Stolen painting is back with rightful owners after being spotted on eBay

budnonymous · Top Poster

RE: EBAY LOVES, PROFITS FROM, AND SUPPORTS CRIME WORLDWIDE:

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e-Bay thief branded 'loser' in court

5:52pm Wednesday 5th January 2011

A TEENAGER used an internet auction site to sell mobile phones he did not even own, a court heard.

Daniel Rowntree was branded a "loser" by magistrates after it was revealed he made £1,408 by tricking online shoppers into paying for products which they would never receive.

All thought they were buying Apple iPhones through the eBay website. They all paid for the items, but the phones never arrived.

The 18-year-old, of Pierremont Crescent, Darlington, pleaded guilty to the theft of £400 at Darlington Magistrates' Court.

He also asked for three similar charges to be taken into consideration.

The thefts took place in July last year, when Rowntree advertised the iPhones for sale for prices ranging from £280 to £400.

Ciaran Grogan, prosecuting, said the matter was referred to the police by Rowntree's unhappy customers.

"The defendant didn't have the items in question, and he used the money for other purposes," he said. "He says he used the money partly to buy Apple products."

Robert Willoughby, mitigating, said Rowntree was using a technique known as "drop-shipping", where sellers advertise goods they have yet to buy.

"What he says is that in this case he tried to buy the iPhones from America, but unfortunately when he received them he found they were fake. He had been duped himself."

Mr Willoughby said Rowntree had since found employment as a stable hand and had made arrangements repay his victims in full.

Chair of the bench David Raine said: "You have been very unwise to take this risk.

"There are always winners and losers, and in this case you are the loser.

"Let this be a strong warning to you."

As well as compensating his victims, Rowntree was also told to pay the costs of the case, £85. He will also serve a 12 month conditional discharge.

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Thursday January 6, 2011

W.Va. couple sentenced in shoplifting scheme

by The Associated Press

The Associated Press

Advertiser

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -

A Charleston couple has been sentenced to three months in prison each for shoplifting thousands of dollars worth of items from retail stores in several states and selling the merchandise online.

Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston also ordered 42-year-old Ross A. Knotts and 33-year-old Lisa A. Knotts to pay $78,530 in restitution.

The couple pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

Court documents showed the items included diabetes test strips, computer printers and video games stolen over a nine-month period starting in the spring of 2009.

The documents say the couple used their three children to shoplift from Target stores from West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, then used Lisa Knotts' eBay account to sell the merchandise.

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'I spotted my stolen bike for sale on eBay', says Somerset woman

(photos at link)

A WOMAN said she was gobsmacked to spot a rare motorbike stolen from her home five years ago for sale on auction website eBay this month.

The CR Honda 500 Hybrid motocross bike was taken in a burglary of the former home of Sarah Masters in The Avenue, Langport, in March 2005.

No arrests were made at the time and Mrs Masters believed the bike was lost for good.

But earlier this month it appeared on auction website eBay and came to the attention of Mrs Masters, 55, who now lives in Huish Episcopi, after a family friend pointed it out.

She said: "I just couldn't believe it. After five years of hearing nothing it appeared for sale online."

To Mrs Masters' amazement the bike, which belonged to a family member, was being sold just 22 miles away in Burnham-on-Sea.

"It's a special off-road bike that was bought from America. At the time it was the only one in the country and we think there are only two like it here now. When it was bought it cost around £4,000," she said.

Once it appeared on the website Mrs Masters tried to contact the police on Sunday, January 16. She was unable to speak to a police officer until the following day.

Police are now investigating but Mrs Masters feels officers did not swoop quickly enough as by the time they made contact with the seller, the bike had been sold on. She is planning to make an official complaint about the handling of the case, saying she feels she has been "burgled twice".

A police spokesperson said: "We are aware of an allegation surrounding a vehicle stolen in 2005 which recently appeared on eBay.

"The investigation has been reactivated and officers are looking at several lines of inquiries. As such it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."

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Heirloom stolen and put on ebay

8:10am Friday 28th January 2011

A REMOVALS man abused his position by stealing a £5,000 carriage clock from a dead womans home.

Wayne Carter, 39, of Windrush, Highworth, put the clock up for sale on the eBay auction website after stealing it from a house in Somerford Road, Cirencester, last October, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

But he was caught when a member of the womens family spotted it on the site and alerted police.

Carter admitted theft and also admitted that the offence put him in breach of a suspended sentence he received from Swindon magistrates in November 2009 for an offence of domestic violence.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC jailed him for 12 weeks for the theft of the clock and ordered the 10-week suspended sentence to run consecutively - making a total of 22 weeks.

"When you saw this clock I am quite certain you knew it was valuable and decided to take it," said the judge.

"There were then opportunities to return it but you didnt."

Derek Ryder, prosecuting, said Carter was working for the firm Smart Movers which was employed to clear a house in Somerford Road after the death of the elderly woman owner.

Later the family realised that the carriage clock, which had been in a cupboard at the house, was missing.

They called the police who in turn contacted eBay, which led to the defendant.

By that time an offer of £2,750 had been made on the clock but Carter still had it and it was recovered.

Mr Ryder said that family member Jackie Shopland-Reed had made a statement expressing how upset relatives were about the theft.

"This clock had great personal value, especially as it belonged to our late mother, who had recently passed away," she stated.

"The trauma caused by this has been considerable."

Mr Ryder said the domestic violence case involved Carter hitting his partner with a shoe and head-butting her, causing a bloody nose.

He had previous convictions for shoplifting and other dishonesty, Mr Ryder said.

Carole Knotts, defending, accepted that Carter was guilty of a 'gross breach of trust' by abusing his position as a removals man licensed to go into other peoples homes.

He was a former heroin addict but had turned his life around in recent years.

Ms Knotts said: "He has been employed in the removals business for many years and this is the first time this has happened.

"It was a spur of the moment decision on his part. He is very disappointed in himself for having done this and for having brought enormous shame on his family."

Judge Tabor said there had to be an immediate custodial term for the offence which caused further upset to a grieving family.

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New York mailman, Thomas Tang, busted for taking coupons and selling on eBay

Thousands of JC Penney customers on Long Island haven't been receiving their coupons and its not because they were lost in the mail.

Instead they were being pilfered by 38-year-old mail carrier, Thomas Tang, who according to police stole 7,000 JC Penney coupons and sold them on eBay.

He was charged with grand larceny and is being held on $5000 cash bail. Tang pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.

(more at link....)

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Benicia car buyer conned; Georgia woman is suspect

Times-Herald staff report/Posted: 01/29/2011 01:01:02 AM PST

BENICIA -- Police on identified a Georgia resident Thursday as a suspect who allegedly conned a Benicia man out of $14,000 through eBay.

The 46-year-old Benicia resident reported Wednesday that he made a bid on a 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle about a month ago, police said.

He was outbid by another buyer on the online auction site, but said he was contacted via e-mail by the suspect and was told the winning bidder failed to complete the transaction and the car was still for sale. Both agreed on a price of $14,000, police said.

The victim also received an e-mail from the suspect with a link claiming to be "eBay protection service," which would assist in a wire transfer to a bank in Georgia, police said.

The victim wired the money Jan. 19 to the "seller" but never received the car, police said. He also found out that the seller's e-mail address was canceled.

The victim then contacted his bank and eBay and learned there was no such eBay protection service, or auction, police said.

After investigating, Benicia Police Officer Kevin Barreto identified the suspect as 32-year-old woman from Georgia, police said.

Barreto worked with the Solano County District Attorney's Office and obtained an arrest warrant for the suspect for grand theft.

"At this time, Benicia police are working with the Roswell Police Department to locate and arrest (the suspect) in their jurisdiction," Benicia Police Department spokesman Lt. Mike Daley said in a release Thursday.

"In this case, the victim thought they were dealing with a secure financial website but was still the victim of a major theft," he added.

"This is a reminder that those who do business on the Internet have to be very diligent to make sure any financial transaction they undertake is legitimate."

So much for ebaY's claim of masked bidder IDs for safety against fake second chance offers.

I think we all know that's just a pretext to allow for shill bidding & related scams, because ebaY needs the money and they can get away with anything.

Just remember, if you can't see the item in person, drive it, kick the tires etc, it's a scam!!! The local Sheriff's office has been on TV so many times now calling ebay automobile purchases a scam it's not funny.

Best advice: stick to local shops, ad sites or papers. That goes for all things too, not just automobiles.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Police: Greensburg Man Failed To Send eBay Items

Posted: 8:26 am EST January 28, 2011

Updated: 8:33 am EST January 28, 2011

GREENSBURG, Pa. -- A Southwest Greensburg man is accused of failing to send items valued at more than $2,000 to people who bought them via an Internet purchasing site, according to our newspaper exchange partner The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Michael Paul Stillitano, 34, is charged with theft, criminal use of a communication facility and unlawful use of a computer.

Greensburg police said that two companies -- eBay and PayPal -- are out about $2,000 because of transactions involving Stillitano.

Police Sgt. Rob Jones said several people began contacting him in 2007 about purchasing items via eBay that were never delivered.

Jones, who investigates Internet crimes for Greensburg police, said he used search warrants to link the purchases to Stillitano and bank and other accounts.

"Ultimately, (Stillitano) failed to deliver a variety of merchandise that resulted in a total loss of $4,293.71," the affidavit of probable cause states.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

ebaY and Paypal won't actually be 'out' of anything. They can and will pass the losses onto anyone/everyone else *because they can*.

Things like this will only ensure that more accounts get locked and/or frozen for mysterious reasons, more bogus chargebacks/SNAD complaints assorted scams etc get filed. All anyone needs to do is look at their past behavior and policies to realize this. Remember they have a long history of a very loose association with honesty or the truth of matters, and they answer to NO ONE!

budnonymous · Top Poster

Woman pleads guilty to scamming eBay and Overstock customers

Posted February 18, 2011 at 4:05 p.m.

When doing business online, Janet Bickley Sabel sometimes went by Janet Sabel or Janet Bickley or Janet Rose, but thats not what got her in trouble.

Federal prosecutors - and about four dozen customers nationwide - said the problem was that when she sold merchandise online, she collected payment but then shipped buyers cheap imitations or nothing at all.

Sabel pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud Thursday and will be sentenced in May by U.S. Dist. Court Judge Jon McCalla.

Using addresses in Cordova and Lakeland, Sabel fraudulently made more than $17,000 in her online scheme in which she advertised items on eBay, Overstock.com and other popular websites, court papers show.

