Spoof Emails

Is there no end to these Spoof Emails I receive each day?

What is a Spoof Email? Surely you know. Surely you've received them. You haven't? Well, I guess you must be the only one. I'm kind of jealous.

A Spoof email is an email received that pretends to be sent from somewhere else in order to get information from you. They are predominantly, if not totally, sent by fraudsters looking to steal your identity or take over your bank account to extract funds. Some coding will alter or disguise the email address they've originally been sent from.

These fake emails will be made to look like they're from financial institutions such as world banks, but also heavily include PayPal and eBay. If you suspect a Spoof email regarding the last two you should forward them either to Spoof@ebay.com or Spoof@PayPal.com.

Typically the Spoof email will announce some sort of minor or major disaster that needs your attention. There will be a link for you to click to be taken to the site...

DON'T CLICK IT, YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO A DUMMY SITE THE FRAUDSTER HAS SET UP. THEY WANT YOU TO TYPE IN YOUR USER NAME AND PASSWORD SO THEY CAN STEAL THEM.

Remember: No financial institution will ever send you an email with a link to click in it that takes you to a sign on screen.

How the Fraudsters obtrain your email address in the first place is one of heated debate, but presumably it must have been leaked from somewhere. Data Protection is supposed to protect all your details given to any company. They are not supposed to give them out.

Be careful. Some of the Spoof emails are a lot more sophisticated than others. Some are riddled with spelling errors, some are very professional. Remember... never click on email links. Instead, go directly to the Financial Institutions website and check your account status there or phone them.

Spoof emails I have received today are from three banks I have no account with and are even based in a different country. Desperate stuff.

Always be vigilant and don't let the Fraudsters win.

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www.jenkin7 - www.jenkin7.com
Giftware & Collectables

eBay: PayPal Compulsory on all Listings

There have been many changes of late on eBay. Most not very popular, as the company try to bring back buyers in this World of current economic gloom.

As from 3rd June 2008, all listings on eBay now have to offer PayPal as a form of payment. PayPal is a company also owned by eBay and charge a fee on each payment made using their service. In essence then, a Seller is charged once to List their item, then a Final Valuation Fee when it sells, and then another Fee when the Buyer pays. With this new compulsory PayPal payment ruling, profits at eBay can only rise even further. eBay hold such a stranglehold on the Market with such a high level of Web-Traffic attracted to the site , it is extremely unlikely that there will ever emerge a serious competitor to threaten this dominance.

To be clear... PayPal only has to be offered in the list of acceptable payments by a Seller. A Buyer can still pay by Cheque or Postal Order if they wish and the particular Seller states they will accept them.

eBay's reasoning for this is that they want to enhance the safety of the eBay marketplace to ensure buyers and sellers are increasingly protected and confident transacting on the site. PayPal now also have the right to hold back funds on, what they consider to be, high risk items and will only release funds to the Seller after the Buyer is satisfied.

All this is GREAT news for the Buyer. If these new measures are strictly followed then eBay should become a much safer Marketplace to buy from. Fraud should theoretically reduce. Gone will be the days, that a Fraudulent Seller can Sell thousands of high end items like Plasma Televisions at £1000 a go and then suddenly vanished with all the honest buyer's money.

Undoubtedly however, it is very likely that more Fraudulent buyers will start using the site and many small and hobby Sellers may find this difficult to live with. Sadly, the days when finding a unique item could suddenly be gone and the marketplace transformed into one of those faceless identical major chain store High Streets.

It certainly looks as if eBay are evolving into something else as a Market platform and only the long-term will play out what that could be...

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www.jenkin7.co.uk