Yahoo! news in the UK reports that a Fake Bidder Sentenced For eBay Scam

Sometimes if Barrett actually won the bidding he would leave positive feedback about himself.

By using this process he managed to sell two Mercedes vehicles, a pie and pasty warmer, a cash register, a refrigerated display counter, three mobile phones, a Land Rover and a digital camera.

His plan only unravelled after a buyer complained about a van he had been sold and Barrett’s second identity was discovered.

A pie warmer had multiple bids?

He was sentenced to 250 hours community service and fined £5,000.

The judge said the accused’s “conduct strikes at the heart” of on-line commerce. Strong words with a real conviction. However, I do not see this man, or his conduct, truly affecting the “heart” of on-line commerce. How much fraud will be reduced by sending him to community service? I guess now we can feel safer to bid on pie warmers.