In March of 2006, a Florida woman who ordered a Hermes handbag from Sabel instead received a counterfeit version, documents show

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Bucks County car dealer charged with bilking customers on eBay

Published: Friday, February 25, 2011

By ARTEMIS COUGHLAN
Staff Writer

HARRISBURG, Pa. - A used car dealer from Bucks County and managers of his dealership have been hit with a consumer protection lawsuit that charges they allegedly misrepresented themselves pm eBay and mislead consumers by advertising vehicles that were unroadworthy.

LARS Groups Inc., doing business as Hot Ride Motors, Philadelphia, and Andrei Losev, and two of the dealerships managers, were identified as the defendants by Attorney General Bill Ryan.

Investigators allege that LARS allegedly created a credible account on eBay to sell used cars, but was kicked off the site when eBay got consumer complaints about the group and when the account became delinquent in its fee payments.

Then the officials eBay account was closed, Losev and the managers allegedly began to create multiple seller identifications and register them on the popular Website, each with different addresses and phone numbers that didnt associate them with LARS, Ryans Consumer Protection Bureau alleged.

The lawsuit alleges that many of the ads the defendants put on eBay misrepresented the condition, odometer readings and accident history of the vehicles.

The group allegedly tried to deliver a car to a successful bidder that was completely different than the one sold.

Investigators also allege that the group, once they collected the $250 down payment on the vehicles, sent buyers sales agreements that said the vehicle purchased is unroadworthy and could not pass inspection.

Complaints rolled in against the company from buyers located in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Ohio and Rhode Island, according to the Website Ripoff Report.

Consumers who believe they may have been harmed or ripped off by LARS are asked to file complaints with the Attorney Generals Bureau of Consumer Protection by calling 1-800-441-2555 or filing an online complaint at www.attorneygeneral.gov

***You can also file complaints against ebaY and paypal themselves at that dot gov site. ^

budnonymous · Top Poster

Former NASA worker accused of selling stolen shuttle parts

Posted: Friday, February 4, 2011 6:47 PM EST

(video at link)

PORT ST. JOHN, FL (CNN) - Authorities accused a Florida man of trying to make a profit off of stolen pieces of a NASA space shuttle by selling the parts on EBay.

Federal agents raided the home of David Abbey, a former shuttle contractor, earlier this week.

United Space Alliance confirmed that Abbey, and his wife, used to work for them.

For six hours, authorities searched their home and snapped photos, but would not tell the media what they were looking for or what they found.

"What I've heard from other neighbors is that he had stolen some shuttle tiles and he was selling them," a neighbor, Ingrid Breithaupt, said.

Almost every neighbor spoken to said roughly the same thing, except one.

Robert Germain insisted that Abbey made the thermal tiles that form the shuttle's heat shield and also worked to install and replace them.

Germain said the tiles Abbey had were from the scrap pile and had been given to them.

"They were broken and of no use to anyone," Germain said, and did not believe Abbey had done anything illegal.

Other sellers on EBay, from all around the world, sell space shuttle tiles.

Some have even fetched some serious pocket change, with one going for $316.

But many of the tiles are obviously retired and surplus, with "scrap" stamped on all sides.

Abbey has not been formally charged, but investigators said he could be soon.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Suspected Thief Caught On Ebay

FLATHEAD COUNTY

By Will Wadley

POSTED: 3:57 pm MST February 24, 2011
UPDATED: 5:11 pm MST February 24, 2011

KALISPELL, Mont. --

The Flathead Sheriff's Department says victims of theft can assist investigators in locating their stolen property by checking online market places like Ebay and Craigslist.

That's what a Flathead man did after some of his tools went missing. Court documents say the man thought some tools posted on Ebay looked familiar.

He bought them to make sure, and then notified the sheriff's department.Officers investigated and arrested Kelly Hilbun, who they say had more than $100,000 worth of stolen tools in his possession.

"If a person has property stolen, they can very safely check online to see if they can find their stolen property," says Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry.

"We wouldn't encourage you to drive around and look for your stolen car, for example, but this is a good way you can help us help solve your crime."

Hilbun is charged with felony theft and for operating a meth lab. He was expected to cut a deal with prosecutors in court Thursday, but his defense attorney says they were unable to reach an agreement with the prosectution.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Feltham man sold stolen goods on eBay

Mar 7 2011 By Jessica Thompson

A FELTHAM man who stole goods from shops to sell on eBay has been ordered to pay back £95,000 by a court.

Graham Pearce, 44, appeared at Kingston Crown Court on Friday March 4 to admit theft and money laundering offences.

Over a period of four years he systematically stole items, mainly books, DVDs and CDs from high street retailers, the court heard, which he then sold on e-Bay, often still in the original cellophane packaging.

He was issued a confiscation order to the tune of £95,000, and has to pay it to the court within six months.

read the rest...

budnonymous · Top Poster

Suspects Arraigned In $2 Million Theft Case

POSTED: 10:08 pm PST February 18, 2011

UPDATED: 10:47 pm PST February 18, 2011

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Three suspects accused of stealing more than $2 million in property appeared in front of a judge Friday.

Investigators say Steven Terrill, 38, is the ringleader behind an operation that stole from homes and businesses. He was arraigned on suspicion of identity theft, possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Ethan Curtis, 33, and Alisha Metro, 20, were also arrested in connection with the crimes. Investigators say they were all involved in stealing cars, making fake credit cards and selling stolen property on websites like Craig's List and eBay.

Curtis was arraigned Friday on a charge of failing to register as a sex offender. Metro is accused of ID theft and unauthorized use of a vehicle.

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Plymouth man sold thousands of items of fake brand clothing on eBay

GUILTY: John Stirling

A MAN put thousands of items of fake designer-label clothing for sale on eBay but claimed that he did not know they were counterfeit.

John Stirling, 32, was caught with more than 2,000 counterfeit tops, trainers, caps and other clothes in a storage unit, Plymouth magistrates heard.

He admitted putting 12,000 items of stock with a value of around £74,000 on the internet auction website over two years.

But the court was told that he only sold about 10 to 15 per cent of the clothes and claimed that he never knew they were fake.

Sharon Day, prosecuting for the city council, said that it was not known how many of the items offered on eBay were counterfeit.

Magistrates were told that a unit rented by Stirling at Marsh Mills contained 2,344 items of clothing when it was searched by trading standards officers in August 2009. Only 165 of those items were found to be genuine. The items included fakes of a Henri Lloyd jacket, Fred Perry polo shirts and trainers, Adidas and Nike trainers and a Rockport jacket.

Stirling, of Federation Road, Laira, admitted 13 charges of selling goods bearing a false trade mark on July 8, July 13 and August 26, 2009. He asked for 10 other similar offences to be taken into consideration.

Mrs Day explained that council trading standards officers launched an investigation after customers complained about the quality of clothes bought over eBay.

She added that representatives from Fred Perry bought two polo shirts and discovered that they were fake. The items were traced to Stirling.

Stirling told officers that he accepted that some of the goods were poor quality, she told the court, but he insisted that he did not know they were fake.

But the court heard that the items were sold to him at a low price by a man who drove down from Bristol in a van and never left a phone number.

Mrs Day said that he used several different eBay accounts to sell the clothes and was trying to raise funds to launch a biodiesel business.

She added: "He had more than enough information to question the authenticity of the items but he chose not to."

John Haythorne, for Stirling, said that he had made no money at all from selling the clothes.

He added that he only had one conviction for drink-driving and had pleaded guilty straight away.

Presiding magistrate Liz Lewthwaite said: "You have come within a whisker of going to prison. This was a large-scale fraud with professional hallmarks which went on for a long time."

Stirling was given a 12-month jail term, suspended for 24 months.

He was ordered to do 300 hours of unpaid work and pay the council's full costs of £3,709.

Magistrates also ordered that the council could forfeit the goods to pass on to a charity, which would rebrand them and pass them on to needy people.

Stirling last year launched a business producing biodiesel from vegetable oil.

Stirling, who said he was studying for a sports science degree at the University of Plymouth, had formed Gone-Green Biodiesel in a rented unit at Estover.

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Internet fraudster stung by $2 million error

Kay Dibben
The Sunday Mail (Qld)
March 06, 2011 12:00AM

IT was a money-making scam hatched by a Brisbane schoolboy that was almost "foolproof" until $2 million accidentally dropped into one of the teenager's fake bank accounts.

The temptation was too great for Philip Heggie, then 18, who transferred the windfall into an account he could access and came to the attention of an alert bank teller and police.

As he was trying to withdraw thousands from the account, police said Heggie sent a text message: "Best day of the next 20 years of my life. If all goes well drinks are on me tonight."

Court documents reveal the teenage conman was a fan of Catch Me If You Can author Frank Abagnale ... police found a copy of Abagnale's book The Art of The Steal in Heggie's bedroom.

Throughout Year 12 he had been ripping off customers on online auction site eBay pretending to sell iPads, mobile phones and laptops taking their money but never delivering the goods. Heggie, who drove a Porsche with the number plate Heg33, at one stage had opened 119 false bank accounts with Suncorp, to defraud eBay customers, and ended up making almost $40,000 from the scam.

Whenever someone would complain to PayPal, which handled the money transfers, Heggie would shut down the fake eBay username he had adopted in the sting. Heggie then would write the word "dead" in a detailed journal where he kept records of his fake identities and frauds.

That journal and other material found in the teenager's bedroom, in his Porsche and on his computer which had instructions on how to commit eBay fraud, make false ID cards and produce cannabis would be his downfall.

The buyers who fell for Heggie's con were refunded by PayPal, which by the time Heggie was caught was owed more than $39,000.

Last Tuesday Heggie, 19, pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court to more than 100 offences, including defrauding PayPal of $39,104 and was sentenced to three years jail, with parole after a year.

Heggie had been defrauding people on eBay while a student at St Laurence's College.

The son of a State Government IT project manager, Heggie graduated in 2009 with an OP 16, having studied, among other subjects, information technology systems. But in his final year of high school Heggie had other things on his mind.

Since December 2008, Heggie had been setting up fake bank accounts in more than 40 false names to carry out his frauds.

In December 2009, Suncorp mistook one of Heggie's fakes for a genuine business account and deposited $2 million into it.

At his sentence, Heggie's defence counsel said the teenager thought "all his Christmases had come at once".

Heggie moved the entire $2 million into an account he could access and on December 31, 2009, he went to a suburban Brisbane branch and asked what was the maximum he could withdraw. After being told he could take out $5000, Heggie asked for the money, but then the alert teller noticed $2 million had been transferred in that day.

She commented: "It's a lot of money to have in that type of account", to which Heggie replied: "I just want the cash".

The teller reported her suspicions to a manager, who told Heggie they were waiting for authorisation and asked him to wait. Heggie returned to the bank 20 minutes later and was still patiently sitting in a chair when police arrived.

Police then obtained details from eBay of more than 200 sale transactions conducted under Heggie's fake user names.

The court heard the fraudulent scheme "appeared fool-proof", in that eBay customers had no idea who Heggie really was.

His detailed journal of his fraudulent activity included his various user names, their false addresses, eBay logins, Suncorp account numbers, sale item descriptions, and details of the purchasers and amounts paid.

Even after he was charged and granted bail, Heggie still could not resist the temptation of the fraudulent scheme.

In February last year he again opened bank accounts in a false name and created numerous sub-accounts via internet banking, all registered through PayPal for eBay transactions.

Heggie was posted bank cards and pin numbers for these accounts and during March last year he accessed them at various ATMs. Police found forged documents created to support his false IDs, including material to produce fake St Laurence's College and university student ID cards bearing his photo.

Heggie's MySpace page about the time he was charged carried a blurb about himself that said: "Always up for a good party and night out. In fact past nine months since I turned 18 or so has been one epic benda."

He listed Texas hold'em poker tournaments among interests and said: "Friday night's casino night, only ever poker though".

At his sentence his defence counsel said Heggie had been bullied as a child, and only opened fake accounts after he racked up debts on eBay and his legitimate account was frozen.

Letters were tendered from his family and the director of a company, Shady Characters, which makes sheds and garages, who had offered Heggie a part-time job on his release.

His mother said growing up in a Catholic family with one older and two younger siblings, Philip had been a quiet, courteous and respectful child.

She said her son was "greatly ashamed" and had referred to the "biggest mistake" of his life and his wish to leave jail and start paying it forward.

Heggie, who committed 91 breach of bail offences, and has been in custody since early last year, will be out of jail within a fortnight and plans to enrol in a university business course.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Govt to return stolen relics to Cambodia

12:53 AEST Thu Mar 10 2011

Australia will return a number of stolen ancient bronze earrings and bangles to Cambodia.

The artefacts, dating back to the Iron Age, were looted from graves in Southeast Asia, and posted for sale on eBay through an Australian gallery.

An investigation by not-for-profit-group Heritage Watch and the Australian government determined the authenticity of the objects.

The federal government will return them to the Cambodian Ministry for Culture and Fine Arts.

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_

Uploaded by kobtv4 on Jan 19, 2011

Sheriff of santa fe county is out of jail tonight---after turning himself in this afternoon--accuse d of stealing department property and selling it on ebay, gadi schwartz is live in santa fe with the latest on solano's arrest. we've heard repeatedly greg solano will be treated like any one else who breaks the law. and now these mug shots seem to support that idea they were taken at the county jail- this afternoon shortly after solano turned himself in to investigators. solano was arrested for over 250 counts of embezzlement and fraud. he's admitted to stealing county equipment like bullet proof vests and selling them on ebay. the special prosecutor on the case- matt chandler held a press conference
minute thumbnail
10:07 pm on the steps of the district court- saying solano stole over 60,000 dollars worth of department property. "mr. solano was collecting the proceeds from the county property and using them on different types of personal habits to include gambling." but some close to the investigation say they feel solano's arrest was not yet neceary and white collar criminals in santa fe are usually summoned to court before an arrest is made. as it turned out solano was only in jail for 3 hours and held in the medical wing of the county detention center before being released on bond. solano has also reportedly been cooperating- with investigators- and admitting puicly to the embezzlement in his letter of resignation- saying he would not fight the charges- because he did not want to waste taxpayers money.

budnonymous · Top Poster

No word on whether this lady is also an ebay 'seller', but IMHO, odds are that she is.

Former sheriff's daughter faces counterfeiting charges

Uploaded by kobtv4 on Mar 3, 2011

we saw former santa fe county sheriff greg solano in court today--but not for his felony case. ...for his daughter's. silvia solano is accused of using counterfeit cash around albuquerque. she and her boyfriend are both facing charges. jeremy jojola was the only reporter in the courtroom. he's live in the newsroom with tonight's big story.

jeremy.

former sheriff greg solano admits he sold police equipment online for personal gain. he faces felony charges. in this police report...his daughter confesses to a felony too. we saw former santa fe sheriff greg solano in court today, sitting with his wife and daughter.. his daughter -- silvia -- stood before a judge on rackaterring and forgery charges. we also saw her boyfriend--jessie balentine--who's still locked up...appear through the court video feed.

the police report says the pair visited numerous fast food restaurants around albuquerque to get change using counterfeit 20's. the two confessed to officers in the report they got the counterfeit bills from a woman who was printing money with a printer. the charges are another blow to the solano family after greg solano resigned last year.

the former santa fe sheriff admits to selling new and used police equipment, like bullet proof vests and handcus on ebay, for personal profit. his case is still pending. outside of the courtroom the solano family didn't say much.

"sylvia any comment today?" "no thank you." "mr. solano, any comment about your case..." "sorry, we can't, we can't."

so how did silvia solano and her boyfriend get caught? according to the report--employees at the fast food restaurants recorded the license plate of the car they were driving after they noticed the bills were fake. the report says the car belongs to the former sheriff

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eBay post leads ABC agents to three stills

Friday, March 11, 2011

An eBay posting of a still for sale led Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) special agents to seize three stills in Collinsville on Wednesday, according to a news release.

