Brinztech Alert: The Alleged eBay Buyers Data of United States are on Sale

Dark Web News Analysis

The dark web news reports a targeted data offering involving eBay buyers in the United States. A threat actor on a hacker forum is selling a database allegedly containing 378,337 lines of data.

The asking price is a relatively low $500, suggesting this is likely a “scraping” or an export from a compromised third-party seller’s account rather than a breach of eBay’s core infrastructure. However, the data is specific and actionable, targeting US consumers who have recently made purchases on the platform.

Key Cybersecurity Insights

Breaches of marketplace transaction data—even from third-party sellers—create specific fraud vectors that exploit the trust between buyer and platform:

• Package Redirection Fraud: With Names and Addresses of buyers expecting deliveries, scammers can call shipping carriers (FedEx, UPS, USPS) pretending to be the victim. They use the personal info to reroute high-value packages to a “drop” address, stealing the item before it ever reaches the legitimate buyer.
• “Problem with Order” Phishing: This is the most direct threat. Attackers know the victim is an active eBay buyer. They send emails or texts: “eBay Alert: Your recent order cannot be processed due to a payment error. Click here to update your card.” Because the victim has been shopping on eBay, the context makes the scam incredibly convincing.
• Review Extortion: Unscrupulous sellers sometimes buy these lists to conduct “Brushing” scams (creating fake orders to write positive reviews) or to harass buyers who left negative feedback by contacting them on their personal phone numbers or email addresses found in the leak.
• Cross-Platform Targeting: Buyers often use the same email for eBay as they do for PayPal. Attackers will use the leaked emails to target the victims’ PayPal accounts with “Invoice Fraud” emails demanding payment for items they never bought.

Mitigation Strategies

To protect online shopping activity and financial data, the following strategies are recommended:

• In-App Communication Only: Buyers should never communicate with sellers or resolve payment issues outside of the official eBay messaging system. If you receive an email about an order, log in to eBay.com directly to verify it.
• 2FA Enforcement: Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on both your eBay and PayPal accounts to prevent account takeover if your email/password was reused.
• Delivery Manager Accounts: Sign up for official delivery manager accounts (e.g., USPS Informed Delivery, UPS My Choice). This alerts you immediately if someone tries to redirect a package addressed to you.
• Privacy Check: Be aware that third-party sellers on marketplaces receive your name and address. Use a dedicated email alias for shopping to isolate spam and phishing attempts.

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