
Silver Member
I too am a power seller on eBay. Stay away from those 24 hr restricted bid ads. They are frauds and if you do a little search using the title you will often find another fraudulant ad of the same exact tractor using the same exact title, pictures, and desciption and I mean exact to every word.
You can also do an advanced search of completed listings earlier using the title or at least part of it and find the real ad that sold a week or 2 earlier. Again this will be exactly the same word for word.
Key things that tip off a fraud ad is:
1). A buy now price of $3500 on a $20,000 machine
2). Pictures that show a New York Century 21 for sale sign that was in front of a bidder registered in the United KINGDOM (yes I saw this)
3). These listings ALWAYS have all of the listing promotional items like Featured gallery where it's at the top of the page, Bold Print, A border around it and are highlighted in color. Basicly the ad would cost $30 to place instead of the $0.65 to $1.60 like my ads and most others do. (why not, it's not their account they hacked)
4). These High profile ads will have hardly any bids on a $20,000 tractor with less than 24 hrs to go and the bidding will be at like $41. That will NEVER happen on a real ad for a 2004 JD or Kubota compact.
5). These ads are usually only 1 day ads to get a quick sucker. If I sold something like that it would be a 10 day ad for maximum exposure to 15 million people and my best possible price.
6). If you ask them for additional pictures I gaurauntee they will send you a file called "Pictures.EXE" or "Pictures.ZIP" or another type of compressed file. DO NOT OPEN IT.....I REPEAT.....DO NOT OPEN IT. Unless you are a computer expert or darn close to it like myself and know how to fix this or keep it from actually executing while you disect it. This is an executable program that your antivirus program will NOT detect. It changes the hosts file in your computer for the IP address to escrow.com and if you were to try to log onto the legitimate escrow.com you are actually being taken to a fake look alike site for you to wire funds into a fake escrow account.
7). These ads will almost always be restricted to preapproved bidders
If you have opened one of these Pictures.EXE or Pictures.ZIP programs PLEASE feel free to contact me and I will help you restore your hosts file to the way it is supposed to be. It's not hard to do but you have to know how to get to it.
These ads are now showing up on small items but they are very discreet and almost undetectable. I almost fell for one myselfe today for a John Deere collectors train set I've been thinking of getting and have been watching the prices on.
What caught my eye was the ad sounded familiar and the picture looked familiar to one I watched end 5 days ago so I did a search of completed listings and found it. EXACT same picture, title and wording right sown to the serial # of this collectors set that sold to a different bidder than the one who was now selling it 5 days later. WOW I can't beleive 2 different people can sell the same serial numbered train set and have it sit on the same exact shelf in 2 different states after passing through 3 peoples hands in 5 days. That's some fast transactions.
I reported it to eBay and placed a proxy bid of $1000 on this train set that normally sells for $80 - $100 because it only had 19 hours left and sometimes it takes ebay 48 hrs to respond to a question. I figure they will pull it when the check the 2 auction listing numbers I gave them and I won't get a hit for being a non paying bidder. I mess with these fraudulant ads every time I see one and verify it as a fake. I wonder how many thiefs are still waiting for me to send them payments this week.
Please note that I only do this when I verify a fraudulant ad by researching it and have never pulled non payment on a real seller. I still have 100% positive feedback
If anybody here ever wonders about the legitimacy of an ad for a tractor with a price too good to be true feel free to send me an email with the auction number and I'd be happy to look at it and give you my opinion but I can't be responsible for your decision to buy.
You can also do an advanced search of completed listings earlier using the title or at least part of it and find the real ad that sold a week or 2 earlier. Again this will be exactly the same word for word.
Key things that tip off a fraud ad is:
1). A buy now price of $3500 on a $20,000 machine
2). Pictures that show a New York Century 21 for sale sign that was in front of a bidder registered in the United KINGDOM (yes I saw this)
3). These listings ALWAYS have all of the listing promotional items like Featured gallery where it's at the top of the page, Bold Print, A border around it and are highlighted in color. Basicly the ad would cost $30 to place instead of the $0.65 to $1.60 like my ads and most others do. (why not, it's not their account they hacked)
4). These High profile ads will have hardly any bids on a $20,000 tractor with less than 24 hrs to go and the bidding will be at like $41. That will NEVER happen on a real ad for a 2004 JD or Kubota compact.
5). These ads are usually only 1 day ads to get a quick sucker. If I sold something like that it would be a 10 day ad for maximum exposure to 15 million people and my best possible price.
