eBay shutdown email is a hoax

An email claiming that popular auction site eBay is going to shut down on 27 February is a hoax, security experts have said.

Security firm Sophos has warned emailers to be wary of the message, which though it appears to come from eBay, is designed to steal information from users.

The email informs recipients that eBay has decided to close because of "repeated abuses on our company". It then invites you to vote, asking if you agree or disagree with the decision. It goes on to say that if 50 per cent or more or respondents want eBay to remain open, it will.

If recipients click on the link, they are taken to a phishing site, where personal details including eBay login names and passwords are requested.

"It's unlikely that many people will believe that such a successful website as eBay is considering calling it quits, but they might think it is a teaser campaign by the auction giant for some other kind of promotion," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.

Sophos also reported that 75 per cent of phishing emails sent last year were aimed at customers of eBay and its subsidiary PayPal.

http://www.sophos.com/

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