As part of an undercover investigation into the illegal possession of distilling apparatus, ABC agents monitoring eBay, an online auction site, located an auction for a still, according to the release.

ABC agents agreed to meet the person selling the still and bought the item, according to the release and Philip Bogenberger of the ABC department.

"When they searched the home there were two more. One was operational but not active. The other was partially constructed," Bogenberger said.

No charges have been filed in the case, the release states. Stills, also called distilling apparatus, typically are used to manufacture moonshine, the release stated.

It is a Class 1 misdemeanor to possess distilling apparatus in Virginia, it added.

"ABC agents routinely monitor the Internet as part of investigations into illegal activities involving alcohol," said ABC Special Agent in Charge Chris Goodman.

Bogenberger said similar cases have occurred across the state, including one last month in the Woodbridge area where an item was posted on craigslist, another online site.

On Thursday, there were five pages of stills and moonshine-related items on eBay, ranging from distilling apparatus to postcards mentioning moonshining.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Airline ex-worker admits to theft

By Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Friday, March 11, 2011

A Beaver County man has pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing and selling about $580,000 worth of company equipment when he worked for US Airways.

Ronald Aikens, 52, of 220 University Drive, Center stole the equipment, including 43 Telex 750 headsets, between 2004 and 2009 and then sold it on eBay, prosecutors say.

Aikens, who remains free on $10,000 bond, is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab on July 29.

( ^^^ no word what sleazebay did with it's share.... ... )

budnonymous · Top Poster

Medford man accused of stealing 57 cell phones, selling them online

Posted: Thursday, March 10, 2011 6:05 pm
Updated: 6:11 pm, Thu Mar 10, 2011.

By Matt Chiappardi

MOUNT HOLLY - A Medford man awaiting sentencing for several burglary and theft offenses, has been charged with selling 57 stolen cell phones over the Internet.

Vincent Giardina, 20, was additionally charged with stealing a neighbors Lexus.

According to Medford police, he stole the phones, valued at $27,000, while working at an undisclosed store this past December.

Giardina then allegedly sold them over Craigslist and eBay, and shipped them across the country.

Authorities have recovered several of the phones, Medford police said.

Giardina is also charged with breaking into a garage on North West Lakeside Drive and stealing a Lexus RX350 on Jan. 8. The car was recovered in Pennsylvania, according to Medford police.

He made a first appearance in Superior Court on the new charges Thursday before Judge Thomas Kelly, who lowered his bail from $50,000 to $20,000.

During the hearing, Giardina could be seen via a closed-circuit video transmission and said that he was participating in Burlington Countys drug court program. Additional information was not available.

According to court records, Giardina pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and single counts of burglary and forgery on Feb. 16.

Specific details about his criminal record were not immediately available Thursday.

Giardina is being held in the Burlington County Jail.

Anyone who purchased a cell phone from him, or has any information about the stolen merchandise is asked to call Medford polices investigative bureau at 609-654-7375, or the confidential tip line at 609-714-0302.

Matt Chiappardi can be reached at 609-841-8054 or mchiappardi@phillyBurbs.com

budnonymous · Top Poster

Wow! Sure has been a lot of fake, counterfeit, and fake ID related ebay/paypal news lately.
Guess I forgot to post the link to Operation e-Mule in this thread. The problem is beyond epidemic.

Does that seem like a good place to try and buy or sell?
(emphasis mine)

Woman who sold fake designer goods on ebay sentenced

2:20pm Sunday 13th March 2011

A woman who swindled hundreds of people by selling them fake goods on eBay has been given a suspended prison sentence following an investigation by Wandsworth trading standards officers.

Kitty Lin-Wilson, from Balham, raked in thousands of pounds by duping her online customers into believing that the items she sold them were genuine - but in reality they were all poor quality counterfeits.

Her online customers paid top end prices for a range of phony goods including cosmetics, make up brushes, purses, bags and clothing - advertised as genuine items from exclusive companies like Chanel and Estee Lauder. Her business exploits involved so many eBay and Paypal accounts that when she was being interviewed under caution she claimed not to be able to remember all of them.

On Thursday Lin-Wilson, from Gosberton Road, was given a six month jail sentence, suspended for two years, by a judge at Kingston Crown Court. She had pleaded guilty to seven breaches of the Trade Marks Act 1984 at an earlier hearing and also admitted a money laundering offence.

The court heard that an investigation was launched into her activities when representatives from Estee Lauder contacted trading standards officers to complain that Lin Wilson was breaching trade mark laws.

After confirming that items she was selling via various eBay accounts were fake, trading standards officers accompanied by the police raided her home address and found hundreds of counterfeit items, including handbags, computer disks and DVDs.

Financial investigators also discovered that in the 19 month period between July 2007 and February 2009, more than £76,000 had been paid into various Paypal accounts she controlled.

Following her conviction and sentencing, the council is also taking further legal action against Mrs Lin-Wilson by seeking a money confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. This is to ensure that she does not keep the profits she gleaned from her criminal activities.

The council's spokesman on consumer protection Cllr Sarah McDermott said: "Many hundreds of people were conned by this lady into handing over large sums of money for fake and replica goods.

"She was making considerable sums from this scam - and passing off inferior and low quality goods to her customers.

"People were not getting a cut price bargain from her - they were getting poor quality rip offs. We have now launched additional legal action against Mrs Lin-Wilson to makes sure she is not allowed to keep her ill-gotten gains."