6). If you ask them for additional pictures I gaurauntee they will send you a file called "Pictures.EXE" or "Pictures.ZIP" or another type of compressed file. DO NOT OPEN IT.....I REPEAT.....DO NOT OPEN IT. Unless you are a computer expert or darn close to it like myself and know how to fix this or keep it from actually executing while you disect it. This is an executable program that your antivirus program will NOT detect. It changes the hosts file in your computer for the IP address to escrow.com and if you were to try to log onto the legitimate escrow.com you are actually being taken to a fake look alike site for you to wire funds into a fake escrow account.
7). These ads will almost always be restricted to preapproved bidders
If you have opened one of these Pictures.EXE or Pictures.ZIP programs PLEASE feel free to contact me and I will help you restore your hosts file to the way it is supposed to be. It's not hard to do but you have to know how to get to it.
These ads are now showing up on small items but they are very discreet and almost undetectable. I almost fell for one myselfe today for a John Deere collectors train set I've been thinking of getting and have been watching the prices on.
What caught my eye was the ad sounded familiar and the picture looked familiar to one I watched end 5 days ago so I did a search of completed listings and found it. EXACT same picture, title and wording right sown to the serial # of this collectors set that sold to a different bidder than the one who was now selling it 5 days later. WOW I can't beleive 2 different people can sell the same serial numbered train set and have it sit on the same exact shelf in 2 different states after passing through 3 peoples hands in 5 days. That's some fast transactions.
I reported it to eBay and placed a proxy bid of $1000 on this train set that normally sells for $80 - $100 because it only had 19 hours left and sometimes it takes ebay 48 hrs to respond to a question. I figure they will pull it when the check the 2 auction listing numbers I gave them and I won't get a hit for being a non paying bidder. I mess with these fraudulant ads every time I see one and verify it as a fake. I wonder how many thiefs are still waiting for me to send them payments this week.
Please note that I only do this when I verify a fraudulant ad by researching it and have never pulled non payment on a real seller. I still have 100% positive feedback
If anybody here ever wonders about the legitimacy of an ad for a tractor with a price too good to be true feel free to send me an email with the auction number and I'd be happy to look at it and give you my opinion but I can't be responsible for your decision to buy.
Deere_parts
Silver Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( There's a LOT of smart thieves out there that are computer savvy just waiting to take your money. If it looks to good to be true, it is. I received an official looking email from Ebay today saying that this person was trying to pay me for over 30 days & I had not responded. Perhaps my account on Ebay has been compromised as I have not sold anything on there in a long time
I looked at the entire email header and suspected that the message was fraudulent..in which case I forwarded it to Ebay.
Caveat Emptor! )</font>
Excellent point and I missed that when I first read this thread.
The emails from eBay and PayPal that the "Caveat Emptor" is talking about are called "Phishing" (pronounced fishing. They want you to click on the link to log into ebay, What you are really doing is logging into their phony sign in page and Voila they have your user name and password so they can now log into your ebay account, change your information and commit fraudulant acts in your name with the money going to them and you get the bill for all of the listing, promotional and final value fees. If you gave them your paypal account and it is linked to your bank and/or credit cards they can now transfer money to themselves out of your bank and buy stuff with your credit card.
If you realize you accidently replied to one immediatly report it to ebay and change your passwords before you get hacked.
I looked at the entire email header and suspected that the message was fraudulent..in which case I forwarded it to Ebay.
Caveat Emptor! )</font>
Excellent point and I missed that when I first read this thread.
The emails from eBay and PayPal that the "Caveat Emptor" is talking about are called "Phishing" (pronounced fishing. They want you to click on the link to log into ebay, What you are really doing is logging into their phony sign in page and Voila they have your user name and password so they can now log into your ebay account, change your information and commit fraudulant acts in your name with the money going to them and you get the bill for all of the listing, promotional and final value fees. If you gave them your paypal account and it is linked to your bank and/or credit cards they can now transfer money to themselves out of your bank and buy stuff with your credit card.
If you realize you accidently replied to one immediatly report it to ebay and change your passwords before you get hacked.
EFC
Veteran Member
I received an email through eBay that my eBay toolbar said was safe. When I opened the email it put a tracker on my computer so the next time I logged into eBay it copied my password. The hijacker changed my password so I couldn’t log in to stop it.
Buck
Buck
bugstruck
Platinum Member
I got one of those fraudulent EBay messages today at work. The one where your account is being suspended. Unsolicited Paypal messages, same thing. Avoid them.
