Warning over fake eBay invoice email that could steal your bank account details
The scam works by renaming all of your files with a virus and will them prompt you to spend money to fix the problem
EBAY shoppers are being warned not to open an email which will end up locking their computer and steal their bank account details.
The fake email tells users that they've spent a hefty amount of money on the auction site and that they should pay the invoice via a download link.
But by clicking on the link, shoppers will accidentally install a Locky Ransomware onto your computer.
The scam works by scrambling and renaming all of your files with a virus and will them prompt you to spend money on a decryption key to fix the problem.
Action Fraud issued the warning on Twitter after it received more than 50 reports.
Ransomware is a type of cyber attack that sees hackers take control of computers, tablets or mobile phones and demand a payment.
Often the hackers trick the user into downloading malicious software – using a dodgy email or app – and encrypt the victim’s information.
In most cases, the ransom amount to a few hundred pounds and has to be paid on Bitcoins.
What to do if you've been scammed on eBay
- If you think , change your eBay and PayPal passwords immediately
- Contact your bank/credit card issuer to cancel unauthorised transactions
- Make a police report using the . Even if the police aren't able to take the matter further, your report will still help them to build up a picture of fraud activity.
- Contact eBay and inform Customer Services about what has happened – they can provide further useful information and initiate actions against any fraudulent accounts
- Make a police report
- Share your experiences on the eBay forums with other buyers and sellers so that they know what to avoid
- If you haven't received an item you bought on eBay, or it doesn't match the description you may be eligible for eBay Money Back Guarantee
Victims are advised never to pay the ransom as it encourages hackers to keep doing them and doesn’t guarantee that you will get your files back.
In one of the biggest ransomware cases, more than 200,000 victims across 150 countries were infected by malicious software known as WannaCry in May.
The NHS was one of the worst affected victims of the international cyber attack
SUPERBUG How to protect yourself from ransomware – everything you need to know
But it's also not the first time, that eBay users were targeted by clever scams.
Earlier this year, an eBay seller lost £850 after a buyer had his account hacked.
A separate investigation in May also found that innocent users of the auction site were being duped by criminals into spending thousands of pounds on stolen and cloned cars.
More about the latest scams and how to avoid them
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