Law enforcement agencies in the UK and Europe argue that many of the people involved in the production and manufacture of counterfeit goods have links to organised criminal gangs who use the profits they generate to finance people smuggling, fraud, drugs and prostitution. Concerns have also been expressed that some of the profits from this trade may also be used to finance acts of terrorism.

Anyone with concerns about fake and counterfeit items being sold in Wandsworth should contact the council's trading standards team on (020) 8871 7720 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Ahem...

Speaking of Operation eMule and the fake ID Mega-problem over at sleazebaY, (fake ID and stolen goods capital of the world...)

eBay theft ring exposed by Orrville mom

Uploaded by WEWSTV on Mar 16, 2011

An eBay feedback rating isn't the only way to determine if you're dealing with a reliable seller.

.........

Besides that, I wonder how many minors are on sleazebay buying, NPBing, selling and dare I say, scamming?

budnonymous · Top Poster

Two in Franklin County arrested in relation to eBay scam

MJ Kneiser/WLHR FM-92.1/Special to Independent Mail
Anderson Independent Mail
Posted March 16, 2011 at 4:14 p.m.

Two people in Franklin County are now charged with scamming people across the nation on eBay.

According to Lavonia Police investigator Mechelle Collins, the same pieces of farm equipment and vehicles were sold over and over on the auction website.

"He would advertise that he had forklift for sale," Collins said. "The people would make the bid. Then he'd tell them that once they sent him a cashier's check, he would send the equipment. They would send the money, but he never sent the equipment."

Collins arrested Russell Mike Peeples, 51, of Lavonia and 42-year old Susan Marie Goff of Canon. Both are charged with felony theft by deception.

According to police reports, Peeples allegedly sold a Dodge Stratus van, a Toyota forklift, a Nissan forklift and a Hyster forklift on eBay numerous times, scamming the most recent victims out of slightly more than $14,000.

Peeples has allegedly been running this scam for at least two years, according to the police report, using a fake address in Tennessee.

Collins has been working on the case since last July, when the first complaint came in from a victim in New York.

"That was the first incident that I knew of. I started the first investigation there, but it looks like about 10-11 victims have come in so far," she said.

Complaints have been received, she said, from victims across northeast Georgia and the nation.

In the course of her investigation, Collins said, she arrested Peeples twice on charges of felony theft by deception, once in November and again in February. But additional victims kept filing complaints, she said.

A third arrest for Peeples, and Goff's arrest, came Friday after investigators received even more complaints.

Police Chief Bruce Carlisle said Peeples is also wanted in other Georgia counties.

"Mr. Peeples has a hold on him for several counties north of here for violation of probation for this same type of activity," Carlisle said. "Hopefully, we'll be able to keep him off the streets and from preying on any more unsuspecting citizens."

Peeples was in custody at the Franklin County Detention Center on Wednesday afternoon. Goff was released from custody in Franklin County on bond on Monday, according to the detention center.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Man arrested in thefts of golf clubs

Greenwood -- The Johnson County Sheriff's Department has arrested a man in connection with a spate of golf club thefts and garage burglaries.

Robert T. Likens, 27, Granger, told investigators after he was arrested Thursday that he had taken the clubs from at least three Johnson County garages to "support his heroin addiction," according to an affidavit filed by an investigator.

Homeowners reported sets of golf clubs removed from unlocked garages on March 12, 13 and 14.

Investigators found some of the clubs offered for sale on the eBay auction website and followed those leads. One man said he had purchased clubs from someone named "Bobby," according to the affidavit.

On Thursday, a sheriff's sergeant noticed Likens driving slowly through his neighborhood and questioned him. He arrested Likens when he was found to be driving on a suspended license.

Then, Likens also was questioned about the golf club thefts.

He faces three counts of theft in Johnson County and is out on bond in Hamilton County on similar charges, according to the Johnson County affidavit.

Johnson County Sheriff Doug Cox said all but one set of recovered golf clubs had been connected to an owner.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Here we go. Typical ebay power selling mom

Mum put non-existent computers for sale on eBay and pocketed the cash

A MOTHER put hi-tech computers which did not exist for sale on eBay and then pocketed the cash, Plymouth magistrates heard.

Hayley Wells, aged 26, tried to raise cash by selling iPads over the internet auction website but never sent the customers any machines.

Wells, of Shell Close, Leigham, admitted two counts of fraud by false representation on September 13 and 24 last year.

Sandra Walsingham, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said Wells advertised an iPad for sale on eBay and a man transferred £425 for it into her account.

Wells sent the buyer a message saying the iPad was on its way, but it never arrived. EBay's history was investigated and it was found that £365 was paid to Wells for another iPad.

Paul Brookman, for Wells, said she had just split up from a long-term partner, moved into a new rented home and needed money for work on the property.

He said that she left her personal details with the buyers adding: "It is difficult to see how she ever thought that she was going to get away with it."

Mr Brookman said that she pleaded guilty immediately to what was her first offence.

She was given a conditional discharge for two years and ordered to pay full compensation for the amount she received.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Romanian-Moldovan Nationals Face Racketeering Charges

AG BUDDY CALDWELL ANNOUNCES STATE RACKETEERING CHARGES AGAINST FOUR ROMANIAN-MOLDOVAN NATIONALS. Individuals part of massive international organized crime ring

Baton Rouge

Today Attorney General Buddy Caldwell announces that formal State Racketeering charges have been filed against four Romanian-Moldovan nationals. The individuals are part of a massive international organized crime ring whose main source of illegal income is online auction fraud, costing U.S. citizens tens of millions of dollars every year. This prosecution is part of an ongoing coordinated effort between State and Federal prosecutors, local law enforcement, the FBI and the United States Secret Service.

