Mail thief who sold items on eBay gets 4 months in jail

budnonymous · Top Poster

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

budnonymous · Top Poster

Nice little story about a typical ebayer (& the typical ebay items) with mug shot.
Again, & as usual, no word on what ebay did with their cut.

Man arrested, charged for selling stolen goods on EBay

Last updated on: 11/24/2007 10:12:47 AM by NBC2 News

FORT MYERS: The Naples Police Department said that they have arrested a Naples man that was selling stolen goods on the internet.

According to officers, Daniel Otis was making a business out of stealing from Naples homes and then selling the property on the popular action internet site EBay.

Officers have linked Otis to more than 20 burglaries and said that he was trying to sell twenty stolen items under the screen name "storagetradr."

"Generating profit from someone's loss to me is adding misery to the whole problem. I find it distasteful," said Naples resident Doreen Deacon.

Otis was arrested and charged with burglary, dealing in stolen property via the internet, and petit theft.

budnonymous · Top Poster

The Book Crook

Nov 25 2007 By Russell Findlay

Exclusive Heard The One About The Stand-Up Comedian Who Flogged £100,000 Of Stolen Bestsellers On Ebay?

A STAND-UP comic faces jail after police smashed his £100,000 scam selling stolen books on eBay.

Gary Little swiped thousands of bestsellers from publishers HarperCollins while working as a forklift truck driver at their warehouse near Glasgow.

He sold the haul - some of it valuable limited editions - online to buyers across the UK at knockdown prices.

The 44-year-old netted at least £100,000.

Police discovered at least £60,000 went through Little's PayPal account but other methods of payment were used.

Police raided Little's flat in Pollokshields, Glasgow, after a probe at the giant warehouse which employs 500 people.

The Bishopbriggs depot distributes 76million books a year to more than 50 countries.

The exact number of print and audio books stolen by Little - who used the eBay identity skech20 - will probably never be known.

One book he sold was the deluxe edition of The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien.

It normally retails for £100 but Little sold it online for £30.

A friend of Little said: "Thousands of books were going out the back door and straight on to eBay. Many of them commanded premium retail prices. So when they were offered cut-price on the internet, there was still good money to be made.

Little was a trusted employee and the scale of what was going on was shocking."

Burly Little started out as a stand-up comedian in 2003 and tours the Scots comedy circuit. He has appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe.

His website says: "His imposing physical stage presence and 'in your face' comedy style belies the depth and range of his humour - from the madness of living with pensioners to coping with depression.

"With a wealth of material covering myriad topics, Gary is guaranteed to get the laughter going, no matter what the occasion or venue, having played gigs as diverse as prisons and birthday celebrations."

Little's operation was smashed in February 2005 but he only pleaded guilty this month at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

Following sentencing, the procurator fiscal will lodge an action to recover money from him under proceeds of crimes laws.

Cyber Diva · Senior Member

budnonymous wrote:

Nice little story about a typical ebayer (& the typical ebay items) with mug shot.
Again, & as usual, no word on what ebay did with their cut.

Man arrested, charged for selling stolen goods on EBay

Last updated on: 11/24/2007 10:12:47 AM by NBC2 News
FORT MYERS: The Naples Police Department said that they have arrested a Naples man that was selling stolen goods on the internet.

According to officers, Daniel Otis was making a business out of stealing from Naples homes and then selling the property on the popular action internet site EBay.

Officers have linked Otis to more than 20 burglaries and said that he was trying to sell twenty stolen items under the screen name "storagetradr."

"Generating profit from someone's loss to me is adding misery to the whole problem. I find it distasteful," said Naples resident Doreen Deacon.

Otis was arrested and charged with burglary, dealing in stolen property via the internet, and petit theft.

Bud, when I used to post questions to the eBay "Educational Forums" about stolen and "Fenced" property and what everyone was doing about it, I would have Auctions ended by "eBay bombing" Terrorists. It was funny as hell.

No one on eBay gave a darn about stolen goods on the ebay boards until Chesnut came along. That's a fact.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Ulster woman fleeced on eBay

Internet thieves make off with her diamond ring

Friday, November 30, 2007

By Victoria O'Hara

A Despondent Ulster woman told last night how she lost a diamond engagement ring worth £2,000 - after being caught out by an elaborate scam on the internet.

Lisa Woodside, from north Belfast, placed the ring on eBay hoping to raise money for Christmas.

She received an email from a buyer she believed to be from Dallas, USA, offering £1,200.

But after Ms Woodside was asked to send the ring to the buyer's sister in Nigeria the money never appeared in her account.

It soon emerged the so-called buyer was using a fraudulent internet payment account and sending " spoof emails".

Ms Woodside contacted eBay, the police and Royal Mail.

But she said she is not confident she will see her ring again and last night she called for tighter monitoring of internet auction sites.

The PSNI also sent out a warning to auction site users to be wary of internet based scams.

"I do feel naive. And I suppose I should have known, but everything looked so legitimate," she said.

"I can't believe it."

Ms Woodside said she is angry that the ring could not be intercepted before it left the UK.

"I tried to get Royal Mail to track it but they were unable to stop it.

"I just felt completely helpless. eBay have told me that I could pursue the issue through the civil courts but the time and money that would cost me, I just couldn't afford."

She added: "I feel really let down by eBay. They are just giving the advice after I have been targeted.

"I do think the warnings need to be more dominant on webpages.

"There should be a more joined-up approach between the police, Royal Mail and sites like eBay in protecting internet users from fraudsters and stopping such transactions."

An eBay spokeswoman said they were "sorry to hear" Ms Woodside was defrauded by a spoof email sent to her by a fraudster.

"Maintaining a secure and fun site for buyers and sellers is eBay's first priority, and we continuously seek to educate our users about how to protect themselves from spoof and phishing emails," she said.

"If anyone receives an email about their eBay account, it will always appear in the My Messages section of their account.

