Using eBay to catch a truck thief (2024)

HomeSoftware DevelopmentUsing eBay to catch a truck thief

byRobert McMillan

news

Dec 24, 20074 mins

Software Development

Software developer runs his own sting operation in Texas

On the morning of Nov. 17, Ben Adams found himself hiding beneath the retractable cover in the back of a Chevy TrailBlazer. The truck was parked in front of a warehouse in Duncanville, Texas. His friend “Sam,” the TrailBlazer’s owner, had just finished a test drive on a 1949 Chevy truck–the same truck Adams was certain had been stolen from him four months earlier.

Adams pulled out his mobile phone and dialed 911. “Please help me,” he said. “I’m at a warehouse. There are criminals all around me.”

The story of how a mild-mannered software developer from San Antonio, Texas,ended up running his own undercover sting operation against eBay fraudsters begins with a truck. And if the story has a lesson, it’s the one told on Adams’s blog: Don’t mess with Texas, especially if it involves a truck.

The Colbert Rapport

Last July, Adams sold the 1949 Chevy in an eBay auction. The buyer, who called himself Derrick Colbert, appeared to be from Georgia. And when a transport company employee showed up at Adams’s door with a cashier’s check for US$9,600, Adams let him load up the truck and promised to hand over the title when the check cleared.

The next day, he learned from his bank that the check was a fake.

Adams immediately contacted no fewer than 15 law enforcement organizations and eBay itself, but he also began some sleuthing of his own.

He found that the thief had made an important slip-up. While corresponding about the truck, Colbert had sent Adams an e-mail from a second eBay address, different from the one he used to purchase the truck.

Hunting Down the Thief

By tracking the sales and purchases of Colbert’s second eBay ID and contacting a Colorado dealer who had sold him a junky 1950 Chevy truck, Adams was able to track Colbert down to the South Dallas area. But he still didn’t have his truck.

By now, Adams had put together a 10-page packet of information and sent itto every law enforcement agency he could think of. But police didn’t seem to have much interest in working on the case, and although he had reported Colbert to eBay, that didn’t get him anywhere either.

“At this point, I was kind of depressed,” remembered Adams. “Every few weeks, I’d do regular eBay searches for all automobiles made between 1948 and 1952 that were within the Dallas-Fort Worth area… I even searched in Craigslist.”

And then on November 13, his luck changed.

The Big Payback

Colbert had listed the pale blue 1950 Chevy for sale on eBay. Only it wasn’t junky anymore, and it didn’t look like the 1950 Chevy that Colbert had bought from the Colorado dealer a few weeks earlier. It looked just like a repainted version of Adams’s 1949 truck. It had the same windows in back, the same missing gas cap, and the same yellow stain across the passenger side of the front windshield.

“It made me sick to my stomach,” Adams said. He called local police, but they were skeptical. So he decided to set up a sting.

First step: fake ID. He took a tip from the thieves and bought a prepaid mobile phone in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Then using a friend’s well-established eBay account, he placed a couple of bids on the truck to show that he was an interested buyer. His name became “Sam.”

He didn’t want to seem too eager. In fact, he didn’t want to do anything to tip Colbert off. And although he thought he might be putting his life at risk, Adams called Colbert and asked to set up a Saturday morning test drive. To be sure that Adams wouldn’t be recognized, a friend volunteered to play the part of “Sam” during the face-to-face meeting.

And that’s how Ben Adams ended up hidden inside a Chevy TrailBlazer on a Saturday morning, calling 911. Patrol cars speeding to the scene met up with Adams and his friend about a half-mile from the warehouse and followed the amateur sleuths back to the truck.

“They probably had a two-minute window where they probably could have shut the warehouse door and hit the road,” Adams said.

But the thieves didn’t leave, and now Adams has his truck back. And this time he plans to keep it.

Related content

  • analysisSmall language models and open source are transforming AI From cutting costs to boosting efficiency, lean AI is reshaping the business landscape and democratizing advanced technology for enterprises of all sizes.By David LinthicumAug 02, 20245 minsGenerative AIArtificial IntelligenceCloud Computing
  • analysisHow Dapr improves cloud-native development Open-source application framework combines building blocks for Kubernetes and support for classic distributed application design patterns. More is on the way. By Simon BissonAug 01, 20248 minsKubernetesCloud NativeDevelopment Tools
  • how-toThe best new features in C# 13 C# 13 introduces several new features that make it easier to build modern applications including enhanced params collections and a new Lock API that improves thread synchronization. By Joydip KanjilalAug 01, 202410 minsMicrosoft .NETC#Development Libraries and Frameworks
  • newsGoogle Cloud Spanner adds graph processing, graph RAG With Spanner Graph, full-text search, and vector search, Google Cloud Spanner becomes a multi-model database with intelligent capabilities that support AI applications, Google said. By Paul KrillAug 01, 20242 minsGoogle Cloud PlatformGenerative AIDatabases
  • Resources
  • Videos
Using eBay to catch a truck thief (2024)

FAQs

Can you get caught selling stolen goods on eBay? ›

The sale of stolen property is not allowed on eBay. The sale of stolen property violates state, federal and international law, and we will work with law enforcement in any attempts to sell stolen property on eBay.

