In 2002, I wrote about the trend of victims of online-auction fraud who band together to try to get attention from law-enforcement and capture the perpetrator. Now, we may be seeing the beginning of a new trend among victims of fraud: blogging about it.
eBay sellers using the ID Alisher71 are wanted by authorities who are investigating fraud involving up to $100,000, according to Florida media (http://www.wftv.com/technology/5610160/detail.html). eBay has suspended the account, but not before the sellers earned 108 negative feedbacks in the past 30 days and reached a low 82.3% feedback rating.
Someone calling themselves "Revenge" started a blog called AlisherSucks (http://www.alischersucks.blogspot.com).
"I thought I would start a blog so everyone that got ripped off on ebay by Alisher71 could exchange information on any law enforcement or other legal proceedings!" the first entry reads on December 19, 2005. That entry received 515 comments.
The blog provides a way for people to keep up to date on new developments and share information. Victims have also formed a group on Yahoo to keep in touch (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ebayfraud/), something victims have been doing for years in major fraud cases.