"So if anyone receives an email into their web-based email account reporting to be from eBay then they should always check to see if it's in 'My Messages'. If it's not then it's not from us."

A spokeswoman for Royal Mail said it has a legal duty to deliver letters as addressed and has "no authority to intercept items at any point in the network unless instructed to do so by the police".

Police have also issued a warning for the public to be wary of internet-based scams.

A spokeswoman for the PSNI confirmed they were investigating the incident.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Burglary ring had wide reach

It is the biggest car burglary ring to hit Bucks County in 20 years maybe ever and police say the Mr. Big behind it, Bryan Jason Landis, 24, had the chops for running a business.

He had quite a sophisticated operation, said Sgt. Chris Barry of the Bensalem police.

Landis had at least six accomplices, and perhaps as many as 10, Barry said, noting each was assigned a task, from assisting him in busting into cars and trucks, to fencing the stolen goods, to selling the stuff on eBay, at flea markets. At least 500 vehicles in Bensalem were burgled since January.

Some of them knew other shady characters willing to purchase stolen items, Barry said.

Landis was arrested last week.

Veteran cops said they have never seen such a sprawling operation. Police estimate the ring made as much as $100,000 cash by pawning dashboard GPS units, laptop computers, compact discs, cell phones, radios, jewelry and watches.

The motive: drugs.

He would steal, sell it, get 30 bucks and then go buy a bag of heroin, said an undercover officer who interviewed Landis about how the ring operated. [Landis'] drugs of choice were Oxycontin and heroin, so it kept him busy.

Unlocked cars were the ring's first choice, police said, but it really didn't matter if the vehicle had an alarm set. They'd smash, grab, run, gone, in about 30 seconds, Barry said.

If a burglary ring's success can be gauged by the number of victims, this ring was tops. Between 300 and 400 people stood in the cold outside the Bensalem Police station Thursday night to see if any of the recovered goods were theirs.

Among those in line was a young woman who identified herself as Landis' girlfriend. She said she cannot believe he was capable of such a wide-ranging theft operation.

He's a great guy. He was set up, the woman said.

She said the police mistakenly confiscated some of her purses and other personal items when they raided the Landis home in Croydon last week. She was there to get them back.

She met Landis a year ago. He worked for her family's home remodeling business, before it went bust. He did landscaping work after that. He had been in jail before on a gun rap, but that was a setup, too, she said.

He was a great boyfriend. He took care of me. He bought me clothes, jewelry. See this necklace? It didn't come from the dollar store, she said. It came from Wal-Mart.

Any time I would need my nails done, or my hair, he would pay for it, she said, bursting into tears.

I know he didn't do this. He's on two bowling teams, one in Levittown and in Bristol. He's good. He's like, a 180 average. Did you see those pink [rear-view mirror] dice with the skulls on them in there? Those weren't stolen. He won them for me in one of those crane machines. He's really good at those machines, she said.

I can't believe this. I just can't. We had plans. He talked about getting his barber's license. He cuts his own hair and his dad's. He's really good, she said. He just wanted to have kids, maybe get married. I can't believe he would do this.

Cops said more arrests are pending, and the ring may be tied to numerous house break-ins throughout neighboring Bristol Township, too.

Mullane's column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

December 2, 2007 6:47 AM

budnonymous · Top Poster

Oklahoma Man Charged In eBay Scam

Bidders didn't get their gold and silver

December 3, 2007

Bidders on eBay were delighted to learn they submitted the winning bids for a collection of gold and silver, but after paying for the merchandise, their happiness turned to anger when they didn't receive it. Now, police in Oklahoma say they have arrested a man and charged him with running the scam.

Chelsey Christopher Davis, 33, was charged in Cleveland County, Oklahoma District Court after he allegedly collected more than $10,000 from nine consumers who purchased silver bars and coins from Davis on Ebay, but never received the items they purchased.

Davis allegedly sold the items under the names Superior Gallery and Benchmark Collectables to five consumers from California and one consumer each from Texas, Arizona, Georgia and New York.

"We allege Davis took in a total of $10,052.56 from nine consumers who thought they were purchasing collectible coins and silver bars," Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson said. "Instead, all the consumers got was ripped off."

Davis was charged after an investigation by the attorney general's Consumer Protection Unit.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Hospital Employee Arrested for Stealing Surgical Supplies, Selling Them On Internet

Omaha, NE --

Go on eBAY and you can find just about anything.
Even hernia plugs stolen from a hospital.
Investigators say it really happened here-- a hospital employee stole surgical supplies and sold them below cost on eBAY.

According to police reports, workers at Creighton University Medical Center became suspicious when they noticed surgical supplies for sale below cost on the Internet.
Things like hernia plugs.
Security people started "marking" the supplies to see where they'd end up.
Then they hired investigators to buy supplies from eBAY.

Police say they were the same supplies that were marked in the supply room.
A few days ago, police arrested an employee--37-year-old Jonathan Lauth--for stealing the hernia pads and other supplies.
He's charged with theft, and is headed for trial.

The director of security for the corporation that owns CUMC tells us this kind of crime...where stolen stuff is dumped on eBAY...is pretty common.
Action 3 News found cases of a student stealing computers from MIT...police officers selling stolen bikes...and an Air Force sergeant selling stolen military equipment...all on eBAY.

Reported by Kathy Sarantos Niver, Kathy@action3news.com

budnonymous · Top Poster

Three Northview footballers arrested in theft ring
Six nabbed in all; crew allegedly stole items from unlocked cars

Associated Press
Published on: 12/11/07 Three Northview High football players are among the six students Alpharetta police have arrested in the theft of items from more than 100 vehicles.

Police identify the suspects as 17-year-olds Alex Platt, James Sung, Joseph Ferguson, Joseph Blank, and 18-year-olds Christopher and Matthew Davey.

