8 Surefire Ways to Spot an EBAY Scam E-Mail and Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

Ebay is a great site and is used by many to buy and sell new and used Items. It truly is the worlds Largest Garage Sale Unfortunately when an online site becomes as big and popular as E-Bay the scam artists seem to just naturally follow. These Scam artists will often try to steal your Idenity and get your bank or credit card information in addition to your E-Bay Id and Password

A Typical Ebay Scam Artist will send you an e-mail requesting that you update your account. Often this request to update your account is made under some false pretence like it is suspended or has been suspected of Fraudulent use. Here is a Copy of a recent Ebay Scam E-mail I received http://ewguru.com/ebay-scam. You will notice the E-Bay Link on this page looks real. Don't click it. You can however do a right click properties and notice that it is in fact a phony link.

E-bay has an excellent online Tutorial that teaches how to spot and protect yourself from spoof e-mails http://ewguru.com/spoof-emails

Here are 8 Surefire Ways to Spot an EBAY Scam E-Mail and Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

1 - Wrong E-Mail Address

Any E-mail Sent to an E-mail Address that is Not Your Primary Ebay E-mail Account is more then likely a scam.

2 - Fake links.

While many emails have links included, just remember that these links can be forged too. After you click on the Link a Real E-Bay Address should appear. To determine if the Web address in your browser is a real eBay address, look for ".ebay.com" immediately before the first "/".

3 - Requests Personal Information

Any E-mail that requests you enter personal information like User ID, password or bank account number either by clicking on a link in the E-mail or completing a form within the e-mail are a strong indication the e-mail is a SCAM

4 - Urgent Subject Lines

Subject likes * * * Please Verify & Update Your Account * * *

5 - Generic greetings.

Lot's of emails begin with a Greeting, such as: "Dear Ebay member instead of the Name you used when you registered for your account

6 - Scare to Action

Many Fake emails try to trick you with the threat that your account is in jeopardy if you don't sign in and fix it NOW!

7 - HTML Website Fakes

Emails that appear to be websites. Some emails will look like a website in order to get you to enter personal information. Ebay never asks for personal information in an e-mail.

8. Misspellings and bad grammar

Fake emails may contain misspellings, incorrect grammar, missing words. Many Times these are used to trick the E-mail Filters

A quick review If you receive an E-mail with a Link requesting you to click on the link and sign in to your E-bay account, Don't Do It!

If you receive an E-mail that looks like an Ebay Sign in Form, Don't Sign in!

If you are unsure if the e-mail is Real or fake forward it to spoof@ebay.com and request assistance.

If you absolutely must login to your Ebay account then I would highly recommend you do the Following. Close all open Browser sessions. Run a Spyware check on your computer You can get a free Spyware program here (http://ewguru.com/sware) then type in http://www.ebay.com/ directly into your Browser window and Login from the E-bay Web Page. Never click on a Login Link from Any E-Mail.

About The Author:
Mike Makler has been Marketing Online Since 2001 When he Built an Organization of over 100,000 Members

Get Mike's Newsletter:
http://ewguru.com/newsletter

More Articles by Mike:
http://ewguru.com/tips

Permission Based E_Mail Marketing Methods
http://ewguru.com/hbiz/amazingoffer.html

Copyright © 2005-2006 Mike Makler the Coolest Guy in the Universe

[You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated getarticles At Ewguru .Com]

---

Its War I Tell You!

There are ways to insure security though. You can get... Read More

8 Surefire Ways to Spot an E-Mail Identity Theft Scam!

The E-Mail Identity Theft Scam is running Rampant. These E-Mail... Read More

All About Computer Viruses

Your computer is as slow as molasses. Your mouse freezes... Read More

Five Excellent Indie Encryption And Security Solutions You Have Not Heard About

Geek SuperheroGeek Superhero watches your computer for changes, immediately notifying... Read More

8 Surefire Ways to Spot an EBAY Scam E-Mail and Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

Ebay is a great site and is used by many... Read More

Is That Free Stuff Like An iPod Or Desktop Computer Really Free?

Have you seen the web site, www.freestuff.com? Or have you... Read More

Can I Guess Your Password?

We all know that it's dangerous to use the same... Read More

Top Five Spyware Fighting Tips

Spyware and adware are becoming major problems for online surfers... Read More

Don?t Become An Identity Fraud Statistic!

"You've just won a fabulous vacation or prize package! Now,... Read More

An Open Door To Your Home Wireless Internet Network Security?

This is not some new fangled techno-speak, it is a... Read More

Web and Computer Security

Well, if that would have been said to me by... Read More

Types Of Computer Infections

Computer infections can be broken up into 4 main categories... Read More

Viruses, Trojans, and Spyware - Oh My!

Have you ever had to call Symantec or McAfee to... Read More

Lets Talk About Antivirus Software!

Nowadays more and more people are using a computer. A... Read More

Phishing - Learn To Identify It

Phishing: (fish'ing) (n.)This is when someone sends you an email... Read More

Identity Theft - Dont Blame The Internet

Identity theft ? also known as ID theft, identity fraud... Read More

Phishing, Fraudulent, and Malicious Websites

Whether we like it or not, we are all living... Read More

How To Prevent Spyware Attacking Your Computer

Spyware is software or hardware installed on a computer without... Read More

Its Time to Sing the Encryption Song - Again!

Yes, I'm wearing my encryption hat again. Why you may... Read More

Dialing Up a Scam: Avoiding the Auto-Dialer Virus

For many, the daily walk to the mailbox evokes mixed... Read More

Parental Control - Dangers To Your Child Online & Internet Child Safety Tips

Did you know...? 1 in 5 children who use computer... Read More

How To Be Your Own Secret Service Agency

So you want to know who your kids are chatting... Read More

Identity Theft Offline -- So Many Possibilities

Chris Simpson, head of Scotland Yard's computer crime unit was... Read More

Avoid Internet Theft, Fraud and Phishing

Since its birth, the Internet has grown and expanded to... Read More

A Personal Experience with Identity Theft

Some months ago, before there was much publicity regarding phishing... Read More

What Every Internet Marketer Should Know About Spyware

If you run any type of Internet business, Adware and... Read More

Free Spyware Removal - Its Not As Easy As It Sounds

Nobody wants to pay to remove spyware. At the very... Read More

6 Ways To Prevent Identity Theft

These six ways to prevent identity theft offer you valuable... Read More

Spyware, This Time Its Personal!

First the basic definition of Spyware: It is a type... Read More

A Basic Introduction To Spyware

Spyware is the most troublesome software to appear on the... Read More

How to Prevent Online Identity Theft

Identity theft rates one of the fastest growing crimes in... Read More

Consumers: Shop Online and Get Information Safely

Do you really have to know how feeds work? Not... Read More

Spyware, What It Is, What It Does, And How To Stop It

Spyware is software that runs on a personal computer without... Read More