Posted By:
Brian McQueenA big way that scammers are able to get your personal information, such as your password is by sending out "spoof" Emails from Ebay, Paypal or wherever that ask you to click on a link to log in to the site. These Emails typically "bait" an unsuspecting individual with a "Your account in danger of being suspended" or "the bid you have placed on this item has been cancelled....click here to find out why" type of line.
Oftentimes, these are cleverly done so that the Email itself contains the same headers, layout and logos that a normal Email from Ebay or wherever would contain.
If in doubt, I always go to the site directly to find out more. If the Email says that my bid on a certain item has been cancelled for instance, instead of clicking on that link to access the site, I'll open up a new browser, access Ebay on my own and then run a search for the item in question. I've seen things from shoelaces to paint to porcelain dolls come up once I investigate the item I "supposedly" placed a bid on in the first place.
One other thing, if the Email provides a link to access a login page or asks for personal information from you, it's more than likely a spoof as this goes against Ebay/Paypal policy to do so. The "login" page that you're supposedly accessing is more than likely a page that allows you to enter your UserID and Password which is being recorded on the other end and is actually on a site/server entirely different from that of Ebay. Keep a close eye on the URL that is provided. You can see exactly where a URL will take you by simply resting the mouse cursor over the link without clicking on it. If it goes to a strange URL or address, that's a big red flag that something is amiss.
Hope this helps....