Warning -- 5D Mk. II ebay fraud uses my photo at DVinfo.net

Chris Hurd · November 21st, 2008, 11:34 AM

Watch out for this bogus 5D Mk. II fraud on Ebay. It's clearly a fake. The photo of the retail box shown on that listing page is obviously a poorly done PhotoShop of the one I posted here last week (the lighting flare on the box front gives it away -- the image is altered, but it's obviously my picture that he's using there).

I've already reported it to Ebay -- it would help if you reported it, too. It'll probably save somebody from getting ripped off, although I don't know who would actually fall for this bogus listing. He claims to have *two* cameras that were "given to him by his brother." Riiiiiight...

The fraudulent listing:

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1 Megapixel- BODY ONLY - eBay (item 160299802680 end time Nov-24-08 19:41:42 PST)

The bogus photo, poor alteration of my image attached here.

Compare with my original at http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/attachmen...box-5dbox1.jpg

Allen Plowman · November 21st, 2008, 02:11 PM

This listing (160299802680) has been removed or is no longer available. Please make sure you entered the right item number.
If the listing was removed by eBay, consider it canceled. Note: Listings that have ended more than 90 days ago will no longer appear on eBay.

apparently your report worked Chris, good job.

Chris Hurd · November 21st, 2008, 02:24 PM

Great, thanks for that report, Allen. This is the second time I'm aware of that someone has used my photos to fake an Ebay listing in an attempt to create fraud. The first was a number of years ago when a person listed a Canon EF 1200mm prime lens on Ebay using the photos I took of it at the 2002 Winter Olympics. There are less than a dozen of those lenses in existence in the entire world, yet somebody thought they could pass my photos off as their own in order to run an Ebay scam. That listing was removed by Ebay within hours, as was this one. Thanks again,

Min Lee · November 21st, 2008, 02:48 PM

Maybe consider putting a watermark on your photos next time? Probably too late for this since it's already leaked to so many websites.

Chris Hurd · November 21st, 2008, 03:11 PM

I did that -- I always watermark images that I upload to the Web. In this case it was cropped out.

Dave Blackhurst · November 23rd, 2008, 12:53 AM

FWIW, this is a common eBay scam - scrape the web (or other eBay auctions) for photos, alter them a bit (watermarking won't help unless you use one across the entire face of the image...), stick a fake auction up on a hacked/jacked account (typically with an email "contact" and an excuse as to why you can't use eBay messaging).

The "mark" (internet NOOB or overly optimistic bargain hunter who forgot the phase "too good to be true") emails, and typically the con artist will then ask for a Western Union money order or other unsafe payment method...

I can't imagine anyone being so stupid as to fall for these scams, but I guess they rely on the old PT Barnum saying about fooling people... and all it takes is ONE schmuck on a high ticket item to make a "big score".

November 21st, 2008, 11:34 AM	#1
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	Warning -- 5D Mk. II ebay fraud uses my photo Watch out for this bogus 5D Mk. II fraud on Ebay. It's clearly a fake. The photo of the retail box shown on that listing page is obviously a poorly done PhotoShop of the one I posted here last week (the lighting flare on the box front gives it away -- the image is altered, but it's obviously my picture that he's using there). I've already reported it to Ebay -- it would help if you reported it, too. It'll probably save somebody from getting ripped off, although I don't know who would actually fall for this bogus listing. He claims to have two cameras that were "given to him by his brother." Riiiiiight... The fraudulent listing: Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1 Megapixel- BODY ONLY - eBay (item 160299802680 end time Nov-24-08 19:41:42 PST) The bogus photo, poor alteration of my image attached here. Compare with my original at http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/attachmen...box-5dbox1.jpg Attached Images __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

November 21st, 2008, 02:11 PM	#2
Allen Plowman Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Paradise, california Posts: 353	This listing (160299802680) has been removed or is no longer available. Please make sure you entered the right item number. If the listing was removed by eBay, consider it canceled. Note: Listings that have ended more than 90 days ago will no longer appear on eBay. apparently your report worked Chris, good job. __________________ "What I need is an exact list of specific unknown problems we might encounter."

November 21st, 2008, 02:24 PM	#3
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	Great, thanks for that report, Allen. This is the second time I'm aware of that someone has used my photos to fake an Ebay listing in an attempt to create fraud. The first was a number of years ago when a person listed a Canon EF 1200mm prime lens on Ebay using the photos I took of it at the 2002 Winter Olympics. There are less than a dozen of those lenses in existence in the entire world, yet somebody thought they could pass my photos off as their own in order to run an Ebay scam. That listing was removed by Ebay within hours, as was this one. Thanks again, __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

November 21st, 2008, 03:11 PM	#5
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	I did that -- I always watermark images that I upload to the Web. In this case it was cropped out. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

November 21st, 2008, 02:48 PM	#4
Min Lee Major Player Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 200	Maybe consider putting a watermark on your photos next time? Probably too late for this since it's already leaked to so many websites.

November 23rd, 2008, 12:53 AM	#6
Dave Blackhurst Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Apple Valley CA Posts: 4,874	FWIW, this is a common eBay scam - scrape the web (or other eBay auctions) for photos, alter them a bit (watermarking won't help unless you use one across the entire face of the image...), stick a fake auction up on a hacked/jacked account (typically with an email "contact" and an excuse as to why you can't use eBay messaging). The "mark" (internet NOOB or overly optimistic bargain hunter who forgot the phase "too good to be true") emails, and typically the con artist will then ask for a Western Union money order or other unsafe payment method... I can't imagine anyone being so stupid as to fall for these scams, but I guess they rely on the old PT Barnum saying about fooling people... and all it takes is ONE schmuck on a high ticket item to make a "big score".