Security Centre
How to protect yourself
What is phishing?
How phishing works
What to do if you get phished
eBay has a dedicated global team of over 2000 trust & safety professionals who work around the clock to protect and assist members in all areas of account security and safe trading. While all this work goes on behind the scenes to ensure a safe and happy environment for our members, this is made even more effective if you take these few simple steps:
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Beware of emails asking you to update your personal information within the email or by clicking on a link in the email which takes you to a website. eBay, PayPal, your bank and most other reputable organisations will never ask you for your account or credit card details, username or password in an email.
If you are in any doubt, always open a new browser and type the web address rather than clicking on a link to ensure you are on the genuine site. -
The latest versions of both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox come with inbuilt phishing protection. Make sure you’re on the latest version. Click here for links to the latest browser downloads. -
Every time you open an email attachment or download a file from the internet, you are risking exposure to potentially harmful viruses and online hackers. Computers that have no anti-virus software are unprotected and vulnerable. To prevent this from happening regularly update your anti-virus software. -
If an email affecting the status of your eBay account is legitimate, it will always appear in the My Messages section of My eBay. If it isn't in My Messages and it’s to do with your account, it's likely to be a fake. This doesn’t apply to emails about your watched items, being outbid, winning an item, your favourite searches or newsletters like The Candy Jar. -
Detect fraudulent websites that claim to be eBay or PayPal by downloading the free eBay Toolbar with Account Guard. The Account Guard turns green when you are on a genuine eBay or PayPal site and red when you are on a potentially fraudulent site. This handy tool also provides updates on any items you are watching, selling or bidding on. -
If you are in any doubt that an email you have received or a website you have visited is genuine, report it immediately to spoof@ebay.com.au or spoof@paypal.com.au, forward the entire email and delete it immediately.
The strongest passwords are those that are the hardest to guess. Some scammers use software to guess passwords so it’s important to choose wisely. Combinations of letters, numbers, symbols and upper and lower case work best and it’s important to change them regularly to keep your information as secure as possible. Get more password safety tips here.-
Use the PayPal Security Key for extra protection when you sign in to your eBay or PayPal account. The key generates a new six-digit code at the push of a button which you use along with your regular user ID and password. Learn more about the benefits of using the PayPal Security Key.
