An article in the Sunday New York Times took an in-depth look at the problem of counterfeit merchