budnonymous wrote:

---

Police Blotter

(snippet)

7:04 p.m.

South Mercer Road resident reported fraud after she tried to purchase a camera on eBay and never received the digital camera, value $899.99.

---

Hey Bud, she should have bought Ammo clips.  The gunman at Va. Tech had no problem getting HIS ammo clips on E-bay. 

Just linking this related posting here on CAPP

FOX News.com ~ U.S. Government Workers Selling Government-Provided Transit Cards on EBay

Four More Convicted in eBay Fraud Case


Four More Convicted in eBay Fraud Case May 1, 2007

Four more defendants have pleaded guilty in federal court to selling more than $19 million in copyrighted software from Rockwell Automation over eBay, bringing the total number of convictions in the case to seven.

 

 

Eric Neil Barber of Manila, Ark., Phillip Buchanan of Hampton, Ga., Wendell Jay Davis of Las Vegas and Craig J. Svetska, of West Chicago, Ill., all pleaded guilty before a U.S. District Court judge in Milwaukee on April 26. The four men confessed to selling the counterfeit software over the Web in violation of criminal copyright infringement laws.

 

 

In addition to the four pleas in Wisconsin, there have been two convictions in the Eastern District of Michigan and another in the Southern District of Indiana. The combined retail value of the counterfeit software in all seven cases is approximately $25 million, according to FBI officials.

 

 

Rockwell Automation produces specialized factory management software. Law enforcement officials put the retail prices of the software sold by the three defendants between roughly $900 to $11,325.

 

 

 

The guilty pleas were an outgrowth of an investigation by the FBI's Milwaukee Field Office. Svetska admitted that from June 4, 2003, through Aug. 4, 2004, he initiated at least 376 eBay transactions, under various usernames, in which he sold Rockwell Automation software and netted approximately $59,700 in profits. The actual retail value of this software was more than $7.6 million, FBI officials said.

 

 

Barber and Buchanan admitted their involvement in the scheme as well, though during different time periods. They also admitted to profiting $32,500 and $13,100, respectively. Davis, who confessed to initiating 53 online auctions between Feb. 17, 2003, and Aug. 30, 2004, pocketed about $17,000despite the fact that the actual retail value of the software he sold was nearly $8 million, FBI officials said.

 

 

Click here to read more.

 

Each of the defendants face up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release. Sentencing has been set for July 24.

 

 

Check out eWEEK.com's Security Center for the latest security news, reviews and analysis. And for insights on security coverage around the Web, take a look at eWEEK's Security Watch blog.

 

Community sentence for eBay fraudster after £10,500 scam

A SCOTTISH computer student who conned buyers in the United States out of thousands of pounds by placing bogus adverts on eBay was yesterday spared a jail sentence.

Imran Akram, 27, pocketed £10,500 after advertising expensive electrical equipment on the internet auction site. He said he set up the scam to pay off university debts.

Akram took money from buyers in California and Ohio after advertising £1,000 laptop computers and PlayStation games he did not have.

But he was tracked down after 42 complaints from customers who never received the goods they paid for. Eventually the FBI became involved in the search for the former Heriot Watt computer science student.

Akram ran the scam after opening up an account with PayPal in October 2003.

Min Joo, Arnel Cauguiran and Christopher Lincoln, all from California, and Stephanie Taylor, from Ohio, were among the many who responded to the fake adverts and paid for the electrical goods through Akram's PayPal account.

"He received payments for a number of items he was allegedly selling on eBay," Gillian More, the fiscal-depute, told Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday. "Over the next few months 42 complaints were made to PayPal about non-delivery. The loss fell to PayPal, which reimbursed the customers."

The eBay account company tried to contact Akram, of Mortonhall Park Loan, Edinburgh, but he failed to respond.

He was reported to the FBI in the US and to the Scottish police. Investigations showed he had received £10,500 by fraud.

On 10 November, 2005, he was interviewed by Lothian and Borders Police and admitted setting up the scam.

He confessed to conning the overseas buyers out of the money, which he used to pay off a university debt. He said that once that was done he had ended the fraud.

Akram immediately told the defence agent, Ewen Roy, that he wanted to plead guilty, alleviating the need for American witnesses to travel to Scotland for the trial.

Mr Roy said Akram, a first offender, had remortgaged his house and repaid the sum in full to PayPal.

He said Akram had given up his degree course to work for his father, whose retail business was failing. His father had since suffered a stroke, and Akram and his wife now supported both his parents, the lawyer said.

Akram, now a full-time company administrator, was spared jail yesterday when the sheriff, Elizabeth Jarvie, QC, instead ordered him to carry out 225 hours of community service.

"This was a serious offence, but you are a first offender, you made full repayment, you immediately admitted the crime and you have not come to the attention of the police since. For these reasons I am prepared to deal with this by way of a community-based order," she said.

