Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

moira@ebay.com
Community Member
eBay treats your personal information with the utmost care, and our Privacy Policy is designed to protect you and your information.

Some members have reported attempts to gain access to their personal information through email solicitations that are falsely made to appear as having come from eBay. These solicitations will often contain links to Web pages that will request that you sign in and submit information. At eBay, we identify these as 'spoofed' emails or Web sites.

We encourage you to be very cautious of emails that ask you to submit personal information such as your credit card number or your eBay password.

To be sure that you are signing into a genuine eBay Web site, look at the Address/Location area of your browser. At an eBay.ca sign-in or log-in page, the URL (link) that appears in the Address/Location area of your browser will begin with "http://cgi.ebay.ca/" or "http://cgi3.ebay.ca/". Please pay close attention to all characters in the address, including the forward slash (/) that follows "ebay.ca". Even if the Address/Location includes the word "ebay", it may not be a genuine eBay Web site. If you receive or suspect you have received such an email, do not respond to it or click the links. Immediately send a copy of it to spam@ebay.com.

If you have any doubt as to whether or not the website you are on is an official eBay web page, please visit our Account Security page for more complete information on the URLs used on eBay web pages.

For more information on how to protect your eBay password and your account, please click here.

Regards,
eBay
Message 1 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

sibelle28
Community Member
I am using my wife's screen name because I have dissapeared from ebay. My user name is paddy9990_1. It all started yesterday 01/01/06. I receive an email from ebay (at least it looked legit) It said that I had moved to somewhere in CA USA.(What a suprise that was) I checked my personal info and sure enough it says my user name is villicory1005 and I reside in Ca USA gives address whole kit.
I then sign in to ebay using my real screen name but when I click on my ebay I get pages of things which are completely foreign to me. Like it says you have 56 items to pay (all these items are $200 and up.
Now I can no longer check in to ebay using my real user name. I simply dont exist. Now the really weird part if I check villicory1005 's feedback what I get is my feedback that comes up,with the USA location.
I had 2 items listed they are still there but under villicory1005' name.
I reported all this to ebay but off course dont expect to receive a soloution before the turn of the centuruy.
I have considered changing my personal info but cannot do that because I cannot sign on with my user name. When I try that the system telles me to register because I dont exist. I have considered trying to sign in with the villicory1005 name and then correcting this whole mess but I am a bit leary about trying this. Wonder if anyone out there has any suggestions?
Message 2 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

nickie*nine*doors
Community Member
When you sign onto ebay with the villicory1005 name, does it show a little icon in a circle with the shape of 2 people? If you click on the feedback number for villicory1005, then click on ID history, does it show your original ID name anywhere on the list?

Definitely report this as a hijacked account. If you haven't heard anything from ebay yet, contact them through Live Help (from the main page) and demand that somebody there help you immediately. Tell them immediately that you think your account has been hijacked.
Message 3 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

nickie*nine*doors
Community Member
Just checked on villicory1005, and no such id exists. Perhaps ebay cancelled it already?
Message 4 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

No, that was a typo, it's willicory1005.

Paddy, do as nicki told you and contact a live chat. There is one specifically for hijacked accounts. You might have to wait a while "on hold" but you'll be talking to people who can do something about your account NOW. Here's the link:
https://livechat2.ebay.com/Chat/servlet/AppMain?__lFILE=index.jsp&grp=ATO&PlacementID=000_ATOHelp1

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When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our leg with a shopping cart, then apologizes for doing so, why do we say 'That's okay'?  It ISN'T okay.  So why don't we say 'That hurt, you stupid idiot?'

Message 5 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

You might also want to read section 8 of Pandora's Box.

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When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our leg with a shopping cart, then apologizes for doing so, why do we say 'That's okay'?  It ISN'T okay.  So why don't we say 'That hurt, you stupid idiot?'

Message 6 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

sibelle28
Community Member
Thank's all you good people out there. Yes you are correct I had a topo inthere for tre user name the first letter was W not V. I will get on the horn and try tostir up some action with ebay. All hell has broke loose on my email account. Emails from europe raising hell about everything under the sun. I will surely get back to you all following ebay help.

Thank's again
Message 7 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

oldhorselover-aways
Community Member
Way to go Guys in helping this unfortunate
ebayer!!
You hear of these things happening, but
when it does happen, it must seriously
scare people.
Hope everything works out for you!! Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting




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Message 8 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

reclaimedtreasures2005
Community Member
At eBay, we identify these as 'spoofed' emails or Web sites.

Immediately send a copy of it to spam@ebay.com.

I have a couple of questions as to what Ebay actually does with these reported emails/websites.

Does Ebay report these issues to the originating ISP informing them that their service is being used for spamming, fraud & criminal activity? Is there any follow up on repeated activity from the same ISP so they can investigate for hijacked/hacked accounts of their customers?
Repeated activity from the same ISP can also be reported to their Host Service which will also investigate the ISP & may cancel their service until action is taken to clean up the service.

Reporting these emails to Spoof seems a total waste of time as all I get back are AUTOMATED replies (double the size of the original spoof) telling me not to "click on any links". Why do you think I reported it in the first place? just to fill up my email inbox with automated replies?

Well Ebay why don't you let us know what actual steps are taken in attempting to stop these spoof emails/websites?

I feel a pink slap coming up!
Message 9 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

nickie*nine*doors
Community Member
eBay will not give details of what/how they deal with the spoofs that are reported. Unfortunately a great deal of the spoofs originate overseas in Romania, Singapore, etc. I highly doubt that reporting to their service provider will do much good.
Message 10 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

nickie*nine*doors
Community Member
IMO, eBay does not do enough to protect ebay account holders from being defrauded of their money, their identity, and possibly their life. The information exists on ebay, but one has to look for it. I was an ebay'er for more than a year before I even came to these boards. How many millions and millions of casual users exist who have never been to these boards?

I would like to see a mandatory tutorial, with an online test, administered to every new account. If you want your account to BUY, you must pass the test. If you want to upgrade your account to SELL, you should take another course and test. This would be sooooo easy to set up, and to also update as features change on the site. But ebay is not interested in education and protection. Their only interested in making money, no matter how many innocent victims they leave in their wake.

....cowering in anticipation of a slap......
Message 11 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

LOL, nickie, nothing you said in post 10 is "slappable". And while you've presented excellent ideas, we both know eBay will never use them. eBay wants everyone to join, not just those who pass a test.

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When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our leg with a shopping cart, then apologizes for doing so, why do we say 'That's okay'?  It ISN'T okay.  So why don't we say 'That hurt, you stupid idiot?'

Message 12 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

nicki9912
Community Member
so, paddy, did you go to Live Help as advised and get this mess all sorted out?

I dont know if anyone mentioned this, but you need to do some spyware scans and change your passwords.



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Message 13 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

sibelle28
Community Member
Here I am back again with another ebay account problem. I am again using my wife's account to post this message.

A few days ago Ebay blocked my account. I was able to connect to ebay help via the on line chat. Spoke to a tech who explained that someone was trying to sell some garbage usin my account. Got all things cleared up and tech said your account is now active bla-bla.
Try to access my account, password no longer valid, try to get new password answer personal info questions, date of birth, telephone no, postal code, grandmothers name. Fine, two or more of thes questions must have a correct response.
Now I could possible missspell my grand mother's name but after 10 tries there is no way I could give wrong answer for tel #,postal code ,date of birth. All my answers are refused. Sent numerous emails to ebay no reply. I am in one hell of a mess .I am buying and selling on ebay and everything is blocked for four days now. Has anyone got any suggestions as to what else I can do to contact ebay? Is there someway to telephone these people. I would appreciated an email message at ve2chi999@aol.com
Thanks paddy9990_1
Message 14 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

apollosplace
Community Member
Hi Paddy

If it were me I'd be calling eBay help directly.

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Message 15 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

jakeeangel
Community Member
There is no way to phone them unless you have an eBay store. Go to Live Help again but go on the .com site not the Canadian one. Tell them someone took over your account and changed all your info. I'd bet that's why none of your answers correctly match.



Come See What Else We've Got Up For Auction!
Message 16 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

frazer@ebay.com
Community Member
Hi paddy9990_1,

In this situation, returning to Live Help is your best option. Someone who gained access to your account could have changed personal information, including your contact info and secret question. That would naturally cause problems trying to set a new password.

Account Security is handled through Live Help. I recommend using the eBay Canada Live Help team and not the US one, for a number of reasons. First, you're a Canadian member so you'll want to speak to reps familiar with Canadian accounts. Second, eBay Canada's wait times are usually much shorter. And last but not least, eBay Canada's support team can transfer you directly to Account Security. US chat can't.

Just head back to the main eBay page by clicking the eBay.ca logo in the top left corner, then click Live Help.

Regards,

Frazer
Message 17 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

Yes, and the best reason ... US LiveHelp WILL treat you like dirt ...


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imageelf
Message 18 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

jakeeangel
Community Member
I've never experienced US Live Help treating people like dirt. Maybe it's all in how you talk to them. Not sure where the anger is coming from there.... I've been rather nasty to them on occassion and they were polite the whole time even when they had ample reason not to be.

US Live Help has their own chat window for account security and takeovers. I've dealt with them trying to help someone else. I don't bother with the Canadian Live Help because they have lousy hours and more often than not refer people to the discussion boards. There's nothing special about a Canadian account that a US Live Help person can't answer. Rubbish advice!



Come See What Else We've Got Up For Auction!
Message 19 of 27
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Protect your eBay Password and your Personal Information

When the Unwelcome Bidder (Blocked Bidder using a new ID) won one of my Auction the LiveHelp .com Rep I talked to was condescending, told straight-faced lies and said there was nothing they could do to help ... ya right ... do I look like a complete moron (... wait don't answer that 😉 😉 ). The chat was over 1 hr long, most of the time *waiting* for the next lie.

I talked to LiveHelp .ca for less then 5 minutes, they told me they would get it done and my issue was resolved in a couple of hours.


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imageelf
Message 20 of 27
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