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Avoid Fraud - Shill Bidding
Computers are used more and more frequenrly nowadys, people can shopping online without going out any more. Though it is very conveniout, it make fraud more and more common now.
Shill bidding is common on internet and it means bidding on your own items, either through a second ID or via a friend, in order to artificially raise their final value. Shill bidding is illegal in the UK. So how can we spot the shill bidding?
First of all, you may be wondering how and when we should suspect we're being shilled. For most victims, it is a sneaking suspicion that creeps up on them over the course of the auction, but it doesn't hurt to be proactive and a little paranoid.
The following are some warning signs to look out:
1. The Devoted Bidder.
A bidder bids exclusively or nearly exclusively on one or two sellers' items--yet rarely wins. It is true that many people lowball their bids on one seller's auctions hoping to win a bargain. However, the items are similar products--perhaps this seller's specialty--and the bidder hopes to get a bargain on shipping as well by buying all from the same person.
The "devoted bidder" is especially indicative of shilling when the items are varied. It is highly unlikely, for example, that a bidder just happens to need a quilt, a man's suit, a woman's dress, a backpack, 2 laptops, a lamp, and a slot machine and other items, just at the same time,one seller happens to have all of those items up for auction.
How do we find out if the ID we suspect is a "devoted bidder"? Do a Bidder Search on the User ID, sellers' names are now listed on the Bidder List page, so you can quickly and easily see if the bidder prefers one (or two) seller.
2. Similarity of seller & bidder IDs.
This is something we'll only come across by chance, and we sometimes need to take the category into account. Watch for alliteration and initials, as well. For (fictitious) example, "jsmith" might have a shill ID "joesmith@anyisp.com". This is the type of similarity we should watch out as a potential shill. Sometimes the similarity is based on common interest, however. Another fictitious example: Seller "sanrio-rules!" has a bid from user ID "ilovesanrio!". Seller "sanrio-rules!" sells (you guessed it) Sanrio products. Check the other warning signs if you want, but the ID similarity is probably purely innocent and based on a common interest. If you see that "ilovesanrio!" is buying a toaster from "sanrio-rules!", we should probably suspect it..
3. Seller is too quick to relist.
When items are accidentally won by a shill account, they are often relisted soon after auction closes. This is particularly salient for non-duplicable items: handmade, unique, or rare/hard-to-find items, especially antiques, art, and collectibles. Though it does happen that a high bidder refuses an auction immediately after winning, it is more likely that they'll string the seller along for at least a few days. Relisting in fewer than 4 days is far too soon to not activate our radar.
4. Shotgun feedback.
Feedback is exchanged during a curiously short period of time (3 days at the outside). Feedback between shill and seller ID is known as "shill feedback"--a little consolation prize for the seller who accidentally wins their own auction. Few find it easy to resist. These days, instant payment is more and more common, it is really only the bidder-to-seller feedback that counts here because it's the seller (the primary account) who's usually the lucky feedback recipient. It is possible for a bidder to receive an item and leave feedback within 3 days. It is possible, but not common. Look for other indicators, such as fast relisting, and use your own judgment.
5. Nibbling.
Nibbling is when you see someone who has placed a series of bids one after another, upping their bid a little each time. If this has resulted in the bidder winning the auction then it is not a problem and is just an indication of a bidder who does not understand how the proxy bidding process works, or had no fixed maximum price. When the nibbler has retracted their highest bid leaving another bidder as the winner then you are looking at suspicious activity.
After knowing facts above, I think you've known something about shill bidding.Wish you a happy shopping.
About the Author Jasonlaochen: e-commerce researcher focus on China's b2b (Business-to-business) market.
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