Platt, Sung and Ferguson, all juniors, played football for the Titans during the 2007 season.

Officer George Gordon says the initial tip into the theft ring came from a parent of one of the suspects. Police say the suspects from Northview High School in Duluth confessed to the thefts -- mainly in subdivisions -- between November 22nd and 24th.

Gordon says some 150 automobiles were targeted, including about 100 cars that were left unlocked.

Gordon says the suspects took everything from GPS devices to golf clubs to stereo equipment. He says the suspects would keep the high-end merchandise and try to sell the other items on eBay.

All six have been charged with entering automobiles. The alleged ring leader is charged with conspiracy.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Ex-Neiman Marcus guard admits stolen store jewelry sold on eBay

07:15 PM CST on Tuesday, December 11, 2007
By JASON TRAHAN / The Dallas Morning News

jtrahan@dallasnews.com

A former Neiman Marcus plainclothes security worker pleaded guilty in a Dallas federal court Tuesday to stealing up to $400,000 worth of jewelry from the NorthPark Center store.

Manuel Alvarez, 37, of Mesquite gave the loot to two women, one in Dallas and another in Houston, who fenced it on eBay, authorities said.

Mr. Alvarez pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Stickney to a charge of transportation of stolen goods in interstate commerce and aiding and abetting. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine.

The scheme began three years ago, when Mr. Alvarez met a local woman he eventually began dating. Beginning in February 2004, he stole designer jewelry and other items, either from open stock drawers or using his store key, and gave them to the woman to sell on eBay.

They agreed to split the proceeds down the middle.

Occasionally, Mr. Alvarez also gave her stolen jewelry as gifts, some of which she sold on eBay, keeping the money from those transactions, authorities said.

In June 2005, Mr. Alvarez enlisted a woman in Houston to help sell the stolen items on her eBay account.

By the time he was fired in December 2005, he had stolen at least 400 pieces of jewelry and other items, worth between $200,000 and $400,000.

Ginger Reeder, vice president for Neiman Marcus corporate communications, did not comment on Mr. Alvarez, other than to say he didn't hold a supervisory position at the NorthPark store and didn't carry a firearm. She said his firing was related to the thefts, but she would not elaborate.

Mr. Alvarez's two accomplices have not been charged with a crime, but Kathy Colvin, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Dallas, said the investigation continues. Ms. Colvin did not say whether the women were cooperating with authorities.

Mr. Alvarez is to be sentenced in March by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O'Connor.

budnonymous · Top Poster

eBay sale of vodka turns into cell time

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

BY MATT MILLER

Of Our Cumberland County Bureau

Thomas R. Dopp's big mistake was trying to sell an exotic and hard-to-obtain brand of vodka on eBay, the Internet auction site.

He got a buyer.

Unfortunately for Dopp, the buyer was an agent of the state police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement.

That $14.99 eBay purchase led authorities to discover that Dopp, 39, of Lewisberry, had stolen cases of alcohol and tens of thousands of dollars worth of other items from storage units on the West Shore.

Dopp paid the price Tuesday when Cumberland County Judge Skip Ebert sentenced him to 2 to 6 years in state prison, followed by 5 years probation, and ordered him to pay nearly $90,000 in restitution.

Dopp pleaded guilty last month to charges of illegal use of a computer and illegal sale of liquor and multiple burglary and theft counts.

William T. Tully, Dopp's lawyer, insisted the crimes were prompted by his client's mental health problems, including an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Tully said Dopp told him he wasn't fully aware of what he was doing when the thefts occurred, but that Dopp is receiving psychiatric treatment and medication and is improving.

"There is no medication for stealing," First Assistant District Attorney Jaime Keating countered. "That's what this boils down to. He had the [mental] capacity to sell these things on eBay."

"These types of [psychiatric] problems cannot be used as excuses to hurt other people," Ebert said.

CONTINUED 1 | 2 Next

-- Edited by budnonymous at 07:41, 2007-12-12

budnonymous · Top Poster

Islington Tribune - by TOM FOOT
Published: 14 December 2007

Scooter gem thieves caught after attempted eBay sale

POLICE hunting sledgehammer-wielding scooter gangs in the West End claimed a breakthrough this week following the arrests of seven Islington men.

They were arrested in connection with split-second smash-and-grab raids that have plagued designer stores for years.

The men aged between 19 and 43 were arrested at a series of addresses in Holloway and Kings Cross. The bungling gang members were caught after police traced attempts to sell the stolen goods back to the owners on auction website eBay.

Officers recovered handbags, luxury jewellery and thousands of pounds in cash. Stolen cars, motorcycles and mopeds were also seized during the raids.

The robbers were held in custody at West End Central police station, Mayfair, this week. In what has become a weekly occurrence in Mayfair, the gem thieves smash shop windows with sledgehammers hidden in their scooters, grab the window display and drive away into thin air.

Restrictions banning police from high speed chases through residential streets following the death of a 19-year-old in Mayfair last year have made catching the thieves harder.

Following the arrests, the Met has urged shop owners to remove items from their window displays and install metal shutters. They are appealing for anyone who see designer items for sale at street markets or online for a much reduced rate to contact police.

budnonymous · Top Poster

'Major eBay Scam' Suspect Arrested

(mugshot at link)

POSTED: 2:53 pm EST December 27, 2007

UPDATED: 3:40 pm EST December 27, 2007

DETROIT -- The Macomb County Sheriff's Department has arrested one woman for allegedly selling stolen Chrysler navigational radios on eBay and said more suspects might be arrested in what authorities are calling a "major eBay scam."

Andrea Christina Hickman, 39, of Detroit was arrested and arraigned in the 41-B District Court of Clinton Township last week on charges of receiving and concealing stolen property and using a computer to commit a crime.

Macomb County Sheriff Mark A. Hackel announced in a news release that on Nov. 19, a detective arranged to buy a Chrysler navigational radio from the suspect at a prearranged location in Macomb County.

