Warning: eBay UK - Hijacked accounts selling extreme high value Test Equipment - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Reprobyte
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2023, 12:53:18 pm
content: I have noticed in the last week that on eBay UK there are lots of extremely high priced items being listed all as 3 or 5 day auctions, all with worldwide shipping and all with the same exact desciption eg: a simple "excellent working condition, calibrated."The accounts have all either never sold before or not sold these type of items.Furthermore I started to notice these separate accounts in different parts of the UK hadimages that were taken in the same room as each other!(see images) So now I knew my hunch was right. I went online chat to warn eBay, but even though I proved the items were in the exact same room as each other, they only removed one of the items and left the others and they are still up for people to get robbed, despite my efforts.I also messaged each seller, and they have all ignored me.If you see these items with worldwide shipping on a 3 day auction beware, as I can almost guarantee you wont be getting your item. I wanted to warn people as eBay don't seem to care and this has happened to me in the past, with high end audio rack gear on eBay, and you have to go through a load of hoops to get your money back, so beware on bidding on some of these sellers popping up in the UK.Listings that are still listed:https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225484894484- LCR meter that photos are taken in same room as removed 5500A listinghttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144997342801- Fluke 5720A, seller never sold an item on ebay been offline for over a year, same wording as the others I foundhttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144997351890- Rohde Schwarz FSIQ26 same seller as aboveI hope this post can help someone avoid getting robbed.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2023, 12:58:48 pm
content: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblab-109-ebay-test-equipment-scam/

author: Reprobyte
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2023, 01:05:35 pm
content: Thanks, I have noticed a lot of those types of scams too on similar items. The difference here is the auctions are actually taking the money via eBay from what I can see, not sure how they get the money before they get caught though, but this happened to me in the same manner via eBay on some high end audio rack kit years ago, seems a similar scam, more believable as it's within eBay.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2023, 01:13:59 pm
content: Quote from: Reprobyte on March 21, 2023, 01:05:35 pmYou don't know that for sure. If you win the auction they might start emailing you about payment via. bank transfer or something like that, telling you that a bid on ebay is a legal contract, etc., etc..Or they might take the money via. eBay, close their bank account, and never ship anything.Or...

author: Reprobyte
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2023, 01:26:26 pm
content: I had 2 items via eBay in the past, 1 for £900 and one for £1800, luckily with both I got my money back, not sure who footed the bill for it!

author: wasedadoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2023, 01:44:37 pm
content: The LCR meter listing is still there (with 16 bids!) but the other two are now "page not found".

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2023, 01:46:52 pm
content: use their ebay twitter account for complaints, normally goes pretty fast

author: Reprobyte
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2023, 02:12:29 pm
content: Quote from: wasedadoc on March 21, 2023, 01:44:37 pmNice! I guess enough people here saw it and flagged, I can't believe they've left that LCR when I found them listing another item from the same room, same time listed

author: chilternview
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2023, 03:32:43 pm
content: Yep, noticed the Agilent LCR meter which has been bidding up over the last few days to the £1270 mark, and is still live. Since one of these things new is over £20k it's not surprising its attracted attention.There was also an Agilent N5230A 4 port 20GHz VNA (worth maybe £50k) for a starting bid of £250 over the weekend, it went all the way through and closed at some £5200 last night, I hope the bidder didn't get conned. And a while back a N9322C which went at about £1400. All scams.

author: Reprobyte
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2023, 04:40:32 pm
content: Quote from: chilternview on March 21, 2023, 03:32:43 pmYes it's no wonder they're targeting these items when they're so much new, disappointed in eBay that I took the time to warn them with evidence and they're just going to let it sell anyway.

