eBay Ticket Fraud Conviction Exposes Looming Fraud Issues

By Talmadge Harper
TicketNews.com

California resident Gilbert Vartanian, 37, of Sacramento was convicted this week on 12 counts of mail fraud, stemming from a ticket scam he allegedly operated on eBay from 2001 to 2004. Vartanian posed as a ticket broker, reneging on selling tickets for popular sports teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Pittsburg Steelers and New England Patriots, among others.

Vartanian reportedly collected over $90,000 from his scam and was apprehended in Fremont by authorities earlier this year, just the latest example of eBay’s vigilance in going over criminals that allegedly use the site illegally. . .

EBay has a standard user feedback policy which safe guards customers from fraud. However, some customers in search of tickets still learn that ticket fraud can happen. In 2006, for example, a Russian website allegedly offered eBay account information for just $5 dollars, according to PC World magazine, which the website allegedly priced based on “user feedback” of each stolen account. And, other fraudulent brokers have reportedly turned up not only on eBay but all over the Internet.

“We’re in contact with law enforcement to track down perpetrators to ensure they are prosecuted,” an eBay spokesperson told PC World.