|
Beware of fake eBay site
11/12/2002 10:12 - (SA)
Sydney - Fraudsters trying to steal credit card information from online auction house eBay's 55 million users appear to have set up a fake website that mimicked the firm, a private internet watchdog said on Wednesday.
The scam involved e-mails that asked recipients to log on to a Florida-based website, ebayupdates.com, and re-enter financial data for eBay, said Dean White, the Asia-Pacific co-ordinator of a US group, SANS Institute Internet Storm Centre.
"Once you've got the credit card information you can use it for everything," White said.
The scam site sported the eBay logo and colours but did not appear to have any connection with California-based eBay, White said.
Representatives of eBay in Australia were not immediately available for comment, but the company has issued a general warning on its website, urging caution over e-mails seeking passwords or credit card numbers.
"Some members have reported attempts to gain access to their personal information through e-mail solicitations that are falsely made to appear as having come from eBay," the company said.
"These solicitations will often contain links to webpages that will request that you sign in and submit information...eBay employees will never ask you for your password."
The scam e-mail, provided by White, is headed "Ebay (sic) billing error" and begins: "Dear Ebay Member, We at Ebay are sorry to inform you that we are having problems with the billing information of your account."
White said the mail, aimed at eBay's registered customers but possibly mass-mailed to other internet users, began appearing on December 6.
The company hosting the fake website on its computers had been informed and by Wednesday the site was unavailable on the internet.
Security and trust are major issues for e-commerce and Australian banking officials have warned consumers to be especially vigilant about internet fraud and identity theft over the big spending Christmas period.
|
