Using a different eBay account, Mr. Smith offered the same model of Powerbook, the G4 867.

A fraudster then accessed the eBay account, which had been in use for several years and which up to then had 100pc perfect feedback.

It's like, for example, you can't get an eBay account under your name anymore because somebody else already has it.

Ms. Gordon asked Mr. Roybal whether that was the "customary" way people closed eBay accounts.

LEO: So I have an existing eBay account.

If you already have the same key, you should activate it on your eBay account.

In one of the latest plots, thieves use passwords to take control of eBay accounts, "sell" some items and then take the money.

An example of a phishing fraud is an e-mail message that says, "Your eBay account will soon be closed; click here for details."

This process was repeated on four future occasions resulting in the one-month suspension of Vernor's eBay account.

Special TiVo apps also mean you can check your eBay account or update Twitter through the set-top box.