Bonanza Sellers Receive Fake Suspension Notices In Account Hijacking Attempt

Liz Morton
Liz Morton


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Sellers on Bonanza marketplace report being bombarded with fake account suspension messages, directing users to suspicious links for verification in likely account hijacking attempt.

The messages are coming from random newly created Bonanza user accounts with alarming information stating the seller's account has been suspended, all funds are on hold, and they will need to visit a link provided in the message in order to verify their information and unlock their account.

According to one seller who received multiple copies of the phishing message from different accounts, this is what it said (link removed to avoid accidental clicks):

Аssеss tо yоur аccоunt іs tеmpоrаrіly rеstrіctеd. Раymеnts аrе suspеndеd аnd аll оf yоur lіstіngs аrе hіddеn frоm publіc аccеss.

Tо gо thrоugh thе unlоckіng prоcеss, plеаsе clіck оn thе fоllоwіng lіnk: 1stdib**********************************EN

Thіs nоtіfіcаtіоn hаs аlsо bееn sеnt tо yоur еmаіl.
Rеgаrds, Bоnаnzа Аdmіnіstrаtіоn

From looking at posts in the Bonanza seller forum from yesterday, it appears the attacks were allowed to continue for over 24 hours with no response when reporting the suspicious messages to Bonanza support.

Any advice -- account not suspended spoof - Asked by Mel9861

I got one similar from a different Bonanza account set up today 12/20/24. I’ve copied the message and sent to Bonanza support seeking an explanation. If it’s a hack, this is the latest of several this year at least.

Of course, noticing your account was suspended is difficult here on Bonanza since sales are already few and far between… ;)

I got the boiler plate response from Bonanza “support” – sending it on to “the team”. Just shut these accounts down and make sure new accounts can send wild card messages out to large numbers of Bonanza users. Other platforms seem to have this covered already.

I got 6. Many of us are now under attack. I hope Bonanza will resolve the problem ASAP.

Earlier today, one seller updated to confirm they had receive an email notice actually from Bonanza advising users these messages are not legitimate and not to click on the links.

Emails saying account suspended bonanza responded - Asked by Bumblebeasvariety

Bonanza sent out an email telling everyone that this is a scam and that your account has not been suspended.

Don’t click on anything in the scam email.

The seller doesn't say if Bonanza communicated what steps they are taking to stop the messages now and in the future or how they might be assisting to mitigate any damage done for any sellers who may have fallen victim to the scam and provided their sensitive personal information to bad actors after clicking on the link.

But the bigger problem is - why is a seller posting about an email they received from Bonanza (which many sellers would be smart to be skeptical of, considering the situation, instead of Bonanza taking the lead to proactively post a public announcement?

I do not see any notices either on the website, help pages, Bonanza's corporate blog or official Bonanza employees posting in the community pages, which is a massive failure in communication, especially when account credentials, identity and financial information may have been compromised.

Bonanza sellers should update their passwords as a precaution and keep a close eye on email accounts and bank accounts attached to their Bonanza account to watch for additional signs of fraud or attempted hijacking.

Stay tuned for updates in this developing story.

Did you receive a fake Bonanza account suspension notice? Let us know in the comments below!

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Liz Morton is a 17 year ecommerce pro turned indie investigative journalist providing ad-free deep dives on eBay, Amazon, Etsy & more, championing sellers & advocating for corporate accountability.


Recent Comments
Avatar PlaceholderJaeLynn9 hours ago
I've had this happen a few times, and it confused me. One seller alleged that they had to use Amazon's services to make sure I got my item in time. I recently bought something simple, and the seller made a mistake. They'd sent me 3 different messages, one of them too early, telling me they hoped my item arrived in perfect condition. The next day, the item was marked as shipped, and I got an official Ebay shipping email. The seller was using direct messages to give me item updates. If I wanted Amazon, I'd have used them myself! lol
Avatar Placeholderlessthanthreerecords18 hours ago
Happening to me too. On my active listings page (with the full list) it looks fine, but when I click on them, many have the random characters. I reported it, and that's when one glitch led to another! As I was typing the message after clicking the "?", letters were repeatedly not coming up (usually one or two at the end of a word). I was finally able to get the message entered, but how tedious!
Avatar Placeholderbritishsoeedw-0Yesterday
I'm having the same problem, Vat has ben added to my listings and sales have literally stopped.