eBay Australia told users it would expand its Safeguarding Member IDs (SMI) policy to all auctions in an effort to reduce a type of fraud known as fake Second Chance Offers. When eBay launched SMI in the fall of 2006, it applied only to auctions if and when they reached bidding of $250.

Legitimate Second Chance Offers (SCO) allow sellers to offer an item to a non-winning bidder under certain circumstances. Scammers send fake SCOs to bidders in attempts to trick and defraud them. The original SMI policy masked bidders' User IDs when bidding on auctions reached $250.

eBay Australia said the reason for the policy adjustment was because fraudsters adjusted their methods and now target bidders of less expensive items with fake Second Chance Offer emails.

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/au/200802210935392.html