Exclusive: Employee Accused Of Stealing From Museum, Reselling On eBay

Lisa Godley Reporting

The Mariners Museum in Newport News is accusing an employee of stealing thousands of dollars worth of historic artifacts, then selling them on ebay.

"That's incredible! No, I can't believe that!" said Newport News resident Royce Chambers. Chambers studied anthropology and knows a lot about artifacts and restoring them.

He was stunned when he learned that the former chief archivist at the Mariners' Museum was accused of stealing and selling archival items from the museum's collections.

"The people who have probably put a lot of time and money into educating themselves and trying to educate others and they think they're doing the right thing by donating this to a scientific community to benefit from that and then to know that somebody they're trusting with that information is going and trying to make a profit on it is not very nice," Chambers said.

According to the lawsuit filed in Newport News Circuit Court, Lester Weber and his wife, Lori Childs, received at least $160,000 in sales from the property stolen from the museum. They were marketed over the internet and on ebay.

Your NewsChannel 3 went to Weber's Newport News home to talk about the accusation. Through a small crack in the front door, Weber told us, "I'm sorry. I can not respond to anything right now."

Weber was fired from his position at the museum in September of last year. It is not known how many items were taken and sold during his time here. However, the attorney representing the museum told us the thefts center on historical documents and not on artifacts.

The museum is seeking $1.3 million in damages and asked that the couple return the stolen merchandise and pay compensation for what was sold.

No trial date has been set in this case. Meanwhile, Newport News Police and Federal Agents are investigating the alleged thefts, but no charges have been filed in the case.

Icelandic photographer: Stolen photos sold on eBay

Kelowna man facing five fraud charges

Stuart Hunter

The Province

Investigation: Car Burglars Target Women

HOUSTON -- Note: The following story is a verbatim transcript of an Investigators story that aired on Tuesday, May 15, 2007, on KPRC Local 2 at 10 p.m.

Tonight, Local 2 investigates a car burglary ring stalking Houstonians to steal from them.

Hundreds of people have already become the victims of these burglars, but now police say they've made a major bust that could help keep your belongings safe.KPRC Local 2 investigative reporter Robert Arnold joins us live.

Robert, I understand this is one of the largest crime rings local officers have ever seen.

It did not matter how busy a parking lot was, what time of day or even a particular location. Detectives say the people in this ring would hit lots all over our area and were usually very specific in their choice of victims.

Thousands of dollars."They're already ringing up credit cards within 30 minutes," said Detective Jeff Jernigan with the Pearland Police Department.Hundreds of victims."Everywhere from Montgomery County to Galveston and in between," Jernigan said.

A dozen police departments."A lot of overtime and very time-consuming," Jernigan said.Pearland Detective Jeff Jernigan says when he first got reports of cars being burglarized, he had no idea it would lead to an organized ring."I think at one time we had 20 names that were somehow all connected," Jernigan said.

Detectives say the group would hit cars at gyms in Pearland, neighborhoods around West University, parking lots in the Medical Center, day cares and Little League games around Houston. Even cemeteries.

"It's not like they're walking through the parking lot looking in car windows," Jernigan said. "They're actually watching specific people."

Detectives say the crooks would actually do surveillance on parking lots.One sitting at a distance watching through binoculars. That person would then radio another person sitting in the parking lot and tell them, "Go check out the car."

The rest is just a matter of (window smash), then just reaching in and grabbing whatever it out in the open.

Investigators say the crooks would then sell items, along with stolen copper wire, for pennies on the dollar to a man who ran this store on Cullen Boulevard, who police say would in turn sell the goods outright or put them up for auction on eBay.

"It's the biggest I've ever come across in the 10 years I've been a police officer," Jernigan said.

We tried to talk with the man who ran this store, Vincent Nguyen, but workers say they don't know where he is and police say he disappeared after the store was raided and all these stolen items were found inside.

Police charged more than eight people in this ring, including Peggy Laverne Lockridge, who detectives say was the ring leader.

We tried to talk with Lockridge as well, but family members say she moved to a town near Jasper. But detectives are concerned there are more crooks out there and even with these arrests, the number of car burglaries is starting to rise again.

"We're seeing them pick up again within the last month or so," Jernigan said."Why is that?" Arnold asked.

"We believe a lot of these people are getting out of jail. They're bonding out or their cases have been disposed," Jernigan said.

Since detectives have only been able to file charges in individual cases, a lot of the people arrested were able to bond out. One plead guilty, but detectives are working to upgrade the charges in hopes of getting longer prison sentences.

Well keep you posted.

Detectives warn us not to leave anything in our cars, even if we think it's hidden.

