So you’re browsing on ebay, you happen to see an ad or search for perhaps a plasma tv and the first link that comes up is a nice shiny “PHILIPS 50″ PLASMA TV 1080p HD READY” for the sum of €52, €62 including delivery. Guess what, it may just be too good to be true!

As I write this, the total number these TVs they had in stock was 330, it’s now down to 265. Guess what, these aren’t gonna be shipped, and that’s €3380 the scammer has made on these TVs, not to mention they have plenty of other high value products for the low low price of €52. They’ve got ps3’s, Nokia n95’s, wii’s, ds’s, laptops, gps, etc..

So why are people falling for this? One thing being, it’s advertised as being a Gardai auction. There are plenty of giveaways that this is fake.

• The main one being the feedback on the persons account. It’s all from people with zero feedback on theirs.
• The next giveaway is the first transactions on the account, they’re for babygrows… and a whopping €1 each transaction, from the same person too. Odd, I think so.
• Wording and spelling: , this a a great giveaway, “Genuine Gardai Auctions”, genuine on ebay means fake. “All goods fully country compatible”, I know what they mean by this, but it makes no sense the way it’s written. “Your Purcase”, maiow, spell check Isle 5.
• Another thing with the wording was, this is a Garda auction, i.e. the goods were recovered by the Criminal Assets Bureau, yet they have phrases like “reduced to clear”.

So all in all, this is a pretty easy scam to spot, yet the TVs are still selling. Only if people would just look harder rather than jumping at such a “great” deal.

I really don’t know if I feel sorry for people caught by this, I know to look at feed back, I know not to just glance over it when it’s such a great deal or rare item. But for the average Internet user, the exciting new world of online buying, holiday bookings, beboing, facefeck, “free” music, it’s very easy to be fucked over, at the same time, don’t expect something for nothing. (Maybe I’ll add ads to the site, I joke).

Personally I hope the scammers have their face kicked in, but I’m not a very nice person now am I? On a side note, I have reported the user to ebay and paypal, hopefully they’ll freeze the funds and prevent the guy getting the money.