Ebay overseas buyer warning:

Hey all,
I've been reading a few threads here over the past few days and noticed people having issues with Ebay. What stuck out in my mind is that some people are being offerend entirely too much cash for their technology items by bidders either with low - zero feedback, and mostly from overseas bidders. Not sure if you guys are aware of this ploy but I'll tell you anyway.
A few months ago, my unit had a security brief on this specific topic. Unfortunately, there are people in this world who have a twisted view of reality and the sanctity of human life. Old technology items are bought not for their functionality, but for their components. Used cellphones can be converted ever so simply to receive signals from other phones and trigger IED's. Older laptops are chock FULL of simple 555 timer chips that can be used in wiring a time-delay mechanism. Even those old coffee-pots with programable brew times can be turned into weapons in the right hands, and with the current state of affairs throughout the world this is becoming a more common theme.
For most people selling on Ebay, elation is the reaction when something sells for more than it's worth. Others react with caution. There was a thread on the boards earlier about a guy whose laptop with a buy-it-now of ~1200$ sold for ~1900. Luckily, he got suspicious. Not to say that it definitely would be used to construct some sort of device that could harm people, the actual number of devices constructed using Ebay parts is relatively small. A heads-up seller should be able to catch this sort of thing before shipping a cell-phone to (god forbid) a civil war-torn African nation or somewhere in the middle east.
Any of you remember the pictures of that "failed Jordanian suicide bomber?" Look at the bomb she was carrying, it's a cobbled together mass of wires, explosives, and simple electronics, all wrapped up in a plastic-bag.

http://images.thetimes.co.uk/TGD/picture/0,,243532,00.jpg

Be weary of Ebay sellers with low-no feedback, they may be honest people just starting out on Ebay and not knowing how things work, but it never hurts to be a little cautious. I know about four guys with the US Navy EOD teams that will thank you profusely.

There was a thread on the boards earlier about a guy whose laptop with a buy-it-now of ~1200$ sold for ~1900.

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That was me. The guy never contacted me but I knew something was up the minute my buy it now price had been exceeded by a bunch of lowlifes. My ebay'in policies have definitly changed!

that is crazy, you would think they would have easier access to needed materials locally, or by stealing or getting them from closer sources.

Then again these groups tend to have an unlimited amount of funds so that $1900 laptop is chump change for the part they require.

i'd love access to those bank accounts. can we say new gear for all?

I'm sorry but its really stupid to be buying a coffee machine for 1000$ for the timer when you can do that with a 5$ digital watch.
I'm not saying you are not right but its stupid to do such a thing.

It is stupid! but here's the thing. Ebay is impersonal. No one asks questions, no one cares as long as they get their $$. Look under cell-phones some time and just look how many are listed for .01$ It's not about them saving money, it's more along the lines of having access to mass quantities of goods at fairly cheap prices, from an UNTRACEABLE source.

They lectured us for an hour on this. It isn't as mainstream as some other black-market weapons deals . but it is still a factor.

Wow, you really analyzed this didnt you? I think you went a bit to far IMO.

SemperFiGuy said:

It is stupid! but here's the thing. Ebay is impersonal. No one asks questions, no one cares as long as they get their $$. Look under cell-phones some time and just look how many are listed for .01$ It's not about them saving money, it's more along the lines of having access to mass quantities of goods at fairly cheap prices, from an UNTRACEABLE source.

They lectured us for an hour on this. It isn't as mainstream as some other black-market weapons deals . but it is still a factor.

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bro i hate to brake it to you, but a middle eastern terror cell is not going to go on ebay, and outbid a buy it now laptop. nobody would do that.

also nobody on ebay is going to ship a laptop or other tech device that has a shipping address like

abrahd dubli
1681 backtar street
Iraq

please. this is not something people need to worry about

The real scam

While this scam exists, your reasoning behind it is incorrect and probably not based on reliable sources. Most likely, it's another Internet rumor run amok.

Here's what happens. You list an item -say, a laptop - for $1000. You are contacted by a buyer who wishes to purchase the laptop "right now" for $1500 (usually outisde ebay). You can't resist, and say "Hell yeah, here's your laptop!", and then you get a forged money order / cashier's check / bank check / etc. in the mail. This happened to me with a laptop I was selling last year.

I'm sure there are other variations of the scam, where you get conned into providing money or personal information to complete the sale, but you get the idea.

Electronics can be had from a number of clandestine sources, all much easier and far more anonymous than ebay.

SemperFiGuy said:

Be weary of Ebay sellers with low-no feedback, they may be honest people just starting out on Ebay and not knowing how things work, but it never hurts to be a little cautious. I know about four guys with the US Navy EOD teams that will thank you profusely.

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feedback is no representation of honesty anymore than no feedback means someone deserves to be treated with caution.
I know a site where ebay feedback is traded and I do not believe it is uncommon.

*scrambles for tin foil hat with the shiny side out of course!*

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but X terrorist is not sitting on Ebay bidding on things that contain the parts to build a bomb to blow up the local Western looking area for an agenda.

The people that are bidding on these items are using a stolen CC so they dont care that they spent 1900 on a laptop that is maybe worth 1200. It isnt their money they are blowing.

Taping the bomb to yourself is a way to keep it from either falling off or bringing undue attention since it isnt gigantic and bulky.

So this is where are money is going

How hard do you think it is for them to buy an old coffee maker in there own country? You are much more likely to be scammed when someone offers more money than you are to have someone pay more just to get the chip out of whatever you are selling. I can't believe the marines can be so out of touch that they would tell you this is common practice for the insurgents to use ebay thru the USA to overpay for something to get the parts out of it There are much easier ways for them to get the parts. I am sure that something somewhere got exagerated whether it be the guy teaching the brief? Did he specifically say they were using Ebay or did that come from you trying to put the pieces together because I can understand them telling you about the chips they use and the kinds of electronics they get them out of. I just can't see more than maybe one sentence that ebay is a possible source but I highly doubt you were taught that they are offering drastically more money on ebay for those parts.

Amarkarian said:

bro i hate to brake it to you, but a middle eastern terror cell is not going to go on ebay, and outbid a buy it now laptop. nobody would do that.

also nobody on ebay is going to ship a laptop or other tech device that has a shipping address like

abrahd dubli
1681 backtar street
Iraq

please. this is not something people need to worry about

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Amen!

SemperFiGuy said:

It is stupid! but here's the thing. Ebay is impersonal. No one asks questions, no one cares as long as they get their $$. Look under cell-phones some time and just look how many are listed for .01$ It's not about them saving money, it's more along the lines of having access to mass quantities of goods at fairly cheap prices, from an UNTRACEABLE source.

They lectured us for an hour on this. It isn't as mainstream as some other black-market weapons deals . but it is still a factor.

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Yeah, well no one is going to ask any questions if I buy a coffee maker or laptop at any store anywhere in the world in cash. I think the last thing anyone would think is that I am going to build a bomb with some part out of it.

If I was operating a terror cell, I think ebay is the last place I would go to get some items.

You linked to a picture of a failed female suicide bomber. Somehow I don't think she got the electrical parts for a low buy it now price on ebay.

I thought that these overpriced buys were part of phony escrow scams...