Detectives say this ring particularly targeted women, looking for women who would get out of their cars and go inside a building without a purse. Those are the cars they would usually target.

If you have a news tip or question for KPRC Local 2 Investigates, drop them an e-mail or call their tipline at (713) 223-TIPS (8477).

Software pirate to pay $205,000 fine for illegal eBay sales

Stolen parts sold on eBay

By Gavin Lesnick (Contact)
Wednesday, May 23, 2007

An employee of Jasper Engines and Transmissions confessed to stealing thousands of dollars worth of parts from the company to sell them on eBay, said Indiana State Police detective Dave Price.


Jasper resident Charles E. Swank II, 34, was arrested early Tuesday morning at the plant on preliminary charges of theft and possession of stolen property, both Class D felonies.

Authorities found a substantial amount of company inventory in Swank's home and online records suggest he had already sold more than $6,000 worth of items on eBay, Price said.

He said Swank admitted to stealing the inventory, which included engine bolts, blade inserts, end cutters, tool-and-die parts and other items while working as a third-shift quality control manager. That job afforded him the freedom to move about the plant unwatched and gradually take more and more, Price said.

"Because of his position there, he had access to pretty well the entire plant," Price said. "It wasn't like he was coming to work saying 'I want to get this or take that.' He was removing them as the opportunities arose."

Police launched the investigation May 11 after a representative from Jasper Engines and Transmissions reported the company suspected an employee was taking inventory. A manager had recognized some of the missing inventory being sold on eBay by a Jasper, Ind.-based seller, police said.

Authorities connected Swank to the username and are in the process of obtaining a detailed history of every transaction he was involved in through eBay and PayPal, an online payment service.

The username has been activate for about three years and Swank told police he had used it to auction off stolen items for the last year-and-a-half, Price said.

Once police receive a CD from eBay detailing all the transactions, Price said, they will sift through each one to determine which were legitimate sales and which were stolen.

Price said Swank likely had no idea authorities would be able to call up all the sales so easily.

"I think it's one of those deals where they don't understand the history trail or the trail they're leaving while they're doing these transactions," he said.

Swank was arrested without incident and has cooperated with authorities and taken responsibility for the crimes, Price said.

He was being held at the Dubois County Jail on Tuesday night on a $10,000 cash bond.

A representative from Jasper Engines and Transmissions said Tuesday afternoon no one would comment

Jeweler to Pay $400,000 in Online Auction Fraud Settlement

A Manhattan jewelry dealer who directed his employees to secretly place bids that inflated the price of goods his company auctioned on eBay has agreed to pay $400,000 to settle a civil fraud complaint, the New York attorney general, Andrew Cuomo, said yesterday.

The settlement also bars the merchant, Ezra Dweck, and his company, the EMH Group, from participating in online auctions for four years, according to a statement by Mr. Cuomos office. The settlement includes a $100,000 fine and $300,000 in restitution.

EMH deals in large quantities of diamonds, gold and platinum jewelry and supplies most of the major U.S. chain stores, according to the companys Web site. Mr. Cuomos lawsuit said Mr. Dweck listed items on eBay as having no reserve price meaning they would be sold no matter how low the highest bid was but that he distributed spreadsheets to employees instructing them on what bids they should place to drive up the final sale price.

Mr. Cuomo said the company placed 232,000 bids totaling more than $5 million over a one-year period.

The deceptive practice of insiders posing as bidders, known as shill bidding, has a long and notorious history in traditional auction markets. It has become a growing concern for the operators of online markets and regulators.

Ebay, the nations largest online auction marketplace, with more than 200 million registered users, brought the suspicious bidding patterns involving EMH to the attention of the attorney general at the time Eliot Spitzer late in 2005. The office took more than a year to complete its economic analysis before filing the complaint.

Ebay has installed a number of policies and surveillance tactics aimed at curbing shill bidding.

State and federal authorities have brought civil and criminal charges involving shill bidding against online auctioneers selling goods including computers, artwork and automobiles.

Mr. Cuomos office estimated that Mr. Dwecks practices had inflated the prices on the jewelry that EMH sold by 20 percent.

Mr. Dweck could not be reached for comment yesterday.

eBay holiday con woman faces jail


A mother who scammed nearly £42,000 from would-be holidaymakers through the internet auction site eBay has been told she could be sent to jail.

Julie Flood, 45, from Sussex Road, Maidstone, Kent, sold 19 people fake holidays packages, between November 2004 and March 2005, a court heard.

One man was left more than £9,000 out of pocket through the scam, Maidstone Crown Court was told.

Flood, who admitted 27 counts of theft, will be sentenced on 1 August.

Prosecutor Philip St John-Stevens said: "She was running a site on eBay selling holidays... these holidays were never to materialise."

