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Message from the Global Law Enforcement Organization:
Hello! and welcome to the Global Law Enforcement Organization Police Blotter. Most Community members have not heard much about what eBay does behind the scenes to pursue, apprehend and prosecute fraudsters on ebay.com and paypal.com. The purpose of the Police Blotter is to share information with the Community about our efforts with law enforcement around the world. As you know, eBay Inc. is committed to creating a safe, well lit marketplace. When people break our policies, violate consumer trust and the law of the land, eBay and PayPal work with law enforcement agencies around the world to apprehend and prosecute fraudsters. For that reason, eBay created the Global Law Enforcement Organization.
The cases below do not reflect all of our success stories. The cases have been chosen to provide you with examples of various cases where we have assisted law enforcement in convicting a fraudster. Please visit us again as we will update the Police Blotter every 6 weeks.
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Three Arrested on Stolen Property Charges
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Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) special agents recently arrested three people for leading a retail theft ring responsible for more than $1 million worth of stolen Blu-ray DVDs from stores in Central Florida. Gregory Marinitz, 41, was charged with one count of dealing in stolen property, a first-degree felony, one count of organized scheme to defraud, a first-degree felony, and one count of dealing in stolen property by use of the Internet, a third-degree felony. James Davidson, 37, and Tina Pallay, 35 were both charged with one count of organized scheme to defraud. eBay along with retail partners Barnes & Noble, Borders, Circuit City, and Target, assisted the FDLE in their investigation.
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eBay Joins Forces to Combat Theft
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A major international grocery chain contacted us regarding the sales of various health & beauty and home improvement items by a particular seller on eBay. After review of the user's account, and with the assistance of our retail partner, it was determined that the sellers were convicted retail thieves in the area. After concluding the investigation, eBay decided to take appropriate action per its policies and procedures. The case is currently being presented to Law Enforcement on behalf of the retail member and eBay. |
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Two arrested on ID Theft Charges
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Billy Morris Britt, 36, of Seattle, and Gabriel K. Jang, 37, of Renton, were arrested on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in November of 2008. The suspects are accused of using stolen credit cards to buy computers and other electronic equipment which was then sold for millions of dollars on eBay. They and others stole hundreds of credit cards from gymnasium lockers in Washington and Oregon, created nearly instant fake identification in their cars, and then purchased expensive electronics equipment with those stolen cards within hours of the theft. This equipment was then sold on eBay. A financial investigation showed that $2 million from the sale of electronic goods had passed through a PayPal account used by Jang since 2004, and another $1.3 million into a checking account traced to Jang. eBay and PayPal investigators assisted the United States Secret Service in Seattle on an ongoing basis for over a year prior to the arrest.
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UK Man Convicted in Counterfeit Scam |
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Davut Turk, living in the UK, raked in tens of thousands of dollars selling expensive jewelry and ornaments on eBay over the past two years. Although described as silver, the products were actually made of brass. Turk's lucrative scam, which netted him approximately $70,000, was exposed when a customer complaint led to raids on his home and a nearby storage locker. Mr. Turk was recently convicted of 30 offences relating to trade descriptions and the use of counterfeit hallmarks. Officers found more than 200 pounds of fake silver items, ranging from rings and necklaces to candelabras and salt and pepper shakers. Turk was ordered to pay close to $10,000 in court fees and fines. eBay and PayPal investigators assisted law enforcement in an ongoing basis over the course of several months. They were able to assist investigators trace the funds received for this scam as Mr. Turk used PayPal to accept payment from his victims.
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Safety
Tip of the Month
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The federal government and the technology industry have teamed up to create OnGuardOnline.gov, a new site to help you guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information. We hope members of the eBay community will help fight fraud by using the tips at OnGuardOnline.gov and sharing them with family, friends, and colleagues.
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