EBay may send you promotional email that is real. Anything to do with your account requires you to log in to "My Account". That's where they send all messages involving the legitimate transfer of sensitive information and pertinent account information. So the rule is; if you didn't go looking for it, and it's not purely promotional, it's probably not real. I think they might offer Sellers the ability to set up messaging or email notices directly from their account to their designated address(s)/devices. Not sure on that though. If so, you'd verify those and respond by simply logging in first. Won't cover all the fraud, but will the vast majority.
Nothing new on the cheap fraudulent tractors. Almost always there. Also, the Western Union, etc. pay methods, as was mentioned, are a red flag.
EBay may send you promotional email that is real. Anything to do with your account requires you to log in to "My Account". That's where they send all messages involving the legitimate transfer of sensitive information and pertinent account information. So the rule is; if you didn't go looking for it, and it's not purely promotional, it's probably not real. I think they might offer Sellers the ability to set up messaging or email notices directly from their account to their designated address(s)/devices. Not sure on that though. If so, you'd verify those and respond by simply logging in first. Won't cover all the fraud, but will the vast majority.
Nothing new on the cheap fraudulent tractors. Almost always there. Also, the Western Union, etc. pay methods, as was mentioned, are a red flag.
Deere_parts
Silver Member
Every REAL message that ebay sends you will be found on your "My eBay" page under messages and it will notify you that you have a message on that page.
Do not open email messages from ebay unless you double check in you "my Ebay" page to see if they actually sent you one.
The only ones I respond to are from my buyers or sellers everything else I forward as an attachment to spoof@ebay.com or spoof@paypal.com If you ever wonder about an email from them send it to those email address and they will tell you if it is spoof mail or not.
I don't use or trust a toolbar added to my browser for anything, Actually I wont install or use anybodies toolbars to do the same thing I can do with any regular browser
Do not open email messages from ebay unless you double check in you "my Ebay" page to see if they actually sent you one.
The only ones I respond to are from my buyers or sellers everything else I forward as an attachment to spoof@ebay.com or spoof@paypal.com If you ever wonder about an email from them send it to those email address and they will tell you if it is spoof mail or not.
I don't use or trust a toolbar added to my browser for anything, Actually I wont install or use anybodies toolbars to do the same thing I can do with any regular browser
BillG_in_TX
Veteran Member
I received a "warning" from PayPal yesterday (see attachment). I know better than to follow the directions in this e-mail, but I can see where some people would. One problem - it was sent to an e-mail address I have never used (but do monitor). /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
I clicked on the link, and I have to tell you, it sure looks like the real thing! Thanks for the "spoof" address - I forwarded this to Paypal.
I clicked on the link, and I have to tell you, it sure looks like the real thing! Thanks for the "spoof" address - I forwarded this to Paypal.
Attachments
EFC
Veteran Member
Deere Parts;
The message was in "my messages" it wasn’t the normal “your account is suspended” or “you’re a power seller” email that I get almost everyday, I am smarter than that. EBay was as shocked as I was about it, when they investigated it the message had come from their servers. They wouldn’t say it but it really sounded like one of their employees had gone renegade, an inside job. I guess there is huge money in these scams. Now I change my password everyday and my pay pal account is separated form my eBay account and I change that password daily also.
Buck
The message was in "my messages" it wasn’t the normal “your account is suspended” or “you’re a power seller” email that I get almost everyday, I am smarter than that. EBay was as shocked as I was about it, when they investigated it the message had come from their servers. They wouldn’t say it but it really sounded like one of their employees had gone renegade, an inside job. I guess there is huge money in these scams. Now I change my password everyday and my pay pal account is separated form my eBay account and I change that password daily also.
Buck
bugstruck
Platinum Member
Exactly as you have stated it. If your going to get in any online Auction or anything else online, it's good to have a sixth sense on this stuff, but it takes a little to develop it. Not instinctive, as we Americans generally don't approach situtations with that much reservation in our day to day activities. If people thought of being online as being in a bad neighborhood after dark (so to speak), got their antenna up, we'd all fare a little better. And of course, how did we self imposed experts figure all this out? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Got our bells rung /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif a time or two, that how.