The undercover officer then arranged to buy another radio before the holidays.On Dec. 19, the authorities set up surveillance at the suspect's house and the detective arranged to buy another radio for $800.

The two then agreed to meet at another location in Macomb County.When Hickman arrived, she was arrested by the Macomb Area Computer Enforcement Team (MACE).

Police said 15 more stolen navigational radios were found in Hickman's residence.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Alleged shoplifter must stay off eBay

A Barron woman has been ordered to stay off eBay as a condition of a $5,000 cash bail set in a fourth criminal case recently filed against her.

Thats because Kerensa D. Davenport, 35 was allegedly caught by Barron County Sheriffs Department detectives trying to sell items she stole from the Rice Lake Harley Davidson store on the popular Web site.

Davenport was arraigned in Barron County Circuit Court last Thursday and pled not guilty to two counts of misdemeanor theft and four counts of felony bail jumping.

Earlier this month detectives, who were familiar with Davenport from previous theft cases, received a tip that Davenport was selling stolen items on eBay.

The detectives accessed the site and found 99 items that were still in their packages allegedly offered for sale by Davenport.

Many of the items were Harley Davidson products, so the detectives contacted store personnel who matched at least 11 of them as items missing from the store. A photo line-up confirmed that Davenport had been in the store. And surveillance tapes showed Davenport allegedly stuffing items into her pocket and then leaving the store without paying for anything.

The detectives went to her residence in the Town of Arland and talked to Davenport, who allegedly admitted that she had stolen the items.

In all, the detectives recovered $2,000 worth of items stolen from area merchants and returned them, stated a press release issued by the sheriff.

At the time, Davenport was facing prosecution in three other cases. One involved a 5-day period last summer in which Davenport allegedly shoplifted about $700 worth of merchandise from Rice Lakes Wal-Mart. She then returned the items and pocketed the cash, according to the criminal complaint.

In that case, she is also accused of using another womans drivers license as identification during one of the returns.

In a separate case from last summer, Davenport is accused of stealing a another womans credit card and charging items totaling $500 at a Chetek grocery store and gas station.

A third case alledges that Davenport violated conditions of bail by stealing items from the St. Croix Falls Wal-Mart. That incident also included identity theft.

Assistant District Attorney Russ Berg has filed a motion that Davenport be ordered to forfeit her initial posted $5,000 cash bail from the earlier three cases.-12/26/07

budnonymous · Top Poster

FAKE THAT!

Be the first reader to comment on this story

10:00 - 08 January 2008

A Grimsby man is at the centre of an alleged Ebay scam after he was arrested following claims he sold 200 fake Take That concert tickets.

Steve Volley (38), of Ancaster Avenue, Scartho, was arrested over allegations of fraud by false representation.

Bosses at Ebay have been working with Grimsby police after customers filed complaints about paying hundreds of pounds for tickets which they never received.

It is believed more than 100 people have paid for non-existent tickets, altogether totalling &pound20,000.

It is alleged that Mr Volley auctioned the tickets for Take That gigs at Manchester's MEN arena in November and December - but the buyers never received them.

Some were bought for as much as &pound350 a time as Christmas and birthday gifts.

Mr Volley told the Telegraph: "No charges have been brought and I am waiting to speak to my solicitor."

It is claimed Mr Volley had two registered usernames to trade on Ebay, one of which is allegedly matrixman666.

Feedback comments for this user include: "Warning, I lost over &pound340 on concert tickets."

Another user said: "No communication. No tickets received. Thanks for breaking my daughter's heart."

One added it "ruined my wife's Christmas".

According to Ebay, matrixman666 had been a member for three years and two months.

The accounts have now been suspended.

A spokesperson for the auction website said: "Ebay has worked with Grimsby police to assist in the arrest of this seller, who is no longer registered on the site.

"We encourage anyone who has concerns about the conduct of a seller to report it to us through the links on our site."

A Humberside Police spokesperson confirmed: "A 38-year-old Grimsby man has been arrested and released on police bail to a date in February with regards to allegations of fraud by false representation."

Mr Volley, who works for Harmsworth Printing at Telegraph House, is married with two children.

Ebay's general advice for people using internet auction sites is not to continue with a transaction you think is suspicious.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Buckley worker sold stolen parts on eBay

Jan 11 2008 by Our Correspondent, Daily Post

A FACTORY worker who fell behind with his mortgage payments stole trailer parts from his employers and then sold them on eBay, a court heard.

Nicholas Gatrell, 35, made off with sliding windows, hub caps and spare wheel covers, together with stickers and key rings, to the value of £1,420 from Ifor Williams trailer manufacturers.

He sold them between August 2006 and September last year on the internet auction website.

But Gatrells illegal sideline was scuppered when a sharp-eyed colleague went online and spotted the items advertised.

He told bosses at the firms factory on Deeside Industrial Park.

They made a test purchase and the address for payment turned out to be Gatrells home in Brickfields, Buckley, Mold Crown Court was told yesterday.

Gatrell was spared an immediate prison sentence after he admitted theft from his employers and money laundering by converting stolen goods into cash by selling them on eBay.

He was given a nine-month prison sentence suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 180 hours unpaid work.

Gatrell was also placed on supervision and ordered to take part in an enhanced thinking skills course.

Judge Philip Hughes told him: You were simply helping yourself to your employers property. It was over a lengthy period of time and it is a particularly aggravating feature that you were stealing from your employers. It is a breach of trust.

The judge set a timetable under the Proceeds of Crime Act for a police investigation into his finances to see how much of his ill-gotten gains could now be confiscated.

Prosecuting barrister Neil Christian told the court that Ifor Williams Ltd employed Gatrell on the production line at their Deeside factory.

A fellow employee spotted company parts being offered on eBay and after they were traced to Gatrells address, police were called in.

