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Internet Theft
On April 6, 2008 the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office received a report of an internet related theft involving eBay Motors.
The victim advised investigators from the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office that he received an email that directed his attention
to a 2006 Jeep Rubicon that was listed for sale on eBay Motors.The victim researched the vehicle on the eBay Motors web site
and after receiving a CarFax Vehicle Report from the seller he decided to bid on the vehicle. The victim communicated with
the seller by email numerous times during the auction. At the end of the auction the victim received notification that he
had won the vehicle. A few days later, the victim sent $8,600 via bank wire transfer to a personal bank account in Pittsburgh,
PA to pay for the vehicle.The victim emailed the seller several times and did not get any response. The victim went to the
eBay Motors web site to check on the status of his purchase and was unable to find the vehicle or records of the auction.
The victim called eBay’s fraud department and they advised him that no such vehicle was ever auctioned on their site at that
date and time.The victim is an Information Technology professional and began doing some computer forensics on his personal
computer. The victim learned that the initial email he received from the seller contained a virus. This virus caused his computer
to go to a fake site that was designed to look like eBay Motors when the victim tried to go to the real eBay Motors web site.
The victim also learned that the CarFax Vehicle Report he received was a forgery. Investigators from the Arapahoe County Sheriff's
Office learned that the money that was wired to the account in Pittsburgh, PA was immediately removed from that account and
the whereabouts of that money is unknown. Investigators from the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office made contact with the Federal
Bureau of Investigation. Special Agents from the FBI advised that they have received similar complaints involving this bank
account and at this time they believe that this account was used by suspects outside the United States to facilitate these
thefts. Buyers should be wary of any auctions where the seller insists on instant cash transfers as payment. Never pay for
an eBay purchase with Western Union, MoneyGram or other instant cash transfer services. Why? When you send money through one
of these services, you can't confirm who picks up the cash. Once you send the money, you won't be able to get it back - you
won't even know who got it! Western Union and MoneyGram both recommend against using their services to pay for online auction-style
purchases. eBay prohibits sellers from asking buyers to send payment through Western Union, MoneyGram or other instant cash
transfer services. eBay does not offer protection for payments made through Western Union, MoneyGram or other instant cash
transfer services.
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