back to article eBay scam nets suckers on both sides of the road

Greedy eBay customers and merchants have both been caught by scammers punting empty boxes as containing high-priced kit at a 50 percent discount. According to the Victoria Police e-crime squad, the scam works like this: the perpetrators target merchants with a good reputation on eBay (usually via recruitment ads) and signs …

COMMENTS

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  1. ebay suspension
    FAIL

    eBay is still unfair in their suspension procedure

    The eBay team is failing on both ways. First, legitimate people get scammed by receiving empty boxes. And on the other hand, innocent people like get their eBay account suspended because some competitor decided to claim that he bought from me and I scammed him. I had to go buy myself an anonymous stealth eBay account from http://www.lobbay.com because these smart people behind their desks at this company that they call the largest online marketplace have no legitimate way of controlling such acts on their site. Legit people are suspended, and scam people are selling like never and making great losses everywhere. What a nice way to cherish the spirits of Christmas. Thanks to eBay.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Facepalm

    Cheeky buggers…

    They could have at least put a block of wood in it!

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/08/31/mcdonalds_woman_wooden_ipad/

    1. Bassey

      Re: They could have at least put a block of wood in it!

      Nah, that would cost more to post. These scammers have their profit margins to think about!

  3. willwhite
    Alert

    Ebay Scams suck.

    I found this site www.auctionerrol.com whick checks ebay scams!

  4. Local Group
    Childcatcher

    I'm shocked, shocked...

    to find that scamming is going on here.

  5. Winkypop Silver badge
    Devil

    Box-O-Sand [TM]

    Listen to Tony Martin's old podcast "Get This" for an hilarious take on the old "Box-O-Sand" con.

  6. kissingthecarpet
    Stop

    Comment spam much?

    WillWhite & ebay suspension - you "found" the sites you're advertising did you? Riiiiight.

  7. Local Group
    Childcatcher

    'Twas the seller's vanity (and good reputations) what done 'em in.

    To paint the eBay buyers and sellers with the same swindled brush is a mistake. Intent is an essential part of crime. While the perpetrators had criminal intent when they sold empty boxes to the merchants, the duped merchants thought the boxes they were selling contained merchandise and had no intention of flimflamming the eBay buyers.

    As Orwell said "All of the bamboozled are equal. But some are more equal than others"

  8. David Barr
    FAIL

    eBay Merchants as victims?

    I think not. They're doing the equivalent of buying stacks of fake £20s. There's no way they shouldn't reasonably expect the TVs to be legit. Greed leave them out of pocket and I don't feel any sympathy.

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