• Joan thought she found a great eBay deal on a $300 Prada handbag until she opened the box and found a cheap $10 counterfeit.

• Richard received an urgent message from eBay saying he needed to update his information. A month later his eBay account was disabled for fraud and $10,000 was missing from his bank account.

• Berlyn was excited to find a car he could afford for $3,740. He sent the payment three months ago. He is still waiting for his car and does not know what to do now.

• Marlene sold a flat-panel TV for $1,200. She unexpectedly received a $12,000 cashier’s check. The buyer demanded the over-payment back. She thought she was doing the right thing by returning the money, but the cashier’s check was counterfeit. Now her bank account has a negative $12,000 balance.

Every one of these scams started on eBay and every one could have been prevented with the time-tested advice of guest Michael Ford. His surprising advice includes:

• Why you should never pay for insurance.

• Don’t place bids on Reserve Price Auctions or Mystery Category items.

• Never buy from an auction posted in all capital letters.

According to the FBI, 44 percent of reported Internet fraud involves online auctions and those are only the reported crimes!

CREDENTIALS: Known as the Auction Inquisitor, Michael has helped thousands trade safely through his Auction-Safety.org Web site, his Don’t Bid on It book series and his FREE Auction Inquisitor Auction Analysis software. He has been an influential Power Seller on eBay who provides essential safety advice in his new book SCAMS AND SCOUNDRELS: Protect Yourself from the Dark Side of eBay and Paypal.

AVAILABILITY: Camarillo, CA, nationwide by arrangement and telephone; available as a last-minute guest; call anytime
CONTACT: Michael Ford, 1-800-965-9527 (CA); Michael@auction-safety.org; www.Auction-Safety.org