| Beware second-chance auction scams
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Real offers should not: |
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Fraudulent offers appear as e-mails with the subject
line "Message From eBay Member" and usually request payment for
the item through instant cash wire services, such as MoneyGram International
or Western Union, or by making a direct bank transfer. EBay advises
members not to send money for merchandise if the seller insists
on these risky payment methods. While they're convenient ways to
pay, they're difficult to trace.
Unofficial second-chance transactions do not receive eBay's purchase protection coverage, so verify the offer's authenticity before sending any money.
What to do about fraudulent second-chance offers
EBay members can make it easy to spot these scams by configuring
their eBay preferences to not receive second-chance offers. Second-chance
offers received after that will obviously be scams.
Wall says victims of second-chance fraud should alert
the auction site and the IC3.
EBay members can forward fraudulent second-chance offers to spam@ebay.com.
Other eBay auction complaints can go to eBay's online
security center.
Money sent is likely a total
loss
If you already arranged payment through an instant cash wire transfer
service, call the company to see if the funds were sent.
It's "virtually impossible to recover your money once
it's sent," says Steiner. "If your money has gone overseas, the
chances of your getting it back or getting help is very small."
Depending on the amount you sent, local authorities may or may not do anything about your loss. Contact them anyway, Steiner suggests, and they will direct your complaint to the proper authorities.
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