[sikeston34m]

Several years ago, when I first got on Ebay, I was tricked into giving up my information with one of those fraud emails. The email had a link in it that took me to a place that looked just like Ebay.

The crooks had used the same html code to build this place as Ebay did, so no wonder it looked the same.

Once they got my information, they locked me out of my own Ebay account. Then they flooded my email box with Virus's knowing that Ebay had sent a "password change confirmation" email along with the originating IP address of the password change.

Well the guy did NOT crash my system, so I had his IP. I traced him to his service provider (Va. Account). At this point, all I needed was a court order to give up his personal contact information and charges could be filed.

I was envisioning the Police showing up at this guy's house to seize his computer and discover the total illegal activities that he had been up to.

Armed with this information and having done the "leg work" to solve the crime, I went to the County Courthouse to report all of this and submit the information.

This County has ONE person assigned to internet crimes. NOTHING was EVER DONE!

I got my account back from Ebay and did not suffer any losses.

Internet Security has improved some since then, but never assume security when dealing with accounts and the information about them.

I NEVER release CC information over the internet. Reason being, the website that you are purchasing from may be 100% secure. But the information that you enter is stored on YOUR computer. If you are hacked later, via program backdoor, trojan, etc., this information THEN falls into the wrong hands.

My advice is, if you see something online that you want to purchase with a CC, pick up the phone and speak with a real person. It could mean the difference between a good experience in purchasing, and identity theft.