Online $$$ theft

[Guest Arnold_OldSchool]

My roomate paid a guy on Ebay 80 bucks for 2 DVD sets one listed on auction and another that was brokered through an email deal. The guy didn't send anything and ebay kicked him off for being bogus and recieving complaints (I guess) My roomate only got back X amount that ebay refunded or foreced him to refund. The rest is in limbo. My roomate wants to get the police involved for mail fraud or something. He has the email addy and the emails saved that show the deal being made. What are his options?

[Mik]

For only $80? I'm not sure that's going to inspire a police manhunt.

[krease]

Your roommate is screwed.

 

Bug ebay to put the squeeze on the guy for the portion brokered through them (since they'll have his info), but don't hold your breath. As for the other one through a separate email dealio, your roommate shouldn't waste his/her time - more money would be spent trying (likely in vain) to get the little amount of money owed.

 

Just blacklist the "seller's" info around the internet - easy and cheap, and in this case, probably just as effective - the standard "sign up the address for various mailing lists", and "sign up to send various shit to his address" (for example, www.tena.ca will send the guy a free sample of adult diapers).

[kkktookmybabyaway]

Chalk it up as one of life's experiences and move on.

 

Or firebomb the guy's house if you can find his personal info...

[MrRant]

This is why your buddy should have paid through PayPal.

[kkktookmybabyaway]

Take Rant's advice, and it doesn't even involve tipping.

 

Think of it this way: What if your buddy did this for a more expensive product and got ripped off of even more money? Think of the positive.

 

 

And fuck the bitch's mom, yo (or however it goes...)

[nl5xsk1]

Since PayPal was brought up ... is that really secure and all that? I know people use it, so presume that it is ... but I never have and have been thinking of joining up.

 

Is it really as safe as it says it is?

[MrRant]

It's pretty secure but I would recommend paying with a credit card through it if possible rather than your bank account so that way if you get fucked it's not coming right out of your account and then you waiting for it to be put back.

[nl5xsk1]

Can you use a CC rather than your direct bank account? I started the sign-up process, thinking I could just give my credit card info but stopped signing up when I saw that they wanted my bank account info.

[MrRant]

To be verified they want your bank info but you don't have to PAY for the item with it.

[nl5xsk1]

Ahhhh ... cool, thanks for the info, Rant.

[haws bah gawd]

I fell for the "your Ebay/Paypal account has been compromised, please respond to this email to confirm your password" email that had been going around last year. In short, I lost over $600 from my checking account. My ebay account ended up being used by someone in Madrid, Spain, to buy lots of overpriced shit, and they paid for it with Paypal. The brightside was I have a friend who handles fraud investigations at the credit union where my checking account is, so I was able to get a little extra help with the matter. A visit to the local police department to file a report, about 7 business days of waiting, and my money was back in my account.

[stahl]

Paypal if very secure, and it's almost too secure to the point that you can screw people out of an item and get your money back, even if you received the item on ebay.

[kkktookmybabyaway]

I fell for the "your Ebay/Paypal account has been compromised, please respond to this email to confirm your password" email that had been going around last year.

 

I fell for one of those this year, too. It was 6:30 in the morning and I got a Citi e-mail saying pretty much the same thing. Right after I did it, I snapped out of my grogginess and went "WTF." I called Citi to have my card cancelled, and I didn't lose any money, but I felt like such a schmoe...