author: jonpaul
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2023, 05:51:50 pm
content: No news here, same fraudes plaguing ebay USA, for years.Despite repeated violation of the Ebay terms, same sellers list 100s of listing using hijacked account and stolen images.Ebay robots cannot detect this scam, and the listing persist until someone reports it.As a single seller lists dozens or hundreds of lots, reliance on buyers complaints, the scam proliferates.After a takedown, the criminals merely re-start a few days later, or with different stolen seller accounts and items.Ebay will do nothing more until it is sued, class action for 100s of M$Jon

author: Co6aka
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 21, 2023, 09:22:53 pm
content: FWIW, I've reported more than a hundred of these listings (like the one Dave showed) so far this year and most remained active as if eBay took no action. So, I presume their "apathy central" attitude re the rest of eBay has extended to fraudulent listings as well.

author: Reprobyte
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 22, 2023, 04:15:32 pm
content: The LCR sold for £3600

author: chilternview
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 22, 2023, 04:40:06 pm
content: I'd love to know what the buyer gets, if its not just a headache!

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 22, 2023, 05:02:53 pm
content: Well you do see some of theses, when you click on them you get the : oops we looked everywhere loll

author: Reprobyte
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 22, 2023, 05:03:49 pm
content: Quote from: chilternview on March 22, 2023, 04:40:06 pmUnfortunately I know from experience maybe 10 years ago now, an RME audio interface for £900, you wait around for ages waiting on your case and eventually it gets found in your favour and you get reimbursed, I am not sure how they recover the funds or if they just take the hit. Was hoping my post would have stopped that happening on this one, but I guess not.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 22, 2023, 09:28:48 pm
content: Quote from: jonpaul on March 21, 2023, 05:51:50 pmWhere do they get so many stolen accounts with high seller scores?

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 22, 2023, 09:57:24 pm
content: Quote from: Bud on March 22, 2023, 09:28:48 pmI imagine they're for sale on the black market.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 22, 2023, 10:17:20 pm
content: Stolen accounts via phishing.They do require some verification before changing bank account details, but support can override that for you. So I don't know if as many scammers recover money using normal payment methods.The one Dave showed is much simpler, money goes directly to scammers/mules bank.Quote from: Reprobyte on March 22, 2023, 05:03:49 pmSometimes they just delete your purchase and then you have to remember to go into paypal, find it there, and dispute it. Otherwise your money is gone.

author: Reprobyte
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2023, 01:00:15 am
content: Quote from: thm_w on March 22, 2023, 10:17:20 pmOh, in fact this is what happened to me, I panicked, and remember I could still see via PayPal, wow, sometimes I pay on my card now on eBay, should always use PayPal!

author: alm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2023, 11:14:23 am
content: It will still be in your purchase history on eBay, so you can still file a claim even if they deleted the listing.

author: Reprobyte
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2023, 02:41:59 pm
content: Here's the latest just listed:https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155467632484Keysight MXE N9038AWorldwide shipping, 3 day listing, 0 feedback, 0 other listings,and...https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225492551028"Agilent DSO9104A+N2873A4 1GHz 4ch 20Gss Infiniium Shipping worldwide"it never stops once you start noticing it

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2023, 10:14:54 pm
content: Quote from: alm on March 23, 2023, 11:14:23 amNo it was deleted from my purchase history, presumably after Ebay deleted their account, it clears all history.

author: alm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2023, 10:29:52 pm
content: Quote from: thm_w on March 23, 2023, 10:14:54 pmWhen did this happen? I recently had an issue where eBay deleted both the listing and the seller's account, and it would still show up in my purchase history and I had no problem filing a did not receive claim and got it granted within a day.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2023, 10:40:27 pm
content: Quote from: alm on March 23, 2023, 10:29:52 pm~1 year ago. Maybe its not always the case that it happens.https://www.reddit.com/r/Ebay/comments/i33po3/seller_deletes_account_after_i_buy_an_item_ebay/https://www.reddit.com/r/Ebay/comments/ifq8ii/purchase_history_removed_item/

author: alm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2023, 10:45:42 pm
content: Quote from: thm_w on March 23, 2023, 10:40:27 pmThe last reaction in both is from 3 years ago. Sounds like they changed this when they introduced their managed payment, since PayPal may no longer be involved then.