Officers discovered stolen property to the value of £175 at his home.

Interviewed, he made a full admission and told how he had been selling the goods under his partners log-on address.

Mr Christian said that the partner had been questioned but she had no knowledge of what was going on and no action was taken against her.

Henry Gow, defending, said that Gatrell was a man of straw who had no equity in his house and was in financial difficulties.

He had fallen behind with his mortgage and that was why the offences had been committed in the first place.

Gatrell had fully co-operated and did not try and deny his criminal liability.

He had worked hard most of his adult life and had been summarily dismissed when the offences came to light.

welshnews

budnonymous · Top Poster

Thief sold stolen work goods on eBay

By Megi Rychlikova

A MECHANICAL fitter smuggled home more than £33,000 worth of equipment from his workplace to sell it on eBay.

Today Mark Standridge was beginning a 12-month jail sentence after someone tipped off his bosses in an anonymous letter and his crimes were uncovered.

York Crown Court heard that bosses had been delighted with Standridge's work at Lambert Engineering of Tadcaster, where he had worked for 28 years after joining straight from school.

They did not know that for more than two years, the 44-year-old father-of-two was stealing small, valuable items of stock and auctioning them on the eBay website. "Had it not been for the anonymous letter which was sent from work suggesting to your boss that someone from the company was stealing, this would have continued unabated and got even more out of control," said Judge Stephen Ashurst. "But the game is up now."

"The problem it seems to me is not only the length of time over which you were stealing, but also the commercial element which was involved.

"So successful was that, there were effectively repeat orders from your customers."

Standridge, of Calcaria Crescent, Tadcaster, pleaded guilty to theft and converting criminal proceeds.

Prosecutor Simon Ostler said the firm's management was concerned about stock losses from March 2007 and in August, urged all staff to cut down on waste. Then in November, managing director Warren Limbert got an anonymous letter at his home about Standridge's thefts.

Police arrested the thief on November 8 and found a bag in his home containing industrial stock from the firm worth £3,590. eBay records revealed he had sold £30,300 more stock.

Standridge's barrister, Taryn Turner, said the family home would probably be sold to meet prosecution confiscation and compensation demands.

"He is acutely conscious that the company he has been a loyal servant of for very many years deserved better," she said.

She handed in character references from past and present management.

Standridge stole because he had run up debts gambling online with Betfirm, Ladbrookes and William Hill.

The court hear he hid his gambling addiction from his wife, but following the revelation of that and his crimes, his marriage was now over.

He was attending meetings of Gamblers Anonymous

budnonymous · Top Poster

Software pirate suffers Hull breach

Fraudster facing up to 10 years in jail

Ian Williams, vnunet.com 15 Jan 2008

A software pirate is facing up to 10 years in prison after Trading Standards officials from Derby City Council raided his home in Hull and found more than 300 pirated discs and computer equipment.

Michael Walton was caught selling illegal copies of StruCad modelling software created by UK software developer AceCad Software.

StruCad is used to create drawings of structural steelwork and was used in the design of Wembley Stadium's sliding roof and the 'Gherkin' building in London.

The software sells for between £13,000 and £20,000, but by cracking the encryption code Walton was able to copy the program and was selling it on eBay for as little as £12.

Wayne Rawson, director and general manager of AceCad, said: "International pop stars might be able to afford people copying their work, but we cannot.

"We are lucky in that we managed to stop this before too many copies had been sold. If it had carried on, we could have lost a fortune and may have had to lay off staff."

The piracy was discovered when Paul Bettany, one of AceCad's sales consultants, came across the auction while searching for a gift for his girlfriend.

Rawson reported the discovery to Derby City Council's trading standards department, which raided Walton's home with the help of Humberside police. Among the evidence were records of eBay payments from previous sales.

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has hailed the action as a victory, and urged Trading Standards to take a tough stance against online sellers who deceive end-users and fuel the demand for copied software.

"Software piracy does not just affect multinational and well-known brands. This latest case underlines the negative impact it can have on smaller specialist UK companies," said Najeeb Kahn, vice chairman of the BSA.

"Auctions have developed into a marketplace where sellers feel they are anonymous and out of the reach of law. This case proves them wrong.

"Revenues lost to piracy, which are currently running at $1.67bn a year, are vital to the success and survival of many local developers like AceCad."

Walton pleaded guilty to charges under the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988 and the Trademarks Act 1994. He is to be sentenced on 1 February.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Seven charged in scheme to sell stolen property on eBay

(photo and poll at link)
By MARK MORRIS

The Kansas City Star

The Stairway-to-the-Stars Web store on eBay offers items to suit almost any taste or need, from autographed Michael Jordan paraphernalia to electronic toothbrushes.

But at least some of that merchandise was stolen, Kansas City federal prosecutors alleged Monday.

Authorities charged a Northland man and six associates in a $1.2 million scheme to steal property from area retailers and sell the items on the online auction site.

John Charles Chass, 40, and Joshua L. Zimmerman, 22, both of Kansas City, Stacie M. Emmerich, 33, of Independence, Barbara J. Sharp, 52, and Michael Dale Ivester Jr., 27, both of Gladstone, and Daniel G. Moody, 30, from Gower, Mo., appeared in court Monday to hear the charges. A seventh defendant, Tina Deann Cox, 38, also from Gower, already was in custody on a previous charge.

The charges were unsealed Monday after a morning raid at Chass Northland home at 6326 N. Bedford St., where authorities seized goods that they believed were stolen, FBI spokesman Jeff Lanza said. Authorities reported in the morning that 12 suspects had been arrested. Late Monday afternoon, Lanza reported that six people had been released without charges.

The investigation opened in 2005 and was conducted by the Kansas City Police Department career criminal investigators, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Lanza said.

