If you're gonna SHILL...try at least to be smart about it!

[tazzieterror]

Bit of a PSA and lesson in poorly thought out cyber-crime!

I was watching this item the other day: Canon G15 Camera

It ended and then later on the same day was relisted for a BIN price of $300 (that listing now appears to have been removed).

Happened to check on another listing from the same seller, this Fitbit, and noticed the same buyer of the camera had been having a bit of a bid on that one too!

Seemed a bit shillish, so I contacted another eBayer I know who usually has some interesting insights to offer and asked their opinion.  They took a look, and noticed the winner of the G15 camera had left + feedback already AND that winning bidder is also following the seller!  Makes cross-referencing very easy!

Today that same seller has also listed a couple of used mobile phones here and here - I put a couple of bids on to see if some shill bids might follow, and sure enough they turned up!

Check it out and see what you think!

EDIT:  Oh...the best bit....check out the ID history of the shill account (noticed by my friend!)

[collect247]

Hahahahahahahaha what a goose.

Wins with one ID and then gives feedback with the other lol

This is the best shilling I have ever seen 

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

that zero feedback bidder is clearly shill bidding.  They even put in very early bids on the 1 day auctions, with the iPhone bid negating the B-I-N price on that listing.

Not the sharpest tool in the shed.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

members come to the boards quite often thinking that shilling is taking place because a bidder has 100% bidding activity with the seller . . . . . . normally it turns out it is not shilling . . . . . . but in this case it is 100% shilling.

[collect247]

Following oneself is a brilliant idea lol.

And the other one is a bit sus me thinks.

[tazzieterror]

eezipeezi...my friend mentioned he might try to coax the shiller out with some bidding on the phones as well, using another account he has, so it could very well be him with those low increment bids.

[kopenhagen5]

With feedback left soon after auction ended.

[tazzieterror]

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@k1ooo-slr-sales wrote:

members come to the boards quite often thinking that shilling is taking place because a bidder has 100% bidding activity with the seller . . . . . . normally it turns out it is not shilling . . . . . . but in this case it is 100% shilling.

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It was the two bids on two items from different categories that got me wondering and taking a closer look.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

yep, what use would a camera seller have for a Fitbit 

[tazzieterror]

Well eBay don't seem to care about this blatant shilling - both phone auctions are still running and due to finish shortly.