Fake eBay Vendor Stings Lithia, Fla., Couple.

Byline: Michael Sasso

Feb. 7--LITHIA, Fla. -- An avid motorcyclist, Dan Holmes couldn't believe his luck when he spotted a 2001 Honda Gold Wing, in shimmering burgundy and emblazoned with eagles, selling for $5,000 on eBay.

At that price the cycle was a bargain -- about $7,000 below market value.

Holmes' initial excitement soon turned to heartbreak and chagrin. After wiring $2,000 to the seller as a down payment, Holmes discovered he had been taken by an impostor in Bulgaria posing as a legitimate eBay vendor.

Such schemes remain relatively uncommon but are growing as more people buy online and scammers become more technologically savvy, said Jeff Matsuura, who heads the law and technology program at the University of Dayton law school.

Holmes and his wife, Julie, a retired …