I have my iPod first generation up for sale on eBay. I have had to re-list it because I got scammed on the sale. I spotted the scam just in time and informed eBay so all is well but this is what happened.

The auction was just about to close, five minutes to go or thereabouts. I received an email stating that the item had sold. Here is the email:

Hello seller,

I will like to inform you that am the winner of your item on eBay and will want you to please get back to me with your email address so as for me to be able to make payment via PayPal.

Thanks

Dora.

-dora.smith3232.32

The scam is that the seller thinks it’s sold, sends the ‘buyer’ the PayPal info. The then seller gets a spoof email from PayPal that looks like the item is paid for.

The sting comes with the seller sending off the item thinking it’s paid for when it’s not. The double sting is the possibility of following a spoof link to PayPal and revealing the users password.

It could be very easy to get caught on this if the seller did not check directly on eBay but took the spoof email as proof of the sale. As I was logged into both PayPal and eBay as the auction closed I spotted immediately that I was being scammed.