eBay Fraud

I found this link at FlaBlog: Couple accused of $7,000 eBay fraud.

If you are buying something for $2200.00 on eBay you really need to use Escrow.com. Ask the seller first, if he says no or will only use a strange escrow company you never heard of, or tries to talk you into some other way of sending the money, stay away - do not bid on the auction. There is no reason an honest seller wouldn't allow the use of escrow for something so expensive if you paid for the service. Especially in the fraud-ridden computer section of eBay. eBay is really a safe way to buy but you do need to keep your eyes open and pay attention to warning signs - if it doesn't feel right pass on the auction. There will always be another.

If you go into, say, the Mac Powerbook section of eBay and just watch, get a feel for what's there, you'll begin to get a good handle on the fraudulent auctions. You will see some of the auctions disappear as eBay catches on to some of them and deletes them. You'll start to recognize the sellers that have been selling for a while and watch the feedback to see how his/ her buyers react, how long the transactions take. Do your homework before buying anything expensive on eBay. That's my two cents.