EBay encounters more Internet frauds
Date: March 18, 2004Source: Computer Crime Research Center
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Internet swindlers stole customer information that may make a common e-mail scam even more dangerous says UPI.
Hackers fooled several online businessmen who use eBay's PayPal payment system into obtaining their user names and passwords, then logged into their accounts and downloaded lists of customer names, e-mail addresses, home addresses and transactions, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday.
EBay did not open how many users had their information stolen, but a press secretary said it makes up a small percentage of the service's 40 million registered people.
No credit card information, Social Security numbers or other financial data were compromised because that information is encrypted and kept on servers not accessible to auction visitors.
Still, eBay fears the data will be used to trick customers into giving up their credit card information in an e-mail scam known as "phishing" or "spoofing."
The scam results in e-mail users getting messages purportedly from PayPal or other businesses saying they need to verify personal information.
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