# Is this an Ebay scam? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 28, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515 "2006-09-28T18:00:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515/1 "2006-09-28T18:00:39Z")
I received a scary call about a debt of $106 that I owed allegedly to Ebay. Now I have not bought anything on Ebay for quite a long time and pay off my transations immediately so I have no idea what this is about. I log into my Ebay account and it is suspended for non-payment of seller fees. I have never been a seller. I have never had or signed up for a seller account that I know of, and I certainly have never held an auction. I have no invoice from them anywhere saying what I owe and why, just some past due notices. Has anyone else experienced this? I this a scam? I have responged to the messages stating I am not a seller and never have been and asking how they think I owe them, but so far no response. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515/2 "2006-09-28T18:02:21Z")
log in from [www.ebay.com](http://www.ebay.com) not from any links the email gives you and see if the information matches ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515/3 "2006-09-28T18:08:14Z")
Uh, surely **lee** didn’t log into the site using a link in the email, right, lee? If you did, then go to [www.ebay.com](http://www.ebay.com) _right now_ and change your password. ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515/4 "2006-09-28T18:08:27Z")
In addition, changing your password is recommended. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515/5 "2006-09-28T18:09:00Z")
If eBay has suspended your account, it was probably hijacked by someone who used it post fraudulent auctions, then skipped leaving you with the fees. They may have gotten your password through a [phishing scam](http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/phishing/ebay.asp). You can report this to the [eBay Security & Resolution Center](http://pages.ebay.com/securitycenter/?ssPageName=home:f:f:US) (select “Report another problem”), and they may cancel the fees. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515/6 "2006-09-28T18:11:30Z")
You can’t click a link in a phone call. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515/7 "2006-09-28T18:11:54Z")
There’s a known issue with hackers hijacking Ebay user accounts. This may be the case with your account. Report the problem to Ebay. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515/8 "2006-09-28T18:16:25Z")
[QUOTE=lee] I received a scary call about a debt of $106 that I owed allegedly to Ebay. Now I have not bought anything on Ebay for quite a long time and pay off my transations immediately so I have no idea what this is about. I log into my Ebay account and it is suspended for non-payment of seller fees. I have never been a seller. I have never had or signed up for a seller account that I know of, and I certainly have never held an auction. I have no invoice from them anywhere saying what I owe and why, just some past due notices. Has anyone else experienced this? I this a scam? I have responged to the messages stating I am not a seller and never have been and asking how they think I owe them, but so far no response. [/QUOTE] I had the same but I certainly did not follow the link given as like you I have never been a seller. A buyer yes but a long while back ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515/9 "2006-09-28T19:18:22Z")
I did not click in any links in a email. I went to my ebay account by going to [www.ebay.com](http://www.ebay.com) in a fresh browser window. I delete any email that claims to be from ebay, except when I am expecting it from an auction I have bid on, and that has not been for a year or more, IIRC. The messages were in my ebay account itself. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515/10 "2006-09-28T20:35:44Z")
Digging aroung the notices in my account, I found an invoice for charges relating to dozens of auctions. It is obvious that my account was hijacked somehow. I have responded to the notices saying as much. They say they will respond in the next 48 hours. This makes me feel sick. ---
**Author:** ![nesta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a4c791/32.png) [@nesta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nesta)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515/11 "2006-09-28T23:03:04Z")
You might also want to change your email password. I’ve seen ebay scams where the email password is guessed or phished first, and then used to intercept the EBay password reset message. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515/12 "2006-09-29T02:12:44Z")
We checked the email server logs, and it does not appear to be compromised. There are no unexplained accesses to my account. Not only did the person who hijacked my account set up auctions in my account, they were selling what appears to be fakes. There is a copyright violation notice. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2006, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515/13 "2006-09-30T14:41:53Z")
I searched EBay for identity theft and this morning found a live chat for it! I was able to talk to a real person and get the charges removed. I still don’t know how they got my password, as I try to avoid phishing etc. They said it should all be better in 5-7 days. ---
**Author:** ![qubed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f07891/32.png) [@qubed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qubed)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515/14 "2006-09-30T16:00:58Z")
At least it was just your eBay account and you got the charges waived. Change your password to something strong (no words, at least one number, at least 8 alphanumeric characters). And change the password to any other account that has the same password or similar password. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2006, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-an-ebay-scam/374515/15 "2006-10-01T02:15:20Z")
[QUOTE=alanak] At least it was just your eBay account and you got the charges waived. Change your password to something strong (no words, at least one number, at least 8 alphanumeric characters). And change the password to any other account that has the same password or similar password. [/QUOTE] Very good advice. I am also going to check my account at least monthly for activity.