NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEBRASKA STATE PATROL

[Doc]

Internet Auto Scheme Lures Buyers
Away from Legitimate Site
http://www.nsp.state.ne.us/FindFile.asp?news=1&ID=1277

(Lincoln, NE) – The Auto Fraud Division of the Nebraska State Patrol is warning consumers about an Internet fraud scheme initiated in Europe. The scheme lures victims from the auto auction on eBay to deal directly with the thieves. Those behind the fraud hijack eBay user accounts in good standing and offer bogus vehicles for auction. Once they receive e-mails from interested parties, they pull the vehicles from the legitimate auction and contact the intended victim directly.

The perpetrators then offer the vehicle for sale at 40 to 50 percent under blue book value. They offer to ship the vehicle to the United States and guarantee the transaction through a third party. The imposters complete the deception by using the name of a legitimate mediating company that handles disputes between parties on eBay. They replicate the company’s logo and add their own information to convince the victim their money is safe until they receive the vehicle. However, instead of the deposit going to a third party, the victim is actually sending the money to the thieves themselves.

A Bladen, Nebraska man was recently victimized by the fraud. He has likely lost the $6,000 he sent, in the form of two Western Union money orders, to what he thought was a legitimate third party that would hold his money until he received his promised vehicles. Instead, his money went to the bogus mediating company ending up in the hands of the thieves.

NSP Auto Fraud Investigator Gene True reminds consumers if the deal sounds too good to be true it probably is. True said, “In this case the red flag was the price of the vehicle, about half of the blue book value as well as the seller’s offer to ship the vehicle via cargo plane from Europe to Nebraska. Had the buyer stayed on eBay, he would have received a warning about the hijacked accounts and could have discontinued his bidding. Unfortunately for our victim he was dealing directly with the thieves and received no such notice.”

NSP auto fraud investigators worked closely with members of the eBay fraud investigation team in gathering information in the case.

SEE Doc's http://www.securetrade-auctions.info For scam site screen captures!

It is interesting that Doc and several members of the EBMDG had this thing figured out many months ago! eBay could have sent emails to the community warning of the scam, but didn't bother!

Some things on eBay never change!!