Ebay/Paypal shut down my website!

[wolfgang1055]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Michigan

Hi, I recently signed up with a new IP, they where offering free hosting with their top package, which I got, so I figured what the hey, I'll start a website!
It took a couple of weeks for everything to get setup, on 05/11/09 I received an email with a URL to my site and a username and password, from the company. Everything was find and dandy, well, with the exception of the fact I learned that I in fact know nothing about building a site. I tried running the website builder unsuccessfully and I tried running the script provider, with success (kinda.) I was only able to run it after I entered in the name of the website, which I thought it wanted me to do, but the address ended up having the name twice, Example: freeadvice .com/freeadvice. I didn't think this would work so I removed the script, and forgot about the site for a few days!
On or around the 17th my pride decided it hadn't had enough, so I went back to try again, however this time I was unable to log into the Cpanel, at all. I tried for three days about a dozen odd times with no luck!
Finally on the 20th I sent my IP an email, after I was unnable to contact them via phone... I heard back from them the afternoon of the 21st(yesterday) explaining the following

Your web hosting has been suspended by an act of federal law. The following email from Ebay/Paypal was received and we will need the following letter and information from you in order to reinstate the web hosting:

1. Confirmation of permission for offending content removal.

2. Written confirmation that this will not happen again.

3. Full details of site owner for eBay.

4. Written confirmation to eBay about how the incident happened and preventive steps.

The Email from Ebay/Paypal reads

We have just learned that your service is being used to display false, or "spoofed," PayPal.com pages, in an apparent effort to steal personal and financial information from consumers, and defraud PayPal users. Specifically, it appears that a (IP ) user is sending unsolicited messages which misrepresent the sender as PayPal, and making false statements that encourage the recipient to go to a page hosted by you at (ADDRESS )asking to enter personal and account information. The purloined information is then sent to an email account and, based on our investigation of similar schemes, used to steal accounts and commit other fraudulent acts including international credit card and wire fraud. This matter is urgent - we believe that consumers have been falsely directed to this page and may be fooled into divulging personal information to a criminal, if the page is not immediately disabled. We ask that you immediately disable the site at (ADDRESS)as well as any associated email addresses, so that this fraudulent scheme can be stopped. We further request that you provide us with all contact information that you have for this user so that we may provide this information to the proper law enforcement authorities. We sincerely appreciate your immediate attention to this important matter. We would also appreciate if you would take steps to confirm the accuracy of any contact information that your user may have provided to you in establishing the account. Should you have any accurate information that could assist PayPal and law enforcement in tracking this individual, we would greatly appreciate your assistance, as we know that you do not condone the use of your services for such criminal purposes.

eBay Inc.

Audit and Investigations

Now, I know for a fact that this site was un-built and unpublished, by me. I tried to enter my sites url directly every time I attempted to login, but I always had to go back to the original email sent to me with the url to the site, to gain access!

I talked to the owner of my IP, and at first he figured that it was me doing it, but after 5 min. he understood that I don't have the knowledge to run a simple script, let alone a phising scam!

My plan was to do as he said and summit to ebay/paypal request, but after calming down and grasping the situation, I'm left with the feeling that it's admitting guilt on my end... There is none!
I called the FBI, they gave me the number to IC3 no one answered, so I filed an online complaint with them. Like I told them by biggest problem with the situation, was/is, how can ebay/paypal have my site(or any site) shutdown without an investigation? In their email the basically call me a thieve, I can't explain in words how much that hurts, in fact the reason I am not sleeping at 2:39 in the morning(on my Birthday, none the less) has little to do with visions of the FBI breaking down my door to take my commuter and anything related to it. No, it has more to do with the fact that somebody out their thinks I'm a thieve... That I can't deal with!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank You

All the best

[davezan]

Search around and you'll find this sort of thing happens quite often. Phishing
is a real problem, and PayPal's working hard to cut down that problem.

Unfortunately that especially happens when using a free hosting service. Free
services don't give the same benefits as paid ones, especially support.

Also, neither PayPal nor your host necessarily think you're a so-called thief. If
anything, they just want to stop that activity from going on.

One could feel that way, although it's not always factually accurate if it's not
backed up by anything materially substantial. If you can deal with your ex-gf
thinking you're an a-hole, especially if you believe you're not, then what more
this sort of thing?

Seriously, move on. There's really worse things to feel worse about, especially
if those things cause you actual, material harm.

And if you really want a free host to get your feet wet in web site building, lot
of 'em await you out there. If anything, take this as a learning experience so
you'll know how to deal with it effectively.

Do whatever you feel like.