eBay Notice - Email Scam
12th January 2004

If the very poor grammar doesn't give this scam away, the forged web page should ...

This spoof email takes the form of a text email with a link (see images below), and the link leads to a forged eBay web page with a form.

This really constitutes a disguised link, since the link text implies that you will arrive at a genuine eBay page. But unlke most scams, there is no effort to disguise the URL of the forged page.

The forged page consists of a web form which requires many personal pieces of information including bank and credit or debit card details. The URL of the forged page should give this scam away though - http://www.scarlet-begonias.org/ebay/. This is a domain registered to an individual in California, USA (not eBay) and is hosted by Endore Ltd, in Ohio, USA.

Any data entered into the form and submitted would have been captured using a PHP script located in the same web space.

If you have received this email, please remember that it is very common for these email scams to be redistributed at a later date with only slightly different content or the same but with the fake page(s) hosted by a different provider.

Also, once you have received one of these hoaxes, it is also common place to receive at least another one and usually a day or two after the first, although not necessarily from the same apparent sender.

Take a good look at the following images, because this email scam may be coming to an inbox near you!

The Email ...

The fake web page...