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How was eBay able to get into our bank account?

 Q: I'm having a problem with eBay. Neither my husband and I have ever had an eBay account, yet the company has our name, address, phone number, e-mail address and bank account information. In March, it even took money out of the bank account!

It's not the money that's so alarming -- it was only $5 -- it's the fact that eBay was able to do this at all. We instructed the bank not to let it happen again, but now eBay is sending us dunning e-mails.

I haven't talked to anyone at eBay because I can't find a phone number on its website. I've only been able to contact it through a ''chat room;'' I had to wait 45 minutes before I could ''chat'' with someone who, it turned out, couldn't help me anyway. I was referred to another part of the eBay website, but it can only be accessed by logging in, which I can't do since I'm not a member.

I am so frustrated! Can Action Line help?

Beth Garcia,

Hollywood

 A: Yes. We asked eBay to investigate; it determined that a fraudulent account had been set up in your name. It has now been shut down. eBay returned the money and called you to apologize.

But it wouldn't tell you how it was able to access your bank account -- and it wouldn't tell us, either.

We asked you if there was anyone else in the family who might have set up an account in your name, but you said that you don't have children and that nobody else lives with you and your husband.

You also asked if there's a national consumer watchdog organization that holds corporations accountable for practices such as this. We directed you to Public Citizen, www.citizen.org, a national nonprofit public interest organization based in Washington, D.C.

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But it wouldn't tell you how it was able to access your bank account -- and it wouldn't tell us, either.

Wow!!! Just when you thought you had  heard IT all, huh!

OTOH, maybe IT is time to contact citizen.org about all those user data leaks, and other issues as well.