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Very occasionally things go wrong – read our practical tips to staying safe and what to do if you think you’ve been scammed

Practical tips

  • Communications from eBay and eBay members always appear in your My eBay Messages
  • Keep your account protected by being aware of the tricks fraudsters use
    • They may try to make you go to a fake website and divulge your login information or financial details
    • They may send fake emails suggesting that your account has been (or will be) suspended
    • They may send fake Second Chance Offer (SCO) emails or ask questions about items you are not selling or have not bought
    In all cases you should log into your account to confirm whether an email is legitimate or not.
  • Always access your account by typing the eBay URL (e.g. www.ebay.com) directly in a new browser window – never log into your eBay account using links in an email
  • If an email doesn’t look quite like the notifications you receive from eBay or PayPal, and particularly if the email contains grammatical or spelling errors, you should be highly suspicious – forward any suspicious emails to spoof@ebay.co.uk for confirmation
  • Always use secure passwords for both your eBay and email accounts. Here are some tips for creating a safe password:
    • Secure passwords are 6 or more characters long and contain a combination of numbers and letters
    • eBay passwords are case sensitive – so you can use a combination of capital and lower-case letters for increased security
    • Don’t use the same password for your eBay and email account
    • Never write your password down where someone can easily access it
    • You should consider changing your passwords regularly (e.g. every 6 months)
  • Never give out any sensitive details like bank information or passwords
  • Install anti-virus and anti-malware software on all computers you use and ensure they’re kept up to date – most are very easy to install and maintain, and some are free for personal use.

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What to do if you think you’ve been scammed

If you think someone has gained access to your account, change your eBay and PayPal passwords immediately

  • Contact your bank/credit card issuer to cancel unauthorised transactions
  • Contact eBay and inform Customer Services about what has happened – they can provide further useful information and initiate actions against any fraudulent accounts
  • Make a police report
  • Share your experiences on the eBay forums with other buyers and sellers so that they know what to avoid
  • Keep safe by understanding how to avoid identity theft

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