Probstein caught red-handed shilling auctions on his new platform snype

[Ericc5Bears]

Pretty bombshell article with seemingly irrefutable proof: https://www.sportscardradio.com/1127...bunny-account/

Key part if you don't want to read the entire thing:

Snype's entire backend database was exposed to the open web. No authentication required.

Anyone with basic technical knowledge could access:

Full bidder and consignor information
Names, emails, phone numbers, addresses
Birthdates and payment information
Complete bid histories
All of it. Just sitting there. With full API documentation conveniently provided in the browser console.

Every user's personal information was completely exposed.

The exposed database revealed something damning: a cluster of suspicious accounts, all linked by shared addresses to Probstein, his wife, and associate Kevin Burge.

Then came the smoking gun:

One account placed 11,277 bids for a total $247,000, The username? "Hunny Bunny."

The email address? Rick Probstein's.

Email verification is required to activate an account on the platform so this couldn't have just been someone pretending to be him.

His associate also placed 2,904 bids totaling $182,000 on a different account.

[boxbuster7]

I mean we all knew he was garbage

everybody at the top of the industry is

[kingofsnake]

He sucks so hard. May God have mercy on his soul.

[Bob Ross]

Seems like a great team! Keep up the wonderful work, Rick! You're the best!

Fun read: https://www.elitefourum.com/t/backen...-bidding/59369

[RKH916]

This is f*cking hilarious. Didn't Shillstein even promote the anti-shilling qualities of the platform when he announced it?

Hollywood couldn't write this one

[dizzy4111]

Who could have possibly foreseen this?

[duron]

Maybe Dr. Beckett can save him just like PRyan.

[Asian62150]

Originally Posted by duron

Maybe Dr. Beckett can save him just like PRyan.

When your online sales wasn't doing so good, who's the doctor they told you to go see?

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by duron

Maybe Dr. Beckett can save him just like PRyan.

By becoming his Chief Defense Bidding Officer?

[fabiani12333]

The level of transparency regarding shill bidding in the hobby over the last month has been astounding.

The Probstein files were released, and it didn't require an act of congress to do it.

[49ersSF]

Every time I see the name Kevin Burge it's attached to something criminal. Apparently, the guy has 34 criminal arrests/citations, and that was as of 2019.

[discodanman45]

It was defensive shill bidding. He did the hobby a favour. Beckett approves.

[Inferno]

Over 11k bids from that one Hunny Bunny account is pretty insane. This isn’t bid history built up over 10+ years on a platform, it’s from the VERY FIRST auction on a brand new site. You’d need automation to place that many bids in that short a time.

[BoSoxFan1999]

Originally Posted by dizzy4111

Who could have possibly foreseen this?

[Diamondjake]

Guys guys guys, this is called doing the Lord's work for the hobby. Absolute work of angels and you should all be so lucky these types of bids exist for your clients.

Right?

Bear? Ronin? King?

Am I doing this right?

[johnscards]

I posted a comment on IG (AIH's most recent post) about a theory of mine. I think the HunnyBunny123 account is/was in fact Rick's, for the sole purpose of testing the platform. I would do the exact same thing if I launched an online auction of that magnitude, but my test account would be called "JOHNSCARDS_TEST", so the purpose of it was obviously known.

The magnitude of automated bids from the HunnyBunny123 account support this theory too.

[towerymt]

Originally Posted by Inferno

Over 11k bids from that one Hunny Bunny account is pretty insane. This isn’t bid history built up over 10+ years on a platform, it’s from the VERY FIRST auction on a brand new site. You’d need automation to place that many bids in that short a time.

Due to the way the bidding worked, any single user-placed bid could generate 2+ bids. Easilys 10s or 100s of bids if the price jump is large.

Explained here with example
https://www.blowoutforums.com/showth...4#post20086264

Snype bid on 100+ auctions could generate 1,000s of bids without any automation.

I wouldnt expect this crew to have automated scripts with db calls figured out

[3124508 on COMC]

Originally Posted by johnscards

I posted a comment on IG (AIH's most recent post) about a theory of mine. I think the HunnyBunny123 account is/was in fact Rick's, for the sole purpose of testing the platform. I would do the exact same thing if I launched an online auction of that magnitude, but my test account would be called "JOHNSCARDS_TEST", so the purpose of it was obviously known.

The magnitude of automated bids from the HunnyBunny123 account support this theory too.

It’s being reported that the account was created 24-48 hours AFTER the start of the auction and it was bidding real money on real items, so while your theory seems plausible it is not true.

[ninjabum87]

We haven't called him Shillstein for years for nothing...

"Wow probstein listings always get way higher selling prices than everyone else for the exact same cards. I wonder how!?"

[hermanotarjeta]

What color were his hands before?

[ninjabum87]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

What color were his hands before?

Probably brown from handling all the dirty cash he was raking in.

[prospectorgems]

Originally Posted by johnscards

I posted a comment on IG (AIH's most recent post) about a theory of mine. I think the HunnyBunny123 account is/was in fact Rick's, for the sole purpose of testing the platform. I would do the exact same thing if I launched an online auction of that magnitude, but my test account would be called "JOHNSCARDS_TEST", so the purpose of it was obviously known.

The magnitude of automated bids from the HunnyBunny123 account support this theory too.

That was my initial thought as well and I didn't dig into it as deep as others did. I wasn't sure if these bids were actually used on live items or not. Testing is just fine, but not on any live items. If they were truly in beta mode and they were simply testing the system, then it should have been made known that none of the cards up for auction would actually be sold. Again, I didn't dig into it and I didn't see what cards were live so I think it's a good theory at least.

[DarcyWinston]

Website still down. Have they lied to the public about what the technical issue was/is?

How can you publicize a new auction site without testing it and protecting it? Amateur hour. He needs to go away now.

[49ersSF]

Originally Posted by DarcyWinston

Have they lied to the public about what the technical issue was/is?

When you are a liar and a proven cheater, does anything you say really merit proper consideration?

[JDF5244]

Best, most impactful thing anyone can do is to vote with their money, and simply do not use his website. If no one bids on his cards, he won't be around too long.