Don’t be fooled by the eBay or PayPal e-mails
Published 12:11 am Wednesday, September 5, 2007
By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES – If you've got an e-mail address, chances are you get quite a bit of junk or "spam" mail on a daily basis. However, two well-known online web sites, eBay and PayPal, have been dealing with ongoing e-mail problems that are affecting local residents.
Shelley Valdez of Niles said she has been dealing with junk mail for quite some time, but the problem with eBay started about four months ago.
"I kept getting e-mails from eBay saying that I was the winning bidder of an item. I have an eBay account, but have not purchased anything in almost a year," Valdez said.
Out of curiosity, Valdez went on her account just to check things out. Everything seemed fine, she said, and her account showed no signs of anything being purchased.
"Just to be safe, I went into the main site and typed in the item number that was listed in the e-mail. Sure enough, there was an item for sale, but it was for some kind of antique clock. The price was $359. I don't need an antique clock and definitely wouldn't spend that kind of money on one. I contacted eBay and, of course, they don't have a general 800 number, you have to talk to someone through instant messages. They said they had no record of me purchasing the item, but the person selling the item was an avid eBay seller," Valdez explained.
A representative from eBay told her she was in good standings, and that she should continue to report any e-mails that do not pertain to her to eBay.
While Valdez was relieved, she said if it wouldn't have been for her aunt actually falling for the scam in March, she may not have went through with a report.
"She actually got an e-mail from PayPal saying an item had not been paid for. She did not take the time to read over anything, she just figured somehow the payment wasn't sent for the item she bought a week earlier," Valdez said.
Like so many people, Valdez's aunt, who did not want her name mentioned, fell victim to the scam.
"She ended up getting her item that day and knew right then something wasn't right. Come to find out her money was sent to Peru. She never saw it again," Valdez added.
Fake e-mails are getting more sophisticated, so it can be tough to know whether an e-mail is real or not. Both eBay and PayPal offer ways to protect yourself against these acts of fraud, including a number of different tips, which can be viewed on their websites.
"Everyone needs to be careful with what they do over the internet. If you don't recognize a name or an e-mail address, don't open it," Niles Police Department Captain James Merriman said. "People really should check things out before approving, ordering or sending out anything. People have made it so difficult now with e-mail. They've become smarter and smarter and make things look very real."
Merriman said, in a case like this with eBay and PayPal, if you know you haven't ordered anything, don't bother, or at least report the spammers to the actual eBay or PayPal web sites.
"People come to us a lot after they have been scammed, but it's so hard to investigate these, especially with bigger companies like eBay. It's hard for any investigator because they literally have to get to know the entire company and how everything works," Merriman said.
In order to stay safe, Merriman said it's really pretty simple, "just do your research. If you plan to order something off of eBay, check the seller first. Too many times people think they are ordering this big, beautiful fruit basket and when it comes it's just a basket of banana peels. If you receive e-mails you recognize, don't open them."
If you feel you have been a victim of a scam, Merriman said it's important to e-mail the company right away to let them know what's going on.
"If you get an e-mail from a company claiming they are eBay or any other big inline business and you are unsure about it, let them know what's going on. That way they can let their investigators handle it and get the word out to other people," Merriman added.