It looks like such a steal--a hot new car on eBay for only a few
thousand dollars! Eagerly, you bid and win, and send in your money
dutifully...only to find out, weeks later, you were the victim of a
scam. Can Auction Inquisitor prevent that? No--but it can
help make it less likely.
Auction Inquisitor's premise is simple--it analyzes an auction for
common signs of fraud, such as new accounts, sudden shifts in sales
patterns (for example, someone who previously sold odd knick-knacks
suddenly begins selling high-ticket items, indicating a hijacked
account), poorly defined return policies, and so on. Auction
Inquisitor presents the information to the user and the user then
judges it.
The system used is based on probabilities, not certainties, and not
every red flag is proof of a scammer. An auction in ALL CAPS is
obnoxious, but not necessarily criminal. New accounts selling
expensive items might have been created solely to offload an
unwanted car. Negative feedback can be from unreasonable customers.
The greater the number of warnings, though, the better the odds
that something is up.
Auction Inquisitor is free and fast. Even if you don't put your
faith in its heuristics, it does do a lot of legwork to gather and
consolidate information on an auction for you, and since the price
is right, it's worth it as a quick "second opinion" on whether or
not to bid on an item.
--Ian Harac
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Auction Inquisitor(TM)
- Version: 1.0.0.6
- Downloads Count: 2,012
- License Type: Free
- Price: Free
- Date Added: Jan 9, 2008
- Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows XP
- Requirements: 300 Mhz CPU, 512 Meg memory or better
- File Size: 1.966 MB
- Author: Elite Minds
Editorial Review of Auction Inquisitor(TM)
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