EBay helped to shut down a Russian website this week that was offering to sell stolen customer account information for as little as US$5 each.Armed with an eBay customer’s login and password, a fraudster could post items for sale, collect payments and then never deliver the goods. The site was also offering to sell a handful of PayPal accounts.Security vendor Sunbelt Software detected the site Tuesday and reported it to eBay, which worked with the local ISP (Internet service provider) to have it taken offline, an eBay spokeswoman confirmed. She couldn’t say how many user accounts were offered for sale or whether any customers’ accounts had been misused.The site probably collected the information through phishing attacks or a Trojan horse virus that plants keylogging software on users’ PCs, said Alex Eckelberry, president of Sunbelt, in Clearwater, Fla. Attempts to harvest and sell such information are fairly widespread, he said. “It would make the hair on your neck stand on end if you knew,” he said.The site was inaccessible Friday morning, but Eckelberry posted screen captures in his blog that appeared to show account information for sale from customers in the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia. Check out his posting. The site preferred accounts that were used infrequently, meaning a user would take longer to notice any suspicious activity, and asked a higher price for accounts with good feedback ratings. Prices ranged from $5 to $25 per account.“We’re in contact with law enforcement to track down the perpetrators, and we’re going to vigorously pursue this investigation to ensure they are prosecuted,” the eBay spokeswoman said.A check on the Whois database showed the website was registered on Dec. 2, 2005, allegedly to a company in Cypress, Calif. There was no reply Friday at the phone number provided, although the site’s creator would be unlikely to use real contact information.EBay reiterated its guidelines for customers to avoid having their data stolen: Be extremely wary of e-mail that asks you to update personal account information, download eBay’s toolbar with software that detects fraudulent eBay and PayPal sites, and report suspicious e-mail.-James Niccolai, IDG News ServiceKeep checking in at our CSO Security Feed page for updated news coverage. Related content feature Top cybersecurity M&A deals for 2023 Fears of recession, rising interest rates, mass tech layoffs, and conservative spending trends are likely to make dealmakers cautious, but an ever-increasing need to defend against bigger and faster attacks will likely keep M&A activity steady in By CSO Staff Sep 22, 2023 24 mins Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions brandpost Unmasking ransomware threat clusters: Why it matters to defenders Similar patterns of behavior among ransomware treat groups can help security teams better understand and prepare for attacks By Joan Goodchild Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Cybercrime news analysis China’s offensive cyber operations support “soft power” agenda in Africa Researchers track Chinese cyber espionage intrusions targeting African industrial sectors. By Michael Hill Sep 21, 2023 5 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks Critical Infrastructure brandpost Proactive OT security requires visibility + prevention You cannot protect your operation by simply watching and waiting. It is essential to have a defense-in-depth approach. By Austen Byers Sep 21, 2023 4 mins Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe