sbp
09-21-02, 07:23 PM
In this article a 16 year old scammer talks about how easy it was to rip people off online.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/790212.asp
He also says that he has sworn off participation in Internet auctions. But he still observes eBay and Yahoo, and sees the endless stream of scammers operating in relative impunity. When he thinks about his 6-month scamming spree, he wonders why eBay and Yahoo never contacted him. He knows that eventually, many of his victims complained to the sites.
“I was always wondering why Ebay or Yahoo left me alone, not even a ‘stop that.’ ” he said.
Given the ease of running scams on auction sites, he says, bidders need to protect themselves. Aside from the obvious advice about avoiding “too good to be true” prices, Hue offered other warning signs.
Avoid auctions that list a picture taken directly off a manufacturer’s Web site. The picture should be “homemade,” as a means for the seller to prove they really are holding the item they claim to be selling.
If you are bidding on a computer, look at several other auctions for that model, and notice if the same “homemade” picture is used by different sellers. That’s a sign that something’s wrong.
Avoid sellers who list “a ton of auctions all at once.” More than 10 or 20 auctions is usually a bad sign, Hue says. Even if sellers have a high rating, a very credible seller’s account may have been recently “hijacked.”
Avoid sellers who don’t know much about their products or who list items with very short descriptions.
Inspect delivered merchandise carefully. To cheat his victims, Hue simply used bleach to erase the “25 Mhz” label on the 1989 laptops he sold, and that was enough to fool most of his victims.
Most of all, Hue said: understand how easy it is for criminals to thrive in — or be tempted by — the anonymity of Internet sales. Scamming is so common, for a reason. “It was the easiest way I’ve ever earned money,” Hue said. “But it’s also the worst way.”
http://www.msnbc.com/news/790212.asp
He also says that he has sworn off participation in Internet auctions. But he still observes eBay and Yahoo, and sees the endless stream of scammers operating in relative impunity. When he thinks about his 6-month scamming spree, he wonders why eBay and Yahoo never contacted him. He knows that eventually, many of his victims complained to the sites.
“I was always wondering why Ebay or Yahoo left me alone, not even a ‘stop that.’ ” he said.
Given the ease of running scams on auction sites, he says, bidders need to protect themselves. Aside from the obvious advice about avoiding “too good to be true” prices, Hue offered other warning signs.
Avoid auctions that list a picture taken directly off a manufacturer’s Web site. The picture should be “homemade,” as a means for the seller to prove they really are holding the item they claim to be selling.
If you are bidding on a computer, look at several other auctions for that model, and notice if the same “homemade” picture is used by different sellers. That’s a sign that something’s wrong.
Avoid sellers who list “a ton of auctions all at once.” More than 10 or 20 auctions is usually a bad sign, Hue says. Even if sellers have a high rating, a very credible seller’s account may have been recently “hijacked.”
Avoid sellers who don’t know much about their products or who list items with very short descriptions.
Inspect delivered merchandise carefully. To cheat his victims, Hue simply used bleach to erase the “25 Mhz” label on the 1989 laptops he sold, and that was enough to fool most of his victims.
Most of all, Hue said: understand how easy it is for criminals to thrive in — or be tempted by — the anonymity of Internet sales. Scamming is so common, for a reason. “It was the easiest way I’ve ever earned money,” Hue said. “But it’s also the worst way.”