Claims: Scammers hack eBay

2004-07-27 22:20

Philip de Bruin

Johannesburg - Police have warned South Africans who have given credit card details to eBay to cancel their cards immediately.

Inspector Rian Visser of the SA police's commercial crimes unit claims that members of the Nigerian 419 syndicate have hacked into the database of eBay, the world's largest internet auction house.

Visser, who specialises in 419 investigations, says attempts to have this verified have failed.

"The strangest thing is that I am not getting any reaction about the hacking from eBay, despite repeated attempts.

"Agents of the American Secret Security Service (SSS) visited eBay, but they also complained that they could not get any information from them," Visser said.

eBay has since denied the reports.

Visser, who said local police and the SSS had joined forces in a massive investigation, added that according to reports, the syndicate also hacked into the database of an American internet service provider, E-tronics.

Visser said indications are that highly confidential details of about 400 000 people are involved in the two investigations.

Thousands of South Africans conduct business on eBay.

Visser said it is thought the people behind the 419 scam gained access to the credit card numbers - including the three numbers at the back of the credit card - addresses and identity numbers of thousands of eBay clients and have started to distribute this to other syndicate members.

Visser warned South Africans whose personal details could be in eBay's database to stop their credit cards at their banks immediately.

The Nigerian 419 fraud syndicates have spread their tentacles all over the world and thousands of criminals form part of it.

The first scam was committed by Nigerians, hence the name Nigerian 419. The figure 419 is the article in the Nigerian penal code that makes such actions punishable by law.

Visser said thousands of gullible people all over the world have become victims of 419 schemes and have lost millions of rands.

- Sake