Types of Fraud
Most people who complain to the FTC about internet auction fraud report problems with sellers who:
- Fail to send the merchandise.
- Send something of lesser value than advertised.
- Fail to deliver in a timely manner.
- Fail to disclose all relevant information about a product or terms of the sale.
Some buyers experience other problems, including:
- “Bid siphoning,” when con artists lure bidders off legitimate auction sites by offering to sell the “same” item at a lower price. They intend to trick consumers into sending money without delivering the item. By going off-site, buyers lose any protections the original site may provide, such as insurance, feedback forms, or guarantees.
- “Second chance offers,” when con artists offer losing bidders of a closed auction a second chance to purchase the item that they lost in the auction. Second-chance buyers lose any protections the original site may provide once they go off-site.
- “Shill bidding,” when fraudulent sellers or their partners, known as “shills,” bid on sellers’ items to drive up the price.
- “Bid shielding,” when fraudulent buyers submit very high bids to discourage other bidders from competing for the same item, then retract their bids so that people they know can get the item at a lower price.
Escrow Service Complaints. Another type of fraud occurs when sellers or buyers pose as escrow services to improperly obtain money or goods. The so-called seller puts goods up for sale on an internet auction and insists that prospective buyers use a particular escrow service. Once buyers provide the escrow service with their payment information, the escrow service doesn’t hold the payment: It is sent directly to the so-called seller. The buyer never receives the promised goods, can’t locate the seller, and, because the escrow service was part of the scheme, can’t get any money back.
In some cases, a fraudster poses as a buyer and, after placing the highest bid on an item, insists that the seller use a particular escrow service. The escrow service tricks the seller into sending the merchandise and doesn’t send the payment or return the goods to the seller.
Fake Check Scams Target Sellers
Sellers can be victims of fraud when buyers send fake checks or money orders that are detected by the bank only after the seller has shipped the goods. A buyer might offer to use a cashier’s check, personal check, or corporate check to pay for the item you’re selling. Sometimes, the buyer sends a fake check or money order that exceeds the cost of the item that has been purchased. The so-called buyer (or the buyer’s “agent”) states that he made a mistake, or comes up with another reason for writing the check for more than the purchase price. In either case, the buyer asks you to wire back the difference after you deposit the check. You deposit the check, learn that it has cleared, and wire the funds back to the “buyers.” Later, the bank determines that the check is fraudulent, leaving you liable for the entire amount. The checks were counterfeit, but good enough to fool unsuspecting bank tellers.
For Buyers and Sellers…
How to Report Problems with Online Auctions
If you have problems during a transaction, try to work them out directly with the seller, buyer, or site operator. If that doesn’t work, file a complaint with:
- the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov/complaint.
- your state Attorney General, using contact information at naag.org.
- your county or state consumer protection agency. Check the blue pages of the phone book under county and state government, or visit consumeraction.gov and look under “Where to File a Complaint.”
- the Better Business Bureau.