”Your eBay account has been restricted” Email. Scam??

[McLovin]

Ok, 100% of the time people post something here asking if it’s a scam, it is (“if you have to ask . . .)

But this has a twist.

I’ve been on eBay for 20 years, although I rarely buy anymore (maybe 3 to 5 low dollar items per year). And I haven’t sold there for years and won’t ever again, too much buyer fraud (take the item then get payment refunded).

So I get an email supposedly from eBay, saying my account is restricted until I send a bunch of personal info. The email is below. Haha, yeah, right, I say.

But I see that the header shows the sender is eBay (that can probably be faked too these days).

So I go directly to the eBay app and log into my account. In my Prívate Messages is the same email, again from eBay.

I also note that in the email, my correct address is referenced. So somehow they have that info.

Also, the “ocsnext.ebay.com” link appears legitimate (but I’m not sure).

To test their threat I started to order a product, and it let me get through all the way to the payment checkout, so it seems my account isn’t restricted. But I didn’t complete the order so not 100% sure.

So, scam? I’m thinking so, but it’s pretty elaborate, isn’t it, if they can not only send me an email, but also a message in my eBay Messages.

___


Your eBay account is restricted


Hello ,


We understand this may be inconvenient, but we have identified a possible discrepancy with the information provided at registration and need your assistance. Until we are able to resolve this matter, your account will remain restricted and you will be unable to buy/sell items or engage in member-to-member communication.

In addition to providing the appropriate document(s) requested in the prior email, please provide information for the following:
• What is the full name of the account holder?
• Is the account holder the ultimate legal owner of the business? If no, please provide.
• Does any other natural person or entity own or control the business? If yes, please provide.
• Please provide incorporation documentation.
• Does this business operate from any location other than ___ (here they have my address).


Go to the following secured eBay link to upload your documents:
https://ocsnext.ebay.com/ocs/mudcwf?deptName=GSS.

Note: Please do NOT change the name on your account until this matter has been resolved.

We appreciate your cooperation in resolving this matter as quickly as possible.

Thank you,
eBay

[masraum]

Weird! Seem pretty legit, but best to be careful these days. Are you registered as a business? Do you have a dba or DNS registration somewhere under a different name or something is slightly different? Maybe find someone on the board that's on ebay and see if you can message them. That would be a way for you to test without having to spend any money.

I haven't ordered from ebay in years, and haven't ever sold there. Too scammy these days in both directions. I think most but not all of my orders have usually from a business, not a private seller.

[masraum]

Interesting - the top result looks like a legit ebay site. The rest look as scammy as it gets.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&sxsrf=ALeKk02Lf0nO7q5dKE4GrQrt5wVZ2qH9vg%3A1601416 629431&ei=ta1zX9LBGY6UtQWFyKfIBA&q=ocsnext.ebay.com%2Focs%2Fmudcw&oq=ocsnext.ebay.com%2Focs%2Fmudcw&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzIECCMQJzIGCAAQBRAeMgYIABAFEB5 QqyhYtStgyi1oAHAAeACAAZwCiAHdBZIBAzItM5gBAKABAaoBB 2d3cy13aXrAAQE&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwiS8NXqrY_sAhUOSq0KHQXkCUkQ4dUDCAw&uact=5

[wilnj]

I don’t believe they’ll ever send you an email with a link to enter your info.

Go to the original email and click on the sent from, it should being up the actual email address, not the spoofed username.

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by wilnj

I don’t believe they’ll ever send you an email with a link to enter your info.

Go to the original email and click on the sent from, it should being up the actual email address, not the spoofed username.

This?

[McLovin]

I agree, for eBay to send emails with a link in it to enter personal information seems very bush league in this day and age.
That makes it seem fake.
The language/diction in it seems scammy to me.
But on the other hand there is no dead giveaway, and much of it seems legit.

[McLovin]

Clicking on the link does seem to take me to the legit eBay site. But I don’t know how to be sure.

[Mike80911]

Just call ebay and check it out. If it is spam they will want to know anyway

[MRM]

Scam!

This is done with Amazon, Xfinity,Netflix, the Apple App Store, whatever people subscribe to or pay for online. Never ever ever click on a link saying your account has been frozen, your password was stolen, or your payment form has been compromised. Click out of the email and sign into your actual account. You’ll see nothing is wrong with it.

A twist on the scam is an email purporting to be a receipt for an app purchase. The email says if the receipt is being sent to you by mistake (really?) you should click the link and enter your account information to cancel the order.

Don’t ever click on a link provided in an email. Sign into your account directly and address any issues there.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Anything with a link, no matter how legit it seems, is a scam. Happened to me with Paypal. Did not click but called them.

[Tobra]

Not sure if related, but hospital EHR is down, word around the campfire is hackers

[MRM]

The 911 system was down across parts of the nation, too. No public explanation.

[pmax]

I would go to the ebay site itself and check for messages.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by McLovin

Ok, 100% of the time people post something here asking if it’s a scam, it is ....

LOL ... and it still is. To quote Fred Sanford:

"You big dummy"

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by pmax

I would go to the ebay site itself and check for messages.

I did that, the message is there.

This is so bizarre.

I tried calling eBay, you can’t get a live person. The recording tells you to check the site for answers.

I went to the eBay app, logged into my account, and looked around. FAQs etc.

I couldn’t get a live person, but ebay does have a live chat. I got hooked up with a live “agent.” (Keep in mind, this is all directly through the eBay app, not some bogus link).

The chat was totally bizarre. And, afterwards, they sent a transcript to me. Here’s the email attaching the transcript.

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by MRM

Scam!

This is done with Amazon, Xfinity,Netflix, the Apple App Store, whatever people subscribe to or pay for online. Never ever ever click on a link saying your account has been frozen, your password was stolen

Don’t ever click on a link provided in an email. Sign into your account directly and address any issues there.

I did sign into my account directly. The message is there in my account. I also, through my account (that I signed directly into) had a “live chat” with an “agent” who requested the same info.

It still seems very scammy to me. I just don’t know how they can pull the above off.

[McLovin]

How can a scammer possibly send a message to me, in my eBay account messages??
Because the message is there.
That is not an “open” message board.
It is only messages between the customer (me) and eBay.

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by KC911

LOL ... and it still is. To quote Fred Sanford:

"You big dummy"

Answer my question above and below, smart guy!

[McLovin]

You’ll love when I post the transcript.
I still don’t get how they can pull this off. Including the fact that:

1. all of this occurred on the eBay site, after I directly went to it (no linking) and logged into my account.

2. The message from eBay is there, in a messaging system that only I and eBay have access to.

3. The live chat, again accessed through the eBay site that I directly logged into, confirmed it (how would a scammer tap into that??).

4. The message has my physical address in it, the one registered with eBay.

That to me is unexplainable.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by McLovin

I did sign into my account directly. The message is there in my account. I also, through my account (that I signed directly into) had a “live chat” with an “agent” who requested the same info.

It still seems very scammy to me. I just don’t know how they can pull the above off.

OK, if you did the live chat after logging into ebay, then I think it's legit. It's weird, but legit.