Someone has stolen my eBay account!

Agent_C

Today I received a load of emails confirming eBay listings that I did not list - all iPods. Then I received an email confirming that I have changed my eBay password and email address - I have done neither! All the listings started at over £2000, way too much for an ipod, all were one day listings and were located in China...

I used eBay Live Chat and they have removed all the auctions and put a lock on my account. They suggest I change my email password as the unauthorised third party might have access to this - I'm not sure how though, as my eBay password is different from the one I used for eBay. Then I need to get back to them and they will reactivate the account.

I'm really worried as to why this has happened and to the implications. I have been an eBay member for 8 years using the same account, and I have recently started selling. I have 100% positive feedback. Plus, my email address (which uses my own domain name) has been completely spam-free, and now some third party will know to it. I'm also concerned about my Paypal account; although I used a different password again for this. The Live Chat agent suggested I check with Paypal that my account is secure - I logged in and there has been no activity on my account, I'm not sure what else I should do.

Has anyone else ever had this and can anyone offer me any suggestions on what to do next?

jockettuk

dont know if this is any good to you, but recently i went on a computer at the glasgow science centre and i logged onto the ebay page and the person before me who had used ebay hadnt logged off told the guy next to me and we both said how we could have really mucked up his acct. i logged off for him.. not saying this has happened to you but just shows how easy its done ..

DRiz

You have to make sure you have tight security on your computer, especially if you are ebaying to buy and sell, i assume you have anti virus and more importantly a firewall?, this is the most common way for others get you infomation. and all your bank details are easily available, Is this the case?

Cromlech

I have recently had a friend go through this situation with paypal, one likely reason was money laundering.

2 things he learnt from it were change passwords for accounts like this regularly and never enter into e-mail conversations about ebay items or sales/purchases outside of the ebay system, otherwise there is no useful evidence to throw at ebay.

Hope that might help.

Agent_C

It is indeed easily done - but I'm so careful about where I view my account - I only use my home, work and partner's PCs, and no-one else has access to these machines (and it wasn't Mr Agent_C, I had my eye on him all afternoon!). Plus I'm firewalled to the max. I can only surmise that someone used some of that password cracker software, but I'm baffled as to why; I can't see they would have sold any ipods at over £2000 each, so not as if they wanted to take the money and run...

The email I recieved from eBay about the password change contains the IP address of the b*stard who changed it; can I do anything with this? is there anyone I can report it to?

Agent_C

and yes I have anti-virus software on here and all up-to-date as well. I'm wodnering whether I should ask Paypal to freeze my account there, because I'm worried something will happen with that, even though I use a different password for it.

Cromlech

If you have an IP address for such a person the most you can do with it is report to the ISP of the IP address findable using a traceroute program or by reporting it to the Police's High Tech Crime Division but I have never done that so can't help with the police bit.

Agent_C

Cromlech wrote:

If you have an IP address for such a person the most you can do with it is report to the ISP of the IP address findable using a traceroute program or by reporting it to the Police's High Tech Crime Division but I have never done that so can't help with the police bit.

Thanks - the ISP is the China Network Communications Group Corporation, but they have no email address on their website and I'm not sure I fancy ringing China... might try the police suggestion.

jockettuk

Agent_C wrote:

It is indeed easily done - but I'm so careful about where I view my account - I only use my home, work and partner's PCs, and no-one else has access to these machines (and it wasn't Mr Agent_C, I had my eye on him all afternoon!). Plus I'm firewalled to the max. I can only surmise that someone used some of that password cracker software, but I'm baffled as to why; I can't see they would have sold any ipods at over £2000 each, so not as if they wanted to take the money and run...

The email I recieved from eBay about the password change contains the IP address of the b*stard who changed it; can I do anything with this? is there anyone I can report it to?

why not ask the question abt the ip address on the techie board they got more info on there abt most of these kind of things

cougar_3

THey could have got in through your secret question - unlikely, but a possibility. Change it to something random: eg. Q. Mother's maiden name A. asdjfgjgfljkasjklgas

bambixxx

same happened to me last year, i even have the guys name and address, cheeky sod, i think he hacked into my account by reading my profile and guessing my password looking at my interests, i spoke to ebay at length about this but they wud not give me any details and said if i needed to report it to the police myself that wud be up to me. I left things as they were and changed all my details and now use an obscure password!