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| Staying safe online
Before you buy
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Before you pay
Before you sell
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Virus Prevention
Stay safe online by safeguarding your computer against viruses. There are numerous viruses in circulation that threaten to damage your computer or spy on your Internet activities. While there is no foolproof way to protect your computer, you can minimise your risk by intalling a firewall and anti-virus software. Take full advantage of virus protection by:
- Keeping the virus protection software up-to-date
- Set the virus protection software to install updates on a regular basis.
- Use the virus protection software to scan your computer frequently.
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Spoof & Phishing Protection
Spoof or "phishing" emails and websites are becoming an increasing problem for unsuspecting internet users. Spoof emails claim to be sent by eBay or PayPal (or other trusted organisations), and can look identical to email usually from these organisations. More often than not links within the emails direct users to fake websites asking for personal information such as credit card number, username or account password in an attempt to commit identity theft or other crimes.
The good news is that you can avoid falling victim to spoof emails and websites, and protect yourself online by taking a few simple precautions.Learn more
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Password Protection
Whether you're online or offline, protect your password as you would the keys to your house. If your password falls into the wrong hands, your identity may be stolen and someone else may access your account. You can take a few simple steps to help ensure that your password is protected:
- Make sure you create a different password for each online account you hold, change it regularly and don't share it with anyone.
- If you're signing in to eBay, only enter your password at a URL that begins with http://signin.ebay.co.uk or http://signin.ebay.ie. Learn more
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Feedback
Before you bid or buy on eBay, it's important to know your seller. Always look at your seller's feedback ratings, score and comments first to get an idea of their reputation within the eBay marketplace.
Each comment and rating - whether positive, neutral or negative - is an opportunity to understand the history and experience of a seller, a chance to form your own opinions, and a visual cue to help you make a smart buying decision. Learn more
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Item Description
Before you bid or buy on eBay, it's important to know about the item you're interested in. Always read the item description carefully before placing a bid or using Buy It Now. The item description can help you make an informed decision and avoid surprises. It's always a good idea to look at the details of a specific item, as well as the shipping costs, payment methods accepted, and whether the seller offers a return policy. Learn more
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Contacting the Seller
Before you buy an item on eBay, it's important to have all of your questions about the item answered. All listings on eBay include a link in the Seller Information box to the "Ask Seller a Question" feature. Using this feature is an easy way to make sure that all your questions are answered before you buy. Learn more
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Off eBay & Grey Market Transactions
Always remember to complete your transaction on the eBay website - it's the safer way to trade with others. eBay's rules prohibit use of our system to solicit others to buy or sell items "off eBay." We strongly advise recipients of these email solicitations to report the senders to eBay Customer Support. Participants in "off eBay" transactions aren't able to use eBay feedback or buyer protection programmes if a problem arises. Learn more
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Instant Money Transfer Services
Pay safely online by never using instant cash money services such as Western Union or MoneyGram International to pay for your eBay purchases. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know. Learn more
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Escrow
Beware of fake escrow services when you consider using them to pay for your eBay item. For eBay transactions, you should use eBay's only approved escrow company:www.escrow.com . To avoid being deceived by fraudulent email from a fake escrow service, you should visit the escrow service's Web site to verify information you received via email. Make sure you type the entire Web address (for example,www.escrow.com ) into your Web browser. Don't let your Web browser auto-complete the Web address for you. It could mistakenly auto-complete a fraudulent Web address. Learn more
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Second Chance Offer Fraud
Always use caution if you receive a Second Chance Offer email. Check that the email has been sent from a seller you have been transacting with, for an item you have previously bid on. Many fraudsters use the Second Chance Offer feature to send spoof or phishing emails in an attempt to get you to send payment for an item that either doesn't exist or as a means to gain your personal and financial information for fraudulent means. If you receive Second Chance Offer emails, make sure they are genuine by checking them in My eBay |
Foreign Cheque Fraud
Some sellers of high priced goods receive requests from bidders in foreign countries (often in Africa) to accept foreign cheques as payment for their items. Some of the requests offer to "overpay" for an item, and ask the seller to wire the overpayment back to the buyer through services such as Western Union or MoneyGram. We urge all sellers to use extreme caution when accepting foreign cheques for high priced items; as such foreign cheques may take weeks or months to clear and may be counterfeit
Sellers should never accept overpayments from buyers for items where the buyer is asking to be reimbursed for overpayment. We ask sellers who receive such offers to report it to eBay immediately. |
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