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Covey_Rider
03-04-09, 10:01 AM
I became subject to this crime via ebay. Purchased a laptop (macbook pro) from an individual and wired the money to his account for the purchase. Upon receiving the funds this person stopped communication and I haven't heard from him/her since. $1,800 down the drain and I'm trying to figure out how to get it back. I filed a complaint with ebay which they read and then closed. Any suggestions on how to get my money back or track down the individual that I sent the money to??? I have a name and bank info...that's it. I haven't gotten anything concrete on the name either, I've already tried that.

candi
03-04-09, 10:04 AM
If you used paypal..try going through them...or through your bank or credit card that you paid with...keep trying...they should be investigating...this happened to me 3 times a couple of years ago and I finally stopped buying and selling on ebay...sometimes they help and sometimes they don't...You really have to keep pushing and hitting every fraud and complaint button they have.

usmc0331
03-04-09, 10:27 AM
What do you mean wired the money..money gram, western union etc?? If you did are you that stupid? Western union and money gram require id upon pickup of money. <br />
<br />
if you did a bank to bank transfer...

temarti
03-04-09, 10:48 AM
Go ahead and file the Police Report, here are soem future tips for all:

<LI hasbox="2">Beat-artists seldom bother to accrue more than 10-20 feedbacks before launching their scams. Check the pattern of feedbacks and transactions. If the seller falls into the 10-20 feedback range and the feedbacks are all or mostly for 1-cent sales, and suddenly they are offering multiple high-ticket items, assume the worst and avoid the seller, period. If the item is expensive, (and if it's a scam, it will be,) check long and hard before bidding with any seller with less than a few years and a few hundred feedbacks under their belt. <LI hasbox="2">Beware of any seller who asks the potential bidder to contact the seller before bidding using an e-mail address rather than through eBay's "Ask the seller a question" link. This is almost always an attempt to get the bidder off of eBay's monitoring system. Instead, before bidding, send the seller an e-mail via eBay in any dubious situation, particularly regarding payment and shipping terms. If the seller does not reply or asks you to bid first, don't bite. <LI hasbox="2">Do not bid with or pay sellers with greatly delayed shipment dates. Paypal's liberal rules prohibit sellers from shipping more than 20 days after receiving payment. In fact, if shipment is to be delayed more than a week after payment is received, the seller better have a very good reason. <LI hasbox="2">Scams will most often be one-day auctions with a "Buy it now" price. <LI hasbox="2">Often fraud sales are miscatagorized to avoid eBay's own fraud detection bots. For instance, plasma TVs or computers might be listed under children's clothing. <LI hasbox="2">Thieves will never offer PayPal, credit card or any other verifiable payment system, usually insisting on Western Union transfer payments instead. Never pay for any eBay transaction via Western Union money transfers or international money transfers; with these the crook collects the money and vanishes with no means of being traced. <LI hasbox="2">Most home wi-fi or wireless Internet fraud problems stem from errors of omission. Nearly all wi-fi routers come with security features that conceal the connection from outsiders, require passwords for network access and encrypt data sent over it. The problem is that few routers leave the factory with the security features on as the default setting, requiring users to change the setting themselves.
Failure to do this allows anyone with a wi-fi empowered computer to tap into an unsuspecting user's base station from within 200 feet away, and with special antennas, up to a quarter mile and further. Even with a secured home system there are wi-fi perils. Inquire about network security before using a wi-fi connection in any retail store, hotel, college campus or any other institution that does not monitor its users.

<LI hasbox="2">Sellers should avoid using birthdays, middle names or other potentially linkable hints in the password, and more importantly, change passwords every several months. <LI hasbox="2">Always keep in mind: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is bogus. Beware of sellers who are offering goods at prices far below fair market value or seem to have many copies of hard to find items
If you fall victim to any form of eBay, PayPal, or general identity, credit card or bank account fraud there are several non-profit organizations offering advice and counseling, two of the largest are The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (http://www.privacyrights.org/) and Identity Theft Resource Center (http://www.idtheftcenter.org/), both located in San Diego.

usmchauer
03-04-09, 12:25 PM
Agreed, if you paid with a credit card, try doing a chargeback. If you used paypal, you are covered. If you did western union or moneygram, you're probably out of gas, same with a bank wire.

giveen
03-04-09, 12:40 PM
File your claim with PayPal, file a police report, and go to your bank and dispute the charge and have them place a hold on it. <br />
<br />
And do it NOW!!

Covey_Rider
03-05-09, 01:30 AM
Yeah I know, I'm a retard...I've already notified local police with all the information I have. For some reason I can't seem to find a number where I can call ebay.

usmchauer
03-05-09, 02:27 AM
1-888-749-3229 1-800-322-3229


Good luck with eBay. Their customer service reps are a bear to deal with.

Alisium
03-05-09, 02:46 AM
And FYI. I don't know what, exactly, you're looking for but Best Buy has some pretty good deals on laptops for under $800.

candi
03-05-09, 08:20 AM
And FYI. I don't know what, exactly, you're looking for but Best Buy has some pretty good deals on laptops for under $800.

Yep, I just got mine there 2 months ago....

Wyoming
03-05-09, 04:27 PM
Brand new Sony, LOADED, 759 USD.

No offense Covey, and sorry for your loss, but 1800 bucks??

DIUSMC
03-05-09, 04:39 PM
Here's what we do Marine. Someone mentioned that the customer service dept. at ebay is less than friendly? IF you have ANY issues with them, or are given anything except the advice ou need to get this squared away, get back on this post and we ALL contact these customer servants to get this fixed for this Marine. There is todays mission Marines, help get this done. Covey's wiring might be a little loose, but he is a Marine that got screwed, and it's OUR job to get him un-screwed. Sit-rep needed asap.