Not sure where to post this, but it can be moved if need be and doesn't need to remain open long if my question gets answered.

I just received an email from Ebay that my account was suspended. Here's the email:

Dear eBay user:


We regret to inform you that your eBay account has been suspended due
to concerns we have for the safety and integrity of the eBay community.

Per the User Agreement, Section 9, we may immediately issue a warning,
temporarily suspend, indefinitely suspend or terminate your membership
and refuse to provide our services to you if we believe that your
actions may cause financial loss or legal liability for you, our users or
us. We may also take these actions if we are unable to verify or
authenticate any information you provide to us.

To speed up this process, you are required to verify your personal information
against the account registration data we have on file by following the link below.

<i blocked out the url address just to be safe>

Due to the suspension of this account, please be advised you are
prohibited from using eBay in any way. This includes the registering of a new
account.

Please note that any seller fees due to eBay will immediately become
due and payable. eBay will charge any amounts you have not previously
disputed to the billing method currently on file.


Regards,

Safeharbor Department
eBay, Inc.

They're making it sound like I violated agreements or their policy. But here's the problem. I HAVE NEVER registered with them EVER!! I have never registered my email address with them, so therefore I have never violated any of their policies. I am under the impression that one would need a credit card to use their site, of which I have none so therefore I don't use it. So this is where I need help. I need a phone number so that I may speak to a LIVE PERSON! I searched that site and could not find one. I tried calling directory assistance for it but there is none listed. The email mentions billing me. I need this resolved. I sent an email back to them and somehow I do not think this will be good enough. Does anyone have a toll free number, or even a regular number to one of their offices? I know there is one up in northern California like in the bay area. I need help. If anyone can provide a working number for me, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. :(


<added> And if anyone DOES have the number, but does not want to post it on this thread, then please PM it to me. Because I really need it!

This is a common phishing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing) scam. You can safely ignore it, especially if you've never registered for eBay. In general, if you ever get an email that says there is a problem with your account and gives you a link to enter your personal information, ignore it. Do not follow the link. It most likely leads to a malicious third-party site that is trying to steal your information. If the email appears to come from a site that you actually do visit or do business with and you think there may be an acutal problem, go to the site manually (type in the address yourself) and investigate. I think when most legitimate sites email you with account problems these days, they usually don't include links. They just tell you to go to the site to fix the problem.


--Mox

Edit: Another clue--if your browser or email client shows you the actual address of a link when you hover over it, you'll see these phishing emails take you to a completely different site than the email appears to be from.

I manually typed in the address, and it went right to the site, unlike when I clicked on it, it said the site has been moved and said it would redirect me, which it didnt. and said if it didnt, to disable the popup blocker and to click here. with another link enclosed on the word here.


<edited/added> I temporarly disabled the blocker, and I clicked on the link (and this was from clicking on the link in the email) and it took me to the same exact site that I went to when I manually typed the link from the email in.

Whoops! When I said to type in the address manually, I meant the address of the site the email appears to be from (eBay in this case), not the address in the email. Since you said that you do not have an eBay account, you can safe assume the email to be bogus and can ignore it.

If you do follow the link in the email (manually or otherwise) do not enter any personal information.

--Mox

run do not attempt anything!! this is a false person trying to obtain info. I get these a lot and forward them to eby. Just forgo any emails concerning ebay as they try all the time to get perasonal info ( not ebay) so do not, and I mean do not email them back or try to see whats up!! this is a spoof email!!!

No, I didn't enter any information at all.

run do not attempt anything!! this is a false person trying to obtain info. I get these a lot and forward them to eby. Just forgo any emails concerning ebay as they try all the time to get perasonal info ( not ebay) so do not, and I mean do not email them back or try to see whats up!! this is a spoof email!!!


well as far as the emailing them back, thats too late. I already did that. dang nabbit. This was all I said....

Why am I getting this message? I have NEVER registered with Ebay before nor have I used the site for any means whatsoever. I have never registered this email address with your site or violated any rules or regulations on there. I want a phone number where I can speak to a LIVE person and resolve this matter immediately!!!


and get this. my email is aol. and this was the return address:
aw-confirm@ebay.com

and it had an AIM sign next to it. sounds like a 3rd party to me alright.

Don't feel bad, I get phish EMAILs "from" almost every bank that's ever been in business, 90% of them I never had an account with. What's funny is that the grammar used in these phish-mails is so bad that they woudn't be taken seriously even if I had an account.

Bottom line: legitimate institutions will never request that you provide personal information through an EMAIL. If they do need info from you, they will ask you to independently bring up their website and have you log on to your account.

Don't feel bad, I get phish EMAILs "from" almost every bank that's ever been in business, 90% of them I never had an account with. What's funny is that the grammar used in these phish-mails is so bad that they woudn't be taken seriously even if I had an account.

Bottom line: legitimate institutions will never request that you provide personal information through an EMAIL. If they do need info from you, they will ask you to independently bring up their website and have you log on to your account.

I get them from my ISP provider...I got the same three in one day. They are sure an annoyance! Bottom line is right and darn good advice.

Like Hakuna said: DON'T GIVE OUT ANY INFO ON YOURSELF!

Just trying to help you from making any mistakes :)

Like Hakuna said: DON'T GIVE OUT ANY INFO ON YOURSELF!

Just trying to help you from making any mistakes :)


Thanks, but as I already stated, I didn't do that.


It does sound like a phish email. I won't even email them again if I get another one. I guess I have nothing to worry about.


Note to Moderators: This thread can be closed now. :)

It does sound like a phish email.

Doesn't just sound like one. It is one.

Simply report it by clicking on "Forward" and send it to spoof@ebay.com and be done with it.

I get them from my ISP provider...I got the same three in one day.
They are most likely not from your ISP. Most phishers spoof the "from" field so that you can't tell where it was really sent from.

Today's Dilbert (http://www.dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/archive/dilbert-20050812.html) offers some advice for your situation.

Today's Dilbert (http://www.dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/archive/dilbert-20050812.html) offers some advice for your situation.


lmao andrew. thats two funnies you've posted today! lol