Customers of eBay have been warned about a new scam involving criminals setting up bogus accounts and artificially inflating their positive feedback ratings in a bid to be seen as trustworthy sellers. Criminals could then use these accounts to sell expensive items which the buyer would never receive.

Crooks have used this type of scam for a long time now, but users of eBay have become much more vigilant, using sellers’ positive ratings as an indication of reliability. Sellers with little or no feedback are now viewed with suspicion and the vast majority of people would not consider buying a high value item from them. However, the new scheme involves setting up accounts and “creating” a positive sales history for them. Criminals achieve that using an automated bot system - a “buyer” that trawls eBay for virtual 1-cent lots to create the illusion of a decent track record. After recording some 15-20 transactions these bogus accounts are typically used to auction more costly items, such as electronic gadgets, which are never delivered. The account is then closed by the site administrators, but the scammer will have many more such accounts lined up ready for use.

eBay has in the past been a target for cybercriminals and just last week was named as the second most popular target for phishing attacks. Over the past year the company has been trying to update its security policy and has more than 100 rules which its users must abide by. eBay also employs a 2000-strong force monitoring its site and searching for illegal activity. Users can typically expect punishments ranging from warnings and online tests on the knowledge of house rules to account suspension and fines.