Judge Philip Statman said: "These offences are extremely serious in my judgment and clearly pass the threshold for imprisonment and you are facing a prison sentence.

"A substantial amount of money was taken."

Flood was warned to make childcare arrangements for her 12-year-old daughter ahead of her sentencing.

Men arrested for selling stolen goods on eBay

Sep 21, 2007 @ 11:38 PM

RRSTAR.COM STAFF REPORTS

Conmen hijack eBay user identities

FOREIGN criminals are stealing the credentials of British users of the internet auction site eBay to perpetrate large-scale fraud.

An investigation has identified one German-based fraudster who hijacked more than 30 accounts and used them to fleece UK car buyers.

It comes as increasing numbers of eBay users report concerns about trading on the site.

Figures from the government-funded Consumer Direct advice line show that calls expressing concern about eBay transactions are averaging 22 a day.

Related Links

Google. Who's looking at you?

The auction site which has 20m registered British users, equivalent to one third of the population admitted last week that it was being forced to spend millions to combat fraud.

Conmen are targeting eBay users by acquiring their user names and passwords to pose as ordinary sellers with an unblemished trading reputation.

This undermines the basic security principle of the site, which relies on customers being able to gauge the reliability of a seller by looking at a history of their previous transactions.

Last week The Sunday Times tracked a prolific conman as he tried to sell more than 30 cars, in each case posing as a vehicle owner making a private sale.

The conman has duped several buyers into sending him thousands of pounds, according to a source who has had access to one of his e-mail accounts.

Theres one payment this morning [October 12] for £6,000, said the source. Another of his purchasers is threatening to go to the police unless he returns the cash.

North Yorkshire police confirmed that they are investigating a complaint against the man, who uses a series of aliases and has claimed to be a Croatian living in Germany.

Earlier this month the conman posted an advert on the auction site for a year-old black Audi A4.

The car, in good condition, was supposedly being offered for a quick sale at a buy it now price which was almost half the market value. A number of eBay members inquired about the car and each was instructed to contact the seller on an e-mail address.

When an undercover reporter offered to buy the car, he received a reply from a man calling himself Alex Lock, from Norfolk.

The man claimed he was in Germany for urgent surgery and needed to sell his car quickly to pay for the operation.

There was nothing to worry about, he said, because the cash would be deposited in an eBay payment protection account and could not be released until the car had been delivered.

For extra reassurance, he arranged for the eBay Motors section to contact the reporter by e-mail to vouch for the security of eBay payment protection.

The eBay e-mail and a subsequent billing invoice looked genuine, but they were sophisticated fakes. There is no such thing as eBay payment protection.

Further checks established that the same man was selling dozens of other cars at the same time and none of them existed. In each case he had stolen the identity of a real eBay user.

One of those users was Richard Tywang, a sports centre manager from Grassington, North Yorkshire. He had unwittingly surrendered his details when he responded to an e-mail purporting to be from eBay.

It said that someone using the work computer had won an auction for a handbag, said Tywang. To find out who it was I had to log into the page using my password.

Once the conman had the details he took control of the account, changed the e-mail address and used it to advertise a car for sale. Tywang was alerted to the sale by a would-be buyer who tracked him down because of his unusual surname.

Peter Jackson, owner of a limousine service in Manchester, received a call from a man interested in buying a cut-price BMW. He says he tried to alert eBay but it took three days before the car advert was blocked. [eBay initially] replied saying that they couldnt do anything because it wasnt our e-mail address, he said.

Meanwhile, the conman was proving elusive. One of his e-mail accounts proved to be registered to a Jonathon Cole who runs a cabinet-making business in Eldridge, Iowa. Cole checked his bank statement and found his card was being used by someone else.

Somehow Coles details had found their way across the Atlantic to Berlin. An identifying code on one of the conmans e-mails led back to a computer in an apartment block on Hagenstrasse, in the former East Berlin. A bank account used to collect the money from British buyers was linked to a prefabricated apartment in north Berlin. The car seller was nowhere to be found at either address.

When The Sunday Times tracked down Alex Lock on the telephone, he claimed in heavily accented English that he was a genuine seller from Norfolk. Ive heard about these scams on eBay . . . If I were in your shoes I would be thinking the same, he said.

This weekend eBay said it had investigated and contacted all the registered users of the site. It had also restored the settings of the accounts to the position before the conman had tampered with them.

This weekend eBay issued a statement saying that it worked tirelessly to prevent and detect fraud. It said all the conmans suspicious transactions had been spotted and taken off the site before the end of the auction.

However, according to the source who had access to Locks e-mails, this was too late to save the victims from handing over their money.

The fraud was only possible, eBay said, because buyers were willing to enter into deals outside the site.

It added that preventing users from disclosing personal information was an ongoing challenge.