Please help me to understand. How would a seller know that a bid was placed on his item unless he was monitoring the auction at the time? Does he receive an email or other instant notification that there's been a bid? Can he or his shill automate a bid to be placed for $x as soon as there's been a bid by someone else?
I realize that the timing of the OP's transaction seems suspicious, but if there's a seller out there with multiple auction items what are the chances he is watching this item so closely 22 hours before the end? If he is going to shill is the idea that the victim will still be online and be motivated to bid again? Why not wait an hour or two--is the theory that the victim will be offline by then and may not think to go back and check? I suppose it's just as strange for a legitimate bidder to be looking in at the auction at that same time-- are users who put something on the watch list notified as soon as bids are placed on that item, so as to alert them as to status?
Just wondering.
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