Deere_parts
Silver Member
Wow Buck, First time I heard that happen. I too have been changing my passwords alot lately but not every day. I am actually clinicly diagnosed with short term memory loss and concentration problems (CRS can't remember squat)and would never remember a new "password of the day". I only retain highly learned material now. And the VA denied my application for voc rehab partly because of this. I won't even remember your name by the time I finish pecking at this keyboard on this message /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
circleTfarm
Member
Will anything happen if you click on the add for one of these tractors? or does it only happen if you try to contact the seller? I think i have clicked on add before to check out what the deal was with a $20,000 with a buy it now of $4,000 does that put me in jeopardy?
also brother contacted someone about a cat backhoe, a $45,000 machine for $5,000 guy mailed him back,, told him it was not a joke, he was leaving country needed to dump machine. brother still thought something not right didn't pursue it but sence he contacted seller is he at risk? should he go and change passwords and paypal info? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
also brother contacted someone about a cat backhoe, a $45,000 machine for $5,000 guy mailed him back,, told him it was not a joke, he was leaving country needed to dump machine. brother still thought something not right didn't pursue it but sence he contacted seller is he at risk? should he go and change passwords and paypal info? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Deere_parts
Silver Member
I have not heard any problems with looking at the ad or contacting them. Quite often I contact them just to mess with them and ask them for pictures to see what kind of BS they will try to send or feed to me and then I forward the info to eBay. Just don't open any attachments or links they give you in the reply email.
The eBay ad should be fine but I'm sure eBay's servers can be hacked too.
The best thing you can do to protect yourself is leave them alone, change all of your pass words to look something like this...ab0*JJ2@xZ.....not your social security number, birthday, last name etc...and change it on a regular basis,keep the computers operating system update, Use a good firewall like zone alarm, use a couple of different good and reputable antispyware programs like adawareSE and microsofts antispyware beta, a good antivirus program like Mcafee, Norton or Computer associates and keep all of these up to date with the latest definition files.
Don't write your password on a sticky note in the desk drawers, under the mouse pad, bottom of the keyboard, under the desk or bottom of the mouse etc...If you do that stuff I can find it if I'm visiting you or you do it at work which is when most people shop on eBay, If you use a password that is related to you, your likes, favorite sport, favorite player, hobbies, mom, girlfriend etc and I know your username and some of this information I can probably figure it out....If you surf at work don't let the computer remember your password and when you are done log out and close the browser so it will hopefully dump the memory cache.
The eBay ad should be fine but I'm sure eBay's servers can be hacked too.
The best thing you can do to protect yourself is leave them alone, change all of your pass words to look something like this...ab0*JJ2@xZ.....not your social security number, birthday, last name etc...and change it on a regular basis,keep the computers operating system update, Use a good firewall like zone alarm, use a couple of different good and reputable antispyware programs like adawareSE and microsofts antispyware beta, a good antivirus program like Mcafee, Norton or Computer associates and keep all of these up to date with the latest definition files.
Don't write your password on a sticky note in the desk drawers, under the mouse pad, bottom of the keyboard, under the desk or bottom of the mouse etc...If you do that stuff I can find it if I'm visiting you or you do it at work which is when most people shop on eBay, If you use a password that is related to you, your likes, favorite sport, favorite player, hobbies, mom, girlfriend etc and I know your username and some of this information I can probably figure it out....If you surf at work don't let the computer remember your password and when you are done log out and close the browser so it will hopefully dump the memory cache.
daTeacha
Veteran Member
It wouldn't hurt to turn off your cookies as much as possible, and erase the ones you have in your machine along with cleaaring your history.
I got an email a while back about my paypal account. Looked very official and important from the intro line, except for one little detail -- I've never had a paypal account!
I also got a call a while back from someone claiming to be from Discover Card, wanting to verify my information. I called Discover -- they do not call people for information. I closed that account, posted a flag with the credit bureaus, notified my bank, etc. The next time they called, I told the very nice and professional sounding young lady that she was a liar and a thief and suggested a phone number for her to call involving the local police department. They haven't called back.
I got an email a while back about my paypal account. Looked very official and important from the intro line, except for one little detail -- I've never had a paypal account!
I also got a call a while back from someone claiming to be from Discover Card, wanting to verify my information. I called Discover -- they do not call people for information. I closed that account, posted a flag with the credit bureaus, notified my bank, etc. The next time they called, I told the very nice and professional sounding young lady that she was a liar and a thief and suggested a phone number for her to call involving the local police department. They haven't called back.
djg
Silver Member
The strangest thing I have seen on ebay is an ad where the entire page is an email link. Clicking anywhere on the page opens up outlook email link. I report these.
Here are some similar links:
