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eBay Deals with Identity Theft

eBay has become one of the most popular auction sites on the web. The site is not only great for those looking for rare finds, but many have found that making a business from selling on eBay is possible and profitable. However, as with many online stores, there is one major flaw with eBay, and that is of course identity theft. Popular Internet auction site eBay is being urged to tackle identity theft and fraudulent users targeting their site.

A consumer magazine has called on the site to be more active in identifying its fraudulent users. It wants the site to better warn users about fraud and the dangers of identity theft. Consumer magazine Computer Which? notes the site?s Safety Center should be more visible for its users. Jessica Ross, the magazine?s editor, tells the BBC News Web site a recent case saw a gang steal nearly $300,000 from unsuspecting eBay users.

"It was a six-man gang, they sent e-mails claiming to be from eBay, and tricked eBay users into revealing their passwords and account details. The gang then assumed the identity of those legitimate eBay vendors with reliable sales histories, and were able to offer non-existing goods such as Rolexes and laptop computers for sale, only to disappear with the money," she says. eBay says the majority of the fraudulent cases did not take place on its site.