Cindy, it's good to hear from you again.

Tom has presented me with seemingly endless cases against people for illegal shill bidding. I have read many and have more to read. Although many of these cases claim that shill bidding is illegal and there are State and Federal laws against it, claiming up to five years inprisonment, not one that I have read has shown in writing any such law. You would think such a serious offense there would be a law somewhere on the books.

The sellers of the Diebenkorn painting are accused of shill bidding.

Cindy, that is the only known case where the defendants pleaded guilty to mail and wire fraud where shill bidding, fake addresses and phone numbers were used and they seem to ignore the fact they were selling forged and fake paintings, and they claim the reason for pleading guilty was for shill bidding. Ridiculous!!!

My point is how can you be accused of something such as shill bidding if there is no law? I would assume it would fall under internet fraud.

I think that in Tom's mind any many others that since they believe shill bidding is illegal there must be a law out there somewhere covering it. There has got to be a law out there somewhere, it's illegal.

In my mind it is unethical but and not allowed according to the rules set up in most or all auction sites.

http://www.goizueta.emory.edu/upload/108/Shill.pdf

Brilliantly written but no mention of any laws prohibiting shill bidding!!!