According to court records, Chass recruited the others as boosters to shoplift and steal goods from retail stores. Chass advertised and sold the merchandise to buyers on eBay. He then paid his boosters a percentage of the retail price of the stolen goods, according to the charges.

To encourage his boosters, Chass gave them gas money and occasionally bonded them out of jail after they had been arrested.

The indictment listed a range of stolen products that appeared on Chass eBay site, including electronic dog collars, a computer hard drive, electronic toothbrushes, GPS devices, nail guns and a radar detector.

But on Monday afternoon, the site also offered an impressive list of sports and entertainment memorabilia, including a George Brett game jersey and a guitar signed by cast members from The Sopranos.

Assistant U.S. attorney John E. Cowles cautioned, however, that prosecutors are not alleging that everything offered for sale on the site is stolen.

Dont count on being able to buy those collectables any time soon. Cowles has asked that Chass be detained pending trial in his case, which can take up to a year in a complex multidefendant case.

Chass had earned Power Seller status on eBay, with 98.2 percent of more than 17,000 customers giving him positive feedback.

To reach Mark Morris, call 816-234-4310 or send e-mail to mmorris@kcstar.com.

--------------------------
edit: adding screencapture to show this seller was still registered many many hours after the story above posted

Note the time & date stamp at the screencapture bottom

Just another typical ebay Gold Powerseller

-- Edited by budnonymous at 11:24, 2008-02-06

budnonymous · Top Poster

12 Arrested In Alleged Stolen Property Scam

(video at link)
POSTED: 9:15 pm CST February 4, 2008

UPDATED: 9:35 pm CST February 4, 2008

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The FBI said 12 people were arrested Monday in connection with a multimillion-dollar property scam in the Northland.Agents said three years of investigation culminated in the FBI raid of a home in the 6300 block of North Bedford Avenue.

The FBI said investigators found millions of dollars in stolen merchandise, including electronics, tools and vacuum cleaners. The merchandise was being sold on eBay.

Seven people were charged with conspiracy to commit fraud. Prosecutors said the ringleader would hire people to steal things from stores in return for bail and gas money.

Neighbors said the couple living in the house seemed out of place.

"We've always speculated, since they've always had high-end cars that rotated several times -- a couple of them cost the same as a house would in this area," neighbor Melissa Fees told KMBC's Dion Lim.

"He was pretty quiet, didn't bother anyone," neighbor Kurt Denham said. "He said he owned a collectibles shop and owned part of a used car dealership."

"That would be a cover someone would use to cover up illegal activity, if that's what he told someone," FBI Agent Jeff Lanza said.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Wilkes County family faces theft charges

By Donna Swicegood

MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE

STATESVILLE- What started out as a few thousand dollars worth of stolen Carhatt coats and outdoor gear in Iredell County has become a criminal investigation that reaches as far as Forsyth County.

Iredell County sheriff's deputies arrested a Wilkes County man, his wife, son and daughter on a variety of breaking and entering and larceny charges and recovered a truckload of merchandise stolen from a local hardware store early Monday.

Authorities got a warrant to search the family's home near Millers Creek in Wilkes County, which revealed a couple of safes, a complete living room set and hundreds of boxes bearing the eBay logo.

Jerry Randall Greene, 45; his wife, Sheila Higgins Greene, 44; son, Jerry Randall Greene III, 22; and daughter, Ashley Greene, 24, has each been charged with breaking and entering, and larceny.

Investigators said that charges against others could be filed.

Capt. Darren Campbell of the sheriff's office said that some of the stolen items recovered have been linked to break-ins in Forsyth, Davie and Watauga counties, Huntersville and Mooresville.

Campbell said the eBay boxes may lead to a more extensive operation.

"We're getting subpoenas for eBay records," said Iredell County Sheriff Phil Redmond. "They would break in and steal stuff and sell the items on eBay and have them shipped from their homes. This wasn't a fly-by-night operation."

Campbell said that a torch had been used to try and cut the safes open.

Investigators are trying to link the stolen goods to specific break-ins, Redmond said.

He said that detectives need the public's help to identify some of the items, including the leather sofa, love seat and tables.

All four members of the Green family were being held in the Iredell County Detention Center on $10,000 bonds.

Investigators ask that anyone with information about the stolen property call the Iredell County Sheriff's Office at (704) 878-3180

budnonymous · Top Poster

just linking this related article here on CAPP

Wisconsin Woman Unknowingly Buys Stolen Computer On eBay

budnonymous · Top Poster

and another one

eBay addict struck off for stealing from workplace

budnonymous · Top Poster

Two homes raided in Ebay fraud crackdown

By Gerran Grimshaw

POLICE swooped on addresses in Selby district in dawn raids to arrest suspected internet fraudsters.

Two people were arrested in connection with alleged scams involving internet marketplace Ebay.

The operation was led by the North Yorkshire Police's financial investigation unit, based at the force's Northallerton headquarters. The unit was supported by safer neighbourhoods officers from Selby.

Police said a 30-strong operation was mounted to target houses in Selby and Thorpe Willoughby.

A 33-year-old local woman was arrested in connection with the investigation. She has been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

And yesterday, police said a house in Riccall was targeted. Police said a 42-year-old man, from Selby district, was arrested and evidence - including a high-value vehicle - was seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The man has also been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Selby Inspector Dave Pegg, whose police and community support officers provided support to the financial investigation unit, hailed the raids a success, saying: "From my point of view, an operation is always successful if we recover a stolen motor vehicle."

A police spokesman said: "Fraud is a very serious offence which can have a serious impact on people's lives. We have a dedicated unit investigating all types of fraud cases, and they can use powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover assets gained through criminal activity.

"If anybody suspects they are a victim of fraud or they have information about possible offenders, then they should not hesitate to contact the police."

Phone North Yorkshire Police on 0845 6060247 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

budnonymous · Top Poster

The 20K eBay con trick

A MAN conned more than 100 shoppers on eBay by selling them laptops he did not have.

