Glreno,
Can you point to specific ads on Ebay? How do you know they are people of Arabic descent if they use Jewish or Anglo surnames? For that matter, how do you know what surnames they use, since Ebay doesn't release this information?
I am concerned that the vague information provided will only serve to cause unnecessary fears and suspicions, especially against people of "Arabic descent".
Except for the allegation about the suspicious feedback, all the other "suspicious" features are not suspicious at all:
The items advertised are very desirable
THERE ARE TONS OF DESIRABLE ITEMS ON EBAY
The items are priced below market value
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT A "BUY IT NOW" PRICE OR A STARTING PRICE? HOW DO YOU DETERMING "MARKET PRICE"?
The feedback, if any, is recent and contrived
OK, THIS MAY BE SUSPICIOUS, BUT CAN WE HAVE EXAMPLES?
The payment method always assures no recourse for the buyer (Postal Money Order, Western Union)
THERE ARE TONS OF SALES WHICH REQUIRE MONEY ORDERS. IT IS PROBABLY THE MOST PREVALENT PAYMENT METHOD.
Spain and New York City area seemed to be where these scams are coming from. Once I discovered the people in New York, the ads started to come from Spain.
A CHECK OF PHOTO ITEMS FROM SPAIN A MINUTE AGO REVEALED HUNDREDS OF ITEMS. NEW YORK HAS MANY MORE. AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU "DISCOVERED" THE PEOPLE? DID YOU CONFIRM THAT AN AD WAS FRAUDULENT IN YOUR OFFICIAL CAPACITY, OR ARE YOU MERELY REFERRING TO AN AD THAT YOU THINK IS SUSPICIOUS?
The ads are very well done and includes pictures
THERE ARE TONS OF ADS THAT ARE WELL DONE, AND ALMOST ALL HAVE PICTURES
Many of the ads have cryptic messages built into them
CRYPTIC MESSAGES? PAUL IS DEAD? CAN YOU BE SPECIFIC? AND WHAT PURPOSE DO THE CRYPTIC MESSAGES SERVE? ARE TERRORISTS USING EBAY TO COMMUNICATE?
I certainly appreciate being alerted to a scam. But you give little information necessary to detect a specific scam and much fuel for unnecessary hysteria.
