fraudulent seller will either not pursue with the delivery, or send a less valuable version of the purchased item (replicated, used, refurbished, etc.). Protection to prevent such acts has become readily available, most notably PayPal's buyer protection policy. As PayPal handles the transaction, they have the ability to hold funds until a conclusion is drawn whereby the victim can be compensated. Sale of stolen goods Online auction websites are used by thieves or fences to sell stolen goods to unsuspecting buyers. According to police statistics, there were over 8000 crimes involving stolen goods, fraud, or deception reported on eBay in 2009. It has become common practice for organized criminals to steal in-demand items, often in bulk. These items are then sold online, as it is a safer option due to the anonymity and worldwide market it provides. Auction fraud makes up a large percentage of complaints received by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (around 63% in 2005 and 45% in 2006). Money Laundaring Onlinr auctions are vulnerable to criminal activities and money laundering. Us department of treasury conducted a Study of the Facilitation of Money Laundering and Terror Finance Through the Trade in Works of Art. Link to the study paper:https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/Treasury_Study_WoA.pdf See also Auto auction Auction software Online travel auction Tendering Unique bid auction Private electronic market References External links American inventions French inventions