Christopher Malcolm Amos, from Green Lane, Shotton, admitted swindling customers of the online auction site out of thousands of pounds to fuel his gambling addiction.

Under the user name 'Whitefruit,' the 22-year-old accepted payments from 130 bidders wanting to buy laptop computers.

Some used eBay's PayPal facility, while others transferred the cash directly into Amos's bank account, but nobody ever received their orders.

Yesterday, Amos, who had no previous convictions, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates' Court charged with six counts of committing fraud by false representation. The court heard that he carried out the offences to fund his gambling problems and deliberately advertised the items on eBay with the intention of keeping the money.

It was said that he made more than £20,000 in the first instance.
He was ordered to pay back £2,060 to customers who transferred funds into his bank account, and £4,875 to PayPal.

District Judge Andrew Shaw said: "You never had such items to sell in the first place and in excess of 100 people were persuaded to part with their money.

"You contrived a fraudulent scheme to generate your gambling money and as a result, many people lost out."

Amos was given a 12-month suspended jail sentence.

He was also ordered to pay £60 costs, as well as the outstanding £6,935.

The full article contains 245 words and appears in n/a newspaper.

Last Updated: 22 February 2008 10:21 AM

budnonymous · Top Poster

A little follow-up on this incident above from the blogosphere:

On eBay, the buyer better beware!

February 24th, 2008 by Ed Dickson

Despite a lot of publicity that eBay is going after fraud, the bottom line is that the buyer better BEWARE when they purchase something on eBay, or for that matter, any digital auction site.

This morning, I read a story from Wales, where a person just got caught selling laptops that didnt exist.

From the Evening Leader:

Christopher Malcolm Amos, from Green Lane, Shotton, admitted swindling customers of the online auction site out of thousands of pounds to fuel his gambling addiction.

Under the user name Whitefruit, the 22-year-old accepted payments from 130 bidders wanting to buy laptop computers.

Some used eBays PayPal facility, while others transferred the cash directly into Amoss bank account, but nobody ever received their orders.

Please note that at least some of the fraud victims used eBays preferred method of payment, PayPal.

And Mr. Whitefruit, who I gather is a gambling addict, didnt get into very much trouble for swindling about 100 people. He was ordered to pay some restitution and got a 12 month suspended sentence.

Im sure eBay fraudsters around the world are quivering in their boots!

I ran into another story in the ChronicleHerald (Halifax, Canada) describing a significantly larger operation involving selling neat tech toys that never existed:

Police said Wednesday several complaints about alleged electronic commerce crimes have come in during the past week to 10 days. Customers are from such countries as Australia, Sweden, Norway, the United States, Italy and Estonia. Const. Jeff Carr, a spokesman with Halifax Regional Police, said Canadian EBay users have allegedly been victimized as well, but there are no complaints from the Maritimes.

The person behind this, who hasnt been caught yet was selling laptops that didnt exist.

The story also indicates that PayPal was used on some of these transactions:

He said one complaint, from PayPal of San Jose, Calif., includes more than 100 alleged victims. PayPal, which was acquired by EBay in 2002, is an online money-sending service that provides users worldwide an opportunity to buy and sell goods without sharing personal financial information.

Even when you get the merchandise you paid for on an auction site, you are taking the chance that it is a cheap knock off, or might be some of the stolen merchandise being fenced on some of these digital marketplaces.

Knock off merchandise can be dangerous when it doesnt work as well as the item it is passing itself off does. Buying stolen merchandise poses certain moral issues, also.

When buying something on an auction site, it is up to the buyer to make sure (beware) they are getting what they paid for. This can include using some good old horse sense, and being able to realize when the deal you seem to be getting is a little too good to be true.

Previous posts, Ive written about fraud on eBay, can be seen, here.

Evening leader story, here.

Ive also written about a company called buySAFE, who certifies sellers and guarantees what they sell. The seller pays for this and while I suppose the cost is included in their cost of goods sold this might be a good way to avoid fraud without having to do a lot of homework.

buySAFEs CEO, Steve Swoda does a blog, which I read from time to time can be seen by clicking, here.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Man sentenced for eBay fraud
02/29/08
By Monica Mercer / Rome News-Tribune staff writer
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Fort Oglethorpe resident Kary Dean Head will spend three years in federal prison for defrauding eBay bidders out of more than $150,000.

Head had pleaded guilty in September to nine counts of wire fraud and fraud by swindle after charging more than 100 people for 1-ounce American Eagle Silver coins that he never delivered.

U.S. District Judge Harold L. Murphy read Heads sentence Friday morning.

A victim of the scheme and an eBay fraud investigator testified at the two-hour sentence hearing.

Keith Melancon, an officer in the Air Force, testified how he had paid $120 for coins to reward his troops for jobs well done. He said he tried numerous times to contact Head regarding his purchase, but finally had to contact eBay to report fraud after waiting weeks for his shipment that never came.

eBay Fraud Investigator Jeremy Roybal described Heads scheme as a breakout fraud where online merchants sell less valuable items in order to establish a good track record and then try to sell more expensive items in a short amount of time to cash in without delivering the goods.

It looks like an account thats just bringing in money and nothings going out, Roybal said of Heads eBay activity.

Roybal said after the hearing that its not common for such grand-scale fraud to happen on eBay.

I am deeply deeply sorry for the errors I have made, Head told the court before hearing his sentence. I am here today to ask for your mercy.

But Federal Prosecutor Lawrence Sommerfeld told the court, Its unclear whether (Head) fully accepts responsibility for his crime.

In a letter he sent to Judge Murphy in December after pleading guilty, Head describes a coin business that was growing so rapidly that it must have caused a red flag with eBay, prompting the company to shut his account down.

eBay always shoots first and ask (sic) questions later, Head wrote in the letter. He later implied that eBay had shut him down before he could deliver certain coins to certain customers.

