Vigilantism on eBay dates back to at least 1996, when it first appeared in response to numerous, escalating reports of auction fraud. It all began innocently enough, as it was clear that eBay's then fledgling staff could not possibly cope with the growing problem of internet fraud without considerable help, and so members quickly stepped up to protect their valuable new venue from the hordes of opportunistic scammers threatening to destroy it. These volunteer "netcops" were thus heralded for their public service and were given special facility and appreciation by eBay through written commendation, through special invitation, and by means of other perquisites offered in recognition of their services. In this way, the vigilantes became ensconced as an essential institution within the eBay community, and individuals were treated in many respects as VIPs. Gradually, however, the ranks of the netcops came to be dominated by the vain and the self-serving, and the special tools and privileges, which had served the community so well when in the right hands, were now being exploited and abused to promote the private interests of corrupt vigilantes.

The methodology of clandestine online stalking, private investigation, and systematic harassment and intimidation of targeted individuals and their businesses became the norm for many eBay vigilantes, and even the slightest indiscretion on the part of "other" members, such as the mere act of publicly contradicting a netcop, became cause for initiating a public investigation into the business, character, and past of such errant members. In fact, documented case studies since 2002 suggest very little correlation between eBay vigilantism and any real desire to fight fraud, as the vigilantes themselves appear to be far more interested in forming cartels devoted to disrupting the commerce of their business competitors, and in otherwise promoting their own private interests, than in public service. However pure the motivations of eBay's original vigilantes may have been eleven years ago, I think it is fair to say that this early species of vigilante is all but extinct on eBay today.

Fraud and vigilantism, the former being the constant alibi for the latter, are systemic problems that have grown up with eBay, for since the beginning, both have proven to be quite inseparable from eBay's chosen business model. Over the past decade, the vigilantes have flourished, with a number of successful crews proliferating their organizations outside the confines of eBay onto the wider Internet and beyond, where they can intrude into every dimension of their targets' lives. Crew members conduct online meetings at off-eBay discussion forums, such as thecarwashlive.com, and utilize these, along with internet chat, instant messaging, teleconferencing, and email, to identify, to disparage, and to distribute dossiers on named targets, to coordinate attack strategies, to report progress on specific cases, and to celebrate victories.

Call*Me*LURID, and Slutty Pukins:  members in good standing at the site highlighted in the article at,  http://www.networkstalking.org