bidz.com identity theft?

[Anathema]

So today I got an email from some auction site called bidz.com congratulating me on winning a auction. I checked them out online and they sound like bad news. Anyway, here's the email:

Dear iwantsome123,

You are the WINNER of a Bidz.com Auction!

Listing # a_13891367

Listing Description:
Darling Earrings With Genuine Garnets in Solid Yellow Gold

Winning Bid (Your Price): $4.00 USD American Dollars

Your Credit Card will not be charged automatically. Credit Card
charges will apply only after you enter all the necessary information
on our secure
payment page: [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

If you won a Certified Merchant item, you need to pay the Certified
Merchant directly.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Notice~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you place a bid on Bidz.com, you are entering into a legally
binding contract.
We ask you to please bid only on items that you intend to purchase.

Payment is due upon receipt of this e-mail. If an item is not paid for
within 5 days, it will be re-listed.
Non-payment for 1 (one) or more winning bids will result in suspension
and/or termination of your
bidding privileges.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FOR PAYMENT INFORMATION:
Go to --> [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]


FOR SHIPPING INFORMATION:
Go to --> [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank You For Shopping Bidz!

.....................
BidZ.com
3562 Eastham Dr.
Culver City, CA 90232

[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]
.....................

Visit our on-line auctions
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]
Home of the $1 No Reserve, 100% Risk Free Auctions!

I've never heard of these guys, and certainly never signed up. My question is, did someone get ahold of my CC info, or is this a marketing ploy?

[verwon]

Well, we have shopped there, so they are a legitimate business for auction purchases, my guess would be, either someone stole your info, or it is a marketing ploy for the people selling those earrings. Either way, you should probably contact the help section at Bidz to check, tell them you did not place the bid, never signed up for an account there and etc. They should be able to take care of it for you.

[Anathema]

Thanks verwon. I just took your advice and wrote them.

[verwon]

Great, hope it helps, they should be able to check the whole account for you, they can see what IP address was used to sign up for it and everything, that is if there really is an account under your email, if there isn't then you will know it is just a marketing ploy to try to get you to buy their stuff, and bidz doesn't like sellers who spam for business, either.

[kirsey2121]

Ebay does this all of the time...people make fake emails trying to get you to give them your credit card number...I have gotten a lot of them. I imagine that is exactly what this is. For ebay users if the email doesnt address you by your name or your ebay user id it is fake, ebay will never ask for vital information such as credit cards and social security through email, ect.

[Anathema]

Well I got two responses. It appears that someone did infact sign up using my email account. Neither response was very insightful. Here they are:

Dear Customer,


Per your request we have deactivated your Bidz.com account and removed
your email address from our database. We thank you for having used
Bidz.com and hope you may consider visiting us again in the future.


Thank you,
Customer Service Team
***********************************************************************
Bidz.com
3562 Eastham Dr.
Culver City, CA 90232
310.280.7375 FAX
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]
ACCESS OUR LIVE HELP LINK
FOR 24 HOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE
ranianto(r)
Bidz.com

And then:

Dear Customer: iwantsome123


Thank you for bidding on bidz.com.

We regret to inform you that due to non-payment of one or more winning
bids your account has been deactivated.

Your bidding privileges will be reinstated once the outstanding
available auctions will be paid.

If you feel you received this message in error please call us at
(310)280-7305 or email [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]



Thank you,

Bidz.com Account Control

***********************************************************************
Bidz.com
3562 Eastham Dr.
Culver City, CA 90232

So that's it. Hopefully it's the end of it.