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FBI Seeks Hacker of eBay Users' Info
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - A hacker used a University of North Carolina computer
system to steal personal financial
information from eBay users, federal officials say.
Users of the Internet auction site complained to the FBI they received
fraudulent e-mails during the past week that
appeared to come from eBay, said Chris Swecker, who heads the FBI in North
Carolina.
The e-mails told recipients their accounts were suspended until they verified
some personal information - including
their credit card number and mother's maiden name. A link in the e-mail took
users to a Web page appearing to belong
to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
A hacker used a university computer server for at least two hours Sunday to
post the page before technicians shut it
down, said spokeswoman Karin Steinbrenner.
The hacker does not appear to be a UNCC student or employee, Steinbrenner and
Swecker said.
Officials at eBay said they've noticed an increase in these fraudulent e-mails
since early 2002, spokesman Kevin
Pursglove said.
``As fast as we can find them they disappear,'' he said.
By Monday, the page linked to the fake eBay e-mail had disappeared, and was
replaced by a Web site registered to a
Pennsylvania woman, who said she also had been the victim of identity theft
and that thieves also stole an
undisclosed amount of money from her bank account.
