Phishing scams have been on the internet for awhile and frequently target Ebay and Paypal users.

Basically a form of identity theft, the a phishing scam involves sending a spoof email to users in an attempt to obtain personal information. The email will usually have the address of the legitimate site in the from field. (its a simple thing to change the "from" address in most email clients) Logos will appear to be from legitimate sites. Often the form of the letter itself will conform to the legitimate sites email template, complete with valid header and footer links. The difference will be in the clickable link which leads to a spoof website designed to look exactly like an Ebay or Paypal login page. Once you have logged in the scammer now has your login information. By holding your mouse over the link you should be able to see the actual address of the website in your browsers address bar.

A recent variation targeting Ebay users uses a form identical to the Ebay My Message form. Often it is an inquiry about an item at auction, etc. Clicking the link to respond takes one to a spoof Ebay login page. Another ploy is a form designed to look like a second chance offer. Is very easy to get tripped by these when you are busy answering a lot of email.

The bottom line - and the only way to absolutely prevent becoming a victim of a phishing scam - is to never click on the link inside of an email. All of your account information for both Ebay and Paypal are accessible within the respective websites. Regardless of how legitimate the email may appear, always go to the website through your browser or bookmarks. If you suspect an email to be suspicious, report them to Ebay / Paypal at spoof@ebay.com or spoof@paypal.com. They tend to respond very quickly to these and will tell you if the mail is legitimate.