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10/03/2001 Archived Entry: "eBay users hit by alleged fraud ring"

eBay users hit by alleged fraud ring

MORE THAN HALF a dozen eBay users last week alerted the online auction company to an identity theft and a series of fraudulent auctions allegedly stemming from Ukraine. However, the victims of the scam are accusing eBay of being slow to respond because of its 30-day waiting policy for accepting fraud complaints online.

Tim Bass, CEO of security consulting firm The Silk Road Group in Centerville, Va., and a longtime member of the Internet security community, first noticed that there was a problem after he won an auction for a Sony Picture Book, a combination laptop and digital camera. Bass' suspicions were raised after a good Samaritan online user in Germany notified him that the alleged seller claimed to live in Quebec, used a Russian e-mail account, and requested that the funds be transferred via Western Union to the Ukraine.