Hello and sorry about the dramatic blog title. This is a topic you don’t see too often mentioned other than on a back page of eBay. The other day I helped a person get there first eBay and PayPal account.
About a week later I noticed they were getting “spoof” emails almost constantly. A spoof email is an email that looks official. Like someone from eBay is contacting you to file a complaint or threatening to leave bad feedback. I must admit that the email looked pretty good. I knew it was a fake but someone new to the eBay and PayPal system might think it is official and respond. If you click on the email it takes you to a fake eBay or PayPal login page.
These people are trying to capture your ID and password on their fake web page. There are different names for this process but what you need to remember is NEVER click on a link in an email from eBay or PayPal unless you know exactly where the email is from or what it is about. I don’t care if it looks like the chairman of the board of eBay is coming after you with a battery of lawyers if you don’t respond immediately.
Believe me if there is a problem you will know about it when you log in like you always do, through your own browser. But in 6 or 7 years of working with eBay I’ve never had a problem. They will let you know if there is a problem and you simply contact them on your own not through a link.
I think as the “crooks” get a little sneakier you will see better and better looking fraud emails. It’s nothing to be worried about, just remember to never respond to link through email no matter how official or time sensitive it appears.
And this shouldn’t damper your enthusiasm for building your eBay business. It’s just a gentle reminder that as you start your business there might be people looking for newbies to rip off.
You just delete or report the spoof to eBay if you wish.
Kind Regards,
Gary
Gary….your observations are spot on and should commended. May I add, spoof emails go beyond ebay, they infiltrate your primary inbox also!
Yes, this is true, I get spoofs on just about everything. Banks, Paypal, IRS refunds, it’s endless. I hope people new to the internet don’t get pulled into it.
Just remember if you’re new, don’t click on links from within your email program. Use your browser to go to the website and log in normally.
Don’t fall for the convenience of clicking to it.
Newbies will do just fine.
Also there are new functions being built into browsers that will tell you when a website may be a fake, so update often.
Gary
This is a very good article. These emails look so much like the authentic emails, I am sure that a large percentage of people fall for these tricks.
Your advice should be helpful to newbies and oldies alike.