Post by Emerald City on Oct 18, 2004 15:15:05 GMT -5
By David Shepardson / The Detroit News
DETROIT - Motown singer Martha Reeves filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission because a legal contract listing her Social Security number was sold on eBay.
"You feel completely exposed," Reeves said Sunday.
"They've got my Social Security number and signature. That's all they need to steal my identity."
Reeves, 63, formerly was lead singer of Martha and the Vandellas - a legendary Motown act with Top 10 singles such as "Dancing in the Street" and "Nowhere to Run." She lives in Detroit.
This month, the president of her fan club in Kansas City called to alert Reeves that a contract she signed in 1975 to appear on Saturday Night Live was for sale on eBay, the online auction block. It included her Social
Security number, and anyone could copy the number down by clicking on a photo of the contract at the eBay site, she said.
The Reeves contract drew eight bids during a three-day auction and sold Oct. 14 for $33.22. The seller was Todd Mueller Autographs in Colorado Springs,Colo., and the private buyer didn't list a hometown. The item had been seen by 44 people.
San Jose-based eBay Inc. is a $62 billion company that operates auction Web sites in 23 countries. Some 95 million users listed 971 million items on eBay in 2003 - selling $24 billion in merchandise.
An eBay spokesman couldn't be reached for comment Sunday. In the past, eBay noted that the vast majority of all its auctions are legitimate - and there typically are 20 million items for sale at any one time.
Also for sale Sunday were dozens of signed contracts for other entertainers - including Motown group the Temptations and another Reeves contract offered for sale by an unknown Detroit resident. None of the contracts listed displayed Social Security numbers.
"You feel completely exposed," Reeves said Sunday.
"They've got my Social Security number and signature. That's all they need to steal my identity."
Reeves, 63, formerly was lead singer of Martha and the Vandellas - a legendary Motown act with Top 10 singles such as "Dancing in the Street" and "Nowhere to Run." She lives in Detroit.
This month, the president of her fan club in Kansas City called to alert Reeves that a contract she signed in 1975 to appear on Saturday Night Live was for sale on eBay, the online auction block. It included her Social
Security number, and anyone could copy the number down by clicking on a photo of the contract at the eBay site, she said.
The Reeves contract drew eight bids during a three-day auction and sold Oct. 14 for $33.22. The seller was Todd Mueller Autographs in Colorado Springs,Colo., and the private buyer didn't list a hometown. The item had been seen by 44 people.
San Jose-based eBay Inc. is a $62 billion company that operates auction Web sites in 23 countries. Some 95 million users listed 971 million items on eBay in 2003 - selling $24 billion in merchandise.
An eBay spokesman couldn't be reached for comment Sunday. In the past, eBay noted that the vast majority of all its auctions are legitimate - and there typically are 20 million items for sale at any one time.
Also for sale Sunday were dozens of signed contracts for other entertainers - including Motown group the Temptations and another Reeves contract offered for sale by an unknown Detroit resident. None of the contracts listed displayed Social Security numbers.