Does eBay help with stolen packages? ›

Neither Ebay nor the seller is responsible if the item was stolen after delivery. File a police report, report it to your local postmaster and think about a more secure location for deliveries.

Does eBay report to the police? ›

We are committed to keeping eBay a safe place to shop and will always assist in a criminal investigation and, in accordance with our privacy policies, will appropriately provide evidence to law enforcement and give evidence in court where necessary.

Does eBay give you 5 days to test drive a car? ›

You'll have 5 days to test/drive the car. eBay will hold the funds until you receive the car with all the papers. Only after you confirm that you wanna keep it will release me the funds.

What happens if you buy something you didn't know was stolen? ›

If you purchased a stolen good online without knowing it was stolen, you won't likely face any criminal charges. The law typically gives a break to those who unknowingly buy goods from a thief. If you find out at a later time that the item you purchased was stolen, you should report the activity to police officials.

How to tell if an item on eBay is stolen? ›

Even once the item arrives it's no way to tell if it's used, stolen or an open box item they got for cheap and resold. Same thing with knock items you won't know until it's to late. The only way possible is if it's a high ticketed item such as a camera or high end tablet.

Does eBay ever protect the seller? ›

We protect all sellers from abusive buying behavior and from events outside their control. Your track record matters on eBay, and we'll support you when you deliver on your service promise and provide a good buying experience.

Are sellers responsible for stolen packages? ›

Unless there is a signature, the buyer is protected, and if no one else has volunteered to take responsibility, the seller is responsible. Consumer Protection Law has always been biased toward the buyer, in part because it is to difficult and expensive to apportion blame between buyer and seller.

Will eBay refund a lost package? ›

Report that your item hasn't arrived

You have up to 30 calendar days after the estimated delivery date has passed to report that an item hasn't arrived. The seller should respond within 3 business days to provide a delivery update, offer a replacement, or give you a refund.

How long does it take eBay to investigate? ›

We normally come back with an answer within 48 hours, though occasionally it might take longer if we need more information. Once we've found a resolution, we'll let you and the seller know the outcome and anything else you need to do. For example, we may ask you to send the item back to the seller.

Can I see who reported me on eBay? ›

ebay does keep records when you report a buyer for misusing the MBG to get return shipping paid by the seller. The buyer will not know that s/he has been reported. If enough reports are filed for that buyer, ebay can refuse to accept any cases from that buyer under the MBG.

Does reporting a seller on eBay do anything? ›

eBay keeps a record and when a member has reached a certain threshold, they may be kicked off, have limitations put in place, they may be cautioned or trained... Your violations are also not shared with anyone. No action will be taken if eBay doesn't agree with your report.

Can someone sell a car through eBay? ›

You can sell all types of vehicles, including cars, trucks, motorcycles, and boats, as well as parts and accessories, in the Motors category on eBay. Vehicles, parts, or accessories can be listed in the same formats as most other product categories, including auction, Buy It Now, and Best Offer.

Is it safe to buy a car off eBay? ›

eBay's Vehicle Purchase Protection covers certain vehicle transactions, but it's important to review the individual seller's return policy. Some sellers may offer returns, while others may sell the vehicle “as is.” Always communicate with the seller about any concerns before finalizing the purchase.

How does buying a car through eBay work? ›

When you buy a vehicle through a fixed price listing, by winning an auction, or when a seller accepts your offer, you'll be redirected to Escrow.com from the eBay checkout. Create your Escrow.com account and deposit the funds to pay for your vehicle. Once you start the transaction, the seller is notified.

Can you go to jail for selling fake items on eBay? ›

If convicted of Penal Code 350 selling, manufacturing, possessing for sale of counterfeit goods as a felony, it carries the following penalties: 16 months, two or three years in a county jail. A fine up to $500,000 for individuals. A fine up to $1,000,000 for a business.

What are the consequences of selling fake items on eBay? ›

Such actions may include, as an example only: Removing the listing or other content, issuing a warning, restricting activity or account suspension. Visit Seller Help - opens in new window or tab to find details of any policy issues with your account or listings, and get the information you need to quickly resolve them.

What happens if you sell something on eBay and it gets lost? ›

If the estimated date of delivery to the buyer has passed, and tracking does not indicate "delivered", you will need to refund the buyer. There is no "seller protection" when the buyer does not receive the item. You can file a claim through USPS.

What is forbidden to sell on eBay? ›

Firearms, weapons and knives. Government, transit, postal items and official items policy. Hazardous, restricted, or regulated materials. Items encouraging illegal activity.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Dr. Pierre Goyette

Last Updated:

Views: 5645

Rating: 5 / 5 (50 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Dr. Pierre Goyette

Birthday: 1998-01-29

Address: Apt. 611 3357 Yong Plain, West Audra, IL 70053

Phone: +5819954278378

Job: Construction Director

Hobby: Embroidery, Creative writing, Shopping, Driving, Stand-up comedy, Coffee roasting, Scrapbooking

Introduction: My name is Dr. Pierre Goyette, I am a enchanting, powerful, jolly, rich, graceful, colorful, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.