The new year is a busy time for online auction fraud.

The period immediately following Christmas is eBay's busiest time of year. That's because, as we all know, millions of folks got gifts they just don't want or need. eBay offers a way to unload those unsavory gifts and make a little profit. The extra activity also offers a boon to eBay shoppers looking for a bargain.

Of course, along with extra activity on eBay comes the increased potential of fraud. In order to avoid online auction fraud, be sure to use a site like gumshoo.com for all of your eBay shopping. gumshoo.com will alert you when it finds potential auction fraud. It also looks for misspelled auctions which can be more common this time of year when there are less experienced sellers and sellers are in a hurry to get their items listed.

FYI: Be on the lookout for eBay's post-holiday promotions for sellers as this will mean more inventory on the site and more opportunities to save.