On July 25, a search on eBay for the word "plasma" in the Book category netted 37 items. Six of them were books with subjects relating in some way to plasma. Thirty-one of them were listings for plasma screen TVs.
Why would a seller post TVs in the book category? If it's a scammer, then it may be an attempt to avoid eBay fraud detection. The 31 listings for TVs all showed warning signs of a scam, including being posted in the wrong category. Here's a look at some classic techniques employed by fraudsters that - on their own - may not be a sign of fraud, but together, add up to suspicious listings.
Wrong Category
As stated above, scammers will place high value items in the wrong category, like listing plasma-screen TVs in the book category. Scammers believe this helps avoids detection by eBay.
"Email Me"
Included in suspect listings is usually an email address with a note instructing shoppers to email the seller before placing a bid: "No Bids! Contact me first for the Buy It Now price." This is favored by scammers because they can start conning shoppers right away via email. Unsuspecting shoppers who send money to scam sellers before the auction ends would not be covered under eBay's limited protection program. Only buyers who win an auction would be covered, and transactions conducted outside of eBay are not counted in eBay's fraud statistics.
Private Auctions
Knowing that watchdogs patrol the site, scammers will often make their auctions private, keeping bidders' identities private so that they can't be warned of the scam (http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/private.html).
Stock Photos
Sometimes a stock photo may be a further indication something is awry - scammers who are not in possession of an item may lift photos from the manufacturer's website - but not always. Legitimate sellers may also use stock photos, particularly in categories where eBay uses "Item Specifics," like DVDs, where eBay itself provides stock photos for sellers to use.
Pages of Same-Priced Items for Sale
Once you spot an item you believe may be a scam, click on the seller's feedback number, then click on the link that says "Items for Sale." You may see hundreds of listings for different items like laptop computers, mountain bikes, musical instruments - all with the same exact starting price. Then go back and click on feedback left for the seller previously, and see if the seller had listed items like this in the past. A seller who sold only antiques and is now listing consumer electronics may have hijacked an honest seller's account.
Low Starting Price/Short-Duration
Legitimate sellers often start auctions for low starting prices. This generates interest in the auction and can often net them a higher selling price. So low-starting prices alone are not an indication of a s cam. But it helps to know that scammers start auctions at low prices so the items will show up first in search results that are sorted by lowest-price first. They also want to capitalize on the shoppers' desire for a good deal. Scam auctions are often also listed with a short duration because they only have a short time to harvest victims' contact information before being shut down by eBay. They want the shopper to act fast and don't want to give them too much time to think - a sense of urgency on the part of victims is always in the scammers' best interests.
Each clue by itself does not mean an auction is a scam, as in the case of a listing with stock photos, or a low starting price. But taken all together, these clues could add up to a scam listing. Check the sellers' other listings to see if you can detect a pattern.
If you do bid on an item you aren't sure about and are contacted by the seller, who asks you to wire-transfer him or her the money, run - do not walk - away from the transaction! eBay prohibits sellers from soliciting payment via wire-transfer as it is a popular way for scammers to collect money.
Knowing warning signs might help you avoid the scams so you can concentrate on the deals offered by legitimate sellers. You can read more about fraud on eBay's auction site (http://pages.ebay.com/securitycenter/index.html).
