M
Mike Israel
Guest
Hi All,
I thought I would share a story about an event I have
been dealing with the past year. In the end it worked
out for me but I was very, very lucky. I share this
so that others may benefit from my experience.
Back in May I purchased a car on Ebay. Ran through
Carfax, talked to the seller, the whole nine yards.
Turns out that I was the "lucky" high bidder. The
seller was to arrange shipping from Florida. I
seriously considered driving down to see it and pick
it up but a busy schedule and the added expense made
that seem like a lot of trouble. I had multiple
contacts with the seller who was willing to accomodate
delivery or pick up however I wanted. While I always
considered myself to be fairly street savy, I allowed
this person to gain my trust. Heck, we even had a
nice chat about Amphicars.
I will skip a lot of the details but within days after
the check was cashed the seller disappeared. I knew
without a doubt that I had been taken when I was
contacted by another Ebay user who had "purchased" the
same vehicle at the same time I did. He was also out
for a considerable sum. This started a lengthy
process of getting the run around from all sorts of
law enforcement agencies. As soon as they heard
"Ebay" they groaned and ran the other way.
Now you might wonder about Ebay's "Safe Harbor" and
fraud investigation. Trust me when I tell you that
Ebay's primary concern will be to distance themselves
from you as quickly as possible. They will not do any
sort of investigating. Safe Harbor is little more
than a legal entity to protect Ebay's interests. They
could care less if you were ripped off.
Anyway, through much of my own detective work I was
lucky enough to contact the right law enforcement
agency in Florida. Turns out that this "seller" had
just been arrested with a long littany of charges and
at least eight scam victims similar to myself.
Earlier this week the thief, facing the possibility of
40 years in prison, entered a guilty plea in return
for probation. As part of the agreement he was
required to make immediate restitution to the victims.
It was both luck and the skill of FL law enforcement
that there was an arrest and that there were assets
siezed. I did receive full restitution including
incurred expenses related to the whole mess.
Yes, it is a bit embarrasing to share this. I do so
because I, like many of you, thought such a thing
could never happen to me. Ebay is a thieve's
paradise, do not forget this. Be very careful unless
you know the party you are dealing with (such as some
of the regular club members who use Ebay to sell cars
and parts). Use an escrow if the cost is more than
$200 unless you are fully willing to accept the
possible loss. The club has members all over the USA.
If you are considering a vehicle, or other large
purchase, ask someone to take a look on your behalf
before sending money. Yes, I have a whole list of
coulda, shoulda, wouldas!
Here is hoping that my foolishness will save someone
from becoming a victim. I was very lucky, most others
are not.
Regards,
Mike Israel
__________________________________________________
Send your FREE holiday greetings online!
http://greetings.yahoo.com
I thought I would share a story about an event I have
been dealing with the past year. In the end it worked
out for me but I was very, very lucky. I share this
so that others may benefit from my experience.
Back in May I purchased a car on Ebay. Ran through
Carfax, talked to the seller, the whole nine yards.
Turns out that I was the "lucky" high bidder. The
seller was to arrange shipping from Florida. I
seriously considered driving down to see it and pick
it up but a busy schedule and the added expense made
that seem like a lot of trouble. I had multiple
contacts with the seller who was willing to accomodate
delivery or pick up however I wanted. While I always
considered myself to be fairly street savy, I allowed
this person to gain my trust. Heck, we even had a
nice chat about Amphicars.
I will skip a lot of the details but within days after
the check was cashed the seller disappeared. I knew
without a doubt that I had been taken when I was
contacted by another Ebay user who had "purchased" the
same vehicle at the same time I did. He was also out
for a considerable sum. This started a lengthy
process of getting the run around from all sorts of
law enforcement agencies. As soon as they heard
"Ebay" they groaned and ran the other way.
Now you might wonder about Ebay's "Safe Harbor" and
fraud investigation. Trust me when I tell you that
Ebay's primary concern will be to distance themselves
from you as quickly as possible. They will not do any
sort of investigating. Safe Harbor is little more
than a legal entity to protect Ebay's interests. They
could care less if you were ripped off.
Anyway, through much of my own detective work I was
lucky enough to contact the right law enforcement
agency in Florida. Turns out that this "seller" had
just been arrested with a long littany of charges and
at least eight scam victims similar to myself.
Earlier this week the thief, facing the possibility of
40 years in prison, entered a guilty plea in return
for probation. As part of the agreement he was
required to make immediate restitution to the victims.
It was both luck and the skill of FL law enforcement
that there was an arrest and that there were assets
siezed. I did receive full restitution including
incurred expenses related to the whole mess.
Yes, it is a bit embarrasing to share this. I do so
because I, like many of you, thought such a thing
could never happen to me. Ebay is a thieve's
paradise, do not forget this. Be very careful unless
you know the party you are dealing with (such as some
of the regular club members who use Ebay to sell cars
and parts). Use an escrow if the cost is more than
$200 unless you are fully willing to accept the
possible loss. The club has members all over the USA.
If you are considering a vehicle, or other large
purchase, ask someone to take a look on your behalf
before sending money. Yes, I have a whole list of
coulda, shoulda, wouldas!
Here is hoping that my foolishness will save someone
from becoming a victim. I was very lucky, most others
are not.
Regards,
Mike Israel
__________________________________________________
Send your FREE holiday greetings online!
http://greetings.yahoo.com