But Sommerfeld reiterated it was not a business mistake that had happened with Heads sBay account, but fraud.

Judge Murphy said it was very said that a man is being sent to prison because, among other things, he was trying to support his family.

Mr. Head appears to be genuinely regretful, and it would do no good to punish him more harshly, Judge Murphy said.

Head could have received as much as 20 years in prison.

In addition to serving time, Head must also pay $137,000 in restitution.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Police: Retail Theft Ring Dismantled

Group Behind 100 Thefts Totaling $200K, Officers Say

POSTED: 4:39 pm MDT March 18,
2008

UPDATED: 8:50 pm MDT March 18,
2008

PHOENIX -- Three
people were arrested early Tuesday in connection with an organized
retail theft ring behind more than 100 thefts of sporting goods
equipment, sports apparel and tools, police said.

Chandler Police Department Property detectives and Goodyear Police Department SWAT team served a search warrant at an apartment at 2252 N. 44th St.Michelle Stanton, 29, a west Valley resident, led a five-person organized retail theft ring that was responsible for more than 100 thefts of sporting goods equipment, sports apparel, and tools from several Sports
Authority, Sports Chalet, Golf Galaxy, Wal-Mart, and Home Depot
businesses throughout Maricopa County over the past year, said detective Frank Mendoza.

Stanton used rental vehicles from Saban's rentals in Phoenix, along with bogus license plates attached with Velcro to the rental vehicles' original plate to deter law enforcement during the commission of the thefts, Mendoza said.

It is estimated that Stanton's group is responsible for stealing more than
$200,000 of merchandise from these businesses in Goodyear, Avondale,
Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler and Tempe, Mendoza said. Stanton
used a "fence" to sell most of the merchandise on eBay, he said.Stanton's
operation consisted of mainly grabbing merchandise and running out of the stores into an awaiting vehicle with bogus license plates, according to Mendoza.

Her group also used police scanners, walkie-talkie-style radios and several different types of bolt cutters to remove security devices from stolen merchandise, he said.Chandler Police Department property detectives have recovered approximately $40,000 worth of merchandise in their investigation.

Stanton is currently being held on four counts of felony shoplifting and drug
possession while other cases are being investigated.Also arrested as a result of this investigation were:

Nicholas Kane, 28, arrested on felony shoplifting charges with other cases pending.Jose Sausedo III, 24, arrested for felony theft with other cases pending.Charles E. Davis Jr., 20, is currently under investigation for felony shoplifts.

(mugshots at links)

-- Edited by budnonymous at 22:44, 2008-03-18

budnonymous · Top Poster

Tempe man arrested for stealing, selling back items on eBay

(video and mugshot at link)

Reported by: Katrina Wessman
Email: kwessman@abc15.com
Last Update: 6:09 pm

Police arrested a man in Tempe on Friday after he attempted to sell back stolen motorcycle parts to the owner on EBay.

Lucas Andrews, 21, stole the parts from a parked motorcycle at the victim's Tempe apartment complex during the prior week.

The victim found his stolen property on EBay and set up a time to meet with Andrews while notifying police about the meeting.

The suspect was met by police outside of a Walgreens near Southern and McClintock.

Andrews was arrested for an outstanding felony warrant, Trafficking of Stolen Property, Theft, Possession of Burglary Tools, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Police were able to recover the stolen parts.

budnonymous · Top Poster

Seven Charged In International Counterfeit Art Scheme On eBay

The fake prints were supposedly mastered by Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Miro, Andy Warhol, and other artists.

By K.C. Jones
InformationWeek
March 20, 2008 12:29 PM

U.S. and Spanish prosecutors have charged seven people in Europe and the United States with producing counterfeit prints and selling them on eBay, while also collecting more than $5 million in a related scheme to defraud buyers.

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Patrick Fitzgerald, announced the charges, filed in two separate indictments, Wednesday. He said federal investigators traced the distribution of fake prints supposedly by Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Miro, Andy Warhol, and other artists, to Michael Zabrin, principal of Finartmasters and Zfineartmasters, and James Kennedy, principal in KFA, outside of Chicago.

The investigation continues, with participation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, Catalan police in Barcelona, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, and local police.

A 10-count European indictment names defendants in Spain and Italy, as well as Jerome Bengis, of Florida, on fraud charges. It seeks the forfeiture of $4 million, aside from about $135,000 already seized from San Francisco bank accounts. U.S. authorities said they will seek extradition of European suspects Oswaldo Aulestia-Bach, and Elio Bonfiglioli, and Patrizia Soliani.

Aulestia-Bach and Bonfiglioli are accused of orchestrating the production of counterfeit prints with forged signatures and distributing them as limited edition prints. Soliani, Bengis, and Zabrin, are accused of reselling the prints to wholesale and retail outlets.

Another nine-count indictment charges James Kennedy, of Northbrook, Ill., with five counts of fraud and one count of obstruction of justice for allegedly threatening to injure someone who communicated with investigators. He has been held in Chicago without bond, pending a detention hearing next week. Investigators also accuse Kennedy of holding 61 auctions of counterfeit art on eBay and reaping more than $39,000 for them.

Leon Amiel, Jr., also known as "Leon Glass," principal in Glass Inter Corp., in New York City was charged with six counts of fraud in that indictment, which seeks forfeiture of $1 million.

The indictments outline an undercover sting in which Zabrin allegedly offered, through eBay, what he claimed were two1968 Picasso limited edition prints of etchings from the 347 Series, signed by the artist in pencil.

"These indictments are significant because they extend across international borders from one end of the supply chain to the other," Fitzgerald said in a prepared statement. "While we urge customers to exercise caution and skepticism of deals that appear too good to be true, we are determined to preserve the integrity of an open market."

Buyers who suspect that they are victims of fraudulent art sales can submit information to prosecutors through the U.S. Attorney's Web site.