Dimitar Dimitrov, 22, Radu Manolache, 40, Ion Antohi, 25, and Andrei Golovco, 27, have been charged with one count of violating the Louisiana Racketeering and Corrupt Organizations Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 50 years at hard labor, and are accused of participating in an automobile sale scam using counterfeit eBay and Auto Trader accounts to lure victims into wiring money for the purchase of the vehicles. The scam works as follows: The victim responds to a classified ad for a vehicle, which appears to be legitimate and at a reasonable price. After the price and details are agreed upon via e-mail, the scammer sends a counterfeit eBay motors or Auto Trader page (that looks identical to the real page) requesting payment. Funds are wired and no vehicle is received. The individuals charged are alleged to be runners or "arrows" in this scheme who are stationed in the U.S., receive the ill-gotten funds through U.S. bank accounts and wire the money overseas, minus a commission.

Attorney General Caldwell said, "By prosecuting these individuals under the RICO statute which carries serious penalties, we aim to send a message to other members of this organization to think twice about victimizing Louisiana citizens. These investigations and prosecutions will also help us better educate the public to keep our citizens from becoming victims in the first place."

CONSUMER TIPS: Consumers attempting to purchase higher dollar merchandise through auction websites or classified ads, whether vehicles or electronic devices, should be on the lookout for the following signs of fraud:

1. Users whose registered names (location provided to eBay) do not match where payment is being sent.

2. Users who list clean, easy to read auctions, but then communicate with very poor or broken English (a sign the auction was created by the seller and may have been copied).

3. Never respond directly to an e-mail link purporting to be eBay or Auto Trader (or other auction website) from the seller. Instead, go to the website, log in, and attempt to find the transaction. If you cannot find it, the transaction is probably a fraud.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Zynga Poker Thief Gets Two Years in the Slam

Andy Chalk | 23 Mar 2011 00:45

The hacker who stole $12 million worth of virtual poker chips from Zynga has been sentenced to two years in the slammer.

It was back in early February that we first heard about Ashley Mitchell, a 29-year-old chap from the U.K. who hacked into Zynga Poker servers and stole billions of virtual poker chips worth a handsome $12 million. He then turned around and started selling them to Zynga Poker players on eBay at a deep discount, unloading about a third of them for roughly $85,700 before he was busted.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of "converting criminal property" and one count of "securing unauthorized access to a computer with intent to commit an offense," and claimed he was struggling with a gambling addiction that had cost him nearly $5000 on various online games.

Throwing himself on the mercy of the courts doesn't seem to have done him much good, however, as yesterday he was slapped with a two-year jail term. "People rely on computer systems," said Exeter Crown Court Judge Philip Wassall. "Anyone who has managed to get into these systems for their own ends should expect a stiff sentence."

Mitchell is also facing another 30 weeks inside for breaching a suspended sentence handed down in 2008 for hacking into his former employer's computer and stealing roughly $5700.

Source: eWeek Europe

budnonymous · Top Poster

Paypal used to fund murder-for-hire scheme. We hear there are some other connections as well. bwhahahaha lololololol
( emphasis mine)

Jersey City woman charged after online 'murder-for-hire' plot

Published: Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 8:22 PM

A Jersey City woman charged with using a website called hitmanforehire.com in an attempt to have a California woman murdered was arrested at her Clendenny Avenue home this morning by federal agents from Pennsylvania, officials said.

Marissa Mark, 28, formerly of Allentown, PA, was indicted March 17 in the alleged murder-for-hire plot that fell apart when the self-described hitman contacted the target and told her someone was trying to have her whacked, the indictment says.

The indictment says on Sept. 10, 2006 Mark used the website to contact a person identified only as "Person #1" saying she wanted "A.L.R." killed with a bullet to the head. Mark provided A.L.R.'s picture, name, work address and work phone number and Person #1 agreed to kill her for $37,000, the indictment says.

On Sept. 13, 2006 Mark used a PayPal account to send $19,000 to Person #1, using three stolen credit cards, the indictment says, adding that that day Person #1 agreed to travel from Las Vegas to Woodland Hills, CA, to commit the murder. She would pay the balance when the target was dead.

But on Sept. 15, 2006 when Person #1 and another person known to those in the grand jury visited A.L.R. they told her Mark had paid them to murder her, the indictment says. That's when the target of the murder-for-hire contacted the authorities.

The indictment does not provide information on the relationship between Mark and the alleged murder target, nor does it say anything about motive.

Officials said hitmanforhire.com was a real website and that two operators of the website are facing charges in California related to this incident, federal officials told The Morning Call of Allentown.

After her arrest, Mark was transported to the federal court house in Allentown where she made her first appearance on the charges and her bail will likely be set tomorrow, officials said.

PayPal ultimately discovered the $19,000 payment was unauthorized and reversed them, the indictment says. The eight-count indictment also charges Mark with counts related to the credit card use, aiding and abetting interstate travel with the intent to commit murder, aggravated identity theft and other counts related to the credit card use.

Mark faces up to 56 years in prison if convicted on the charges.