Namepros member Hookbox posted that to test NameJet’s system, he created three accounts and could be set up to shill if need be. I want to make clear before people lose their minds, he did it to point out the problems with monitoring for shill bids.
So now I have 3 accounts at Namejet. My original account and two more I just opened. The second and third account are totally fake with fake names and info and each was opened with different email addresses and a visa gift card as the credit card info and google phone numbers.
I placed multiple bids on the same names from all 3 accounts.
I am ready to shill bid if anyone needs my services. I will be shilling on my own auctions when needed.
I am obviously kidding.
I did this to see how easy it is to shill bid if I really wanted to. How the f*ck in the year 2017 am I able to have 3 accounts at a supposedly secure auction house all from the same exact IP?
What a joke, and they wonder why people don’t trust their company. They can’t even secure the most basic entry point for people to easily shill.
Now there was a reply talking about technically different users could use the same ip:
Even though unlikely, it is not impossible for 100% different customers to be shown as having the same IP on NameJet (or anywhere), such as where both are connected using the same 3g/4g provider (cellular modems) in the same city. What NameJet should do is to check for duplicate accounts at least at the moment somebody decided to “verify” their account to bid $2500(?) or more. Which they may or may not be doing already. In fact they should better create a policy on duplicate accounts…
I think Hookbox’s exercise shows that setting up the potential for shilling is hard to defeat, ( I know many have known this for decades). While you may not be able to prevent the set up 100% there needs to be systems that can analyze bidding patterns in real time to alert the site admins to possible nefarious behavior.
