Despite what they claim, spoofs are not actually from eBay at all, but from scammers seeking to "steal" eBay accounts. Spoofs almost always contain either a form requesting an eBay username and password or a link that leads to a facsimilie of the eBay website where a username and password are requested. When the user enters his or her eBay account information, however, it is not sent to eBay at all, but rather to the spoofing party, who is then free to steal the user's eBay account and often uses it to sell fraudulent items. This fraud can then be traced only to the account of the user who was spoofed, but not to the party who sent the spoof.
To avoid being taken in by spoofs, follow these simple guidelines:
- Never visit eBay using a link in an email message. To visit eBay, always type www.ebay.com into your web browser yourself.
- Do not succumb to the alarmist or threatening tones, often suggesting that you are under investigation or have a very large bill, that are seen in spoofs.
- Never enter your account details into boxes in an email message.
By following these steps strictly, you can avoid virtually all spoof threats.
