Somebody Has to Watch the Bids Shill bidding, fake escrow, and counterfeit lots cost auction buyers real money. AuctionPolice documents the schemes and teaches you to spot a rigged sale before you pay.

Bids placed by or for the seller to inflate a lot's price. It is banned on major platforms and illegal in many jurisdictions when done to deceive buyers.

No. It is an independent educational watchdog. Suspected crimes should go to platform trust teams, consumer protection agencies, and the FTC or your local equivalent; we link the right doors.

Never use an escrow site the seller insists on. Check licensing with state regulators, confirm the URL independently, and treat any wire-only escrow as a stop sign.