Anyone heard of this through ebay?

[dcmidnight]

Email from seller - fake or not?

Bidding on a golf item on ebay. Item ends in two days I am currently the high bidder. Received email from a seller through ebay, in the ebay format from the seller: (XXXX added by me not the email itself)

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I'm the seller of the item that you've recently bided through the eBay system. Item name: XXX Item number: (XXX) I`ve just been contacted by the eBay staff who informed me that due to some reasons the eBay policy automatically proclaims you to be the winner by default. I need your agreement on this so I can contact eBay to confirm you that you're the winner, otherwise I'll relist the item. I am sorry for the inconvenience, but I need an answer asap. You will have the oportunity to purchase the item at your last given price wich is US $XXX .If you agree my offer please respond this email or contact me at XXX.

==========

Bells go off because of the misspellings and grammar, but I looked at all the normal things that come up, there are no fake links, the seller has his real name and email address in there, seller has 100% feedback, not located overseas etc - plus the email from him had the subject line and item name of the actual item I was bidding on. Normally those spoofs have some random item you arent bidding on or the links in the email link to some other website.

I've asked him for the circumstances but have not heard yet. FWIW the item is a new rangefinder.

[arkstorm]

Bogus.

 

The very thing that he suggests violates eBay policies, namely to contact a bidder to discuss early ending auction. If it was legit, eBay would have contacted you not him.

 

Suggest you contact eBay to confirm.

 

My call: 99.99% sure its bogus.

 

Sick avatar btw.

[dcmidnight]

Same here. I did the only thing I could think of which was to not respond to the email but contact the seller directly through the ebay link - in the item by asking the seller a question.

 

Its just odd that normally the spoof emails I've gotten have been things like, click here to pay for the laptop you just bought, or something totally off the wall that you never bought or looked at.

 

If this is bogus, its hands down the best email I've seen yet.

 

Spoof closed. Idiot identified (me).

[Smooth spin scott]

Stay away, there are so many other auctions on ebay for rangefinders that there is no need to chance it. When things like this happen to me (and it has) I run for the border.

[dcmidnight]

Yeah I did. I feel like an idiot for even having posted it in the first place, this is what I get for not having coffee this morning.

[Merlin_T]

Well, it could helps others that wouldn't be aware of this sort of thing ;)

[dcmidnight]

One thing I did learn that I didnt know before is any message sent from ebay to you via email can always be found in your My Messages link under My Ebay.

 

Hey if my idiocy can help others, I'm here to help.... ;)

[Dr Rangelove]

Just a cautionary measure:

 

CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD!!!!

 

Scams are so rampant, I'd hate to see it's me selling a handstamped one of a kind Cameron or something similar in a 24 hour auction after some @#$%!!! hijacks my account through a spoof email.

 

Lately I've been getting a number of "I don't know where to send your item" emails just phishing for me to log on through the link.

[HotWired]

Just to add, an eBay seller can end his auction early at any time. If he doesn't cancel the bids, the current high bidder is the winner, provided the reserve price has been met. If a seller wants to end his auction and sell to the high bidder, there's absolutely no reason he cannot do it within the confines of the eBay system. SCAM.

[joelscott7]

I recently went through with something similar on ebay. After pressure from the seller to send money, I sent the e-mail to [email protected] and they confirmed that it was a fake. That is a good way to verify your e-mail. Also They told me that if you ever get an offer and they want you to send money western Union It is a garunteed Fraud. No ebay auction can be done through western union, or anyother money transfer, as they are unsecure.

[ronaldroettger]

i also found out the hard way on the western union fraud thing. it was an email for a second chance offer and i fell for it and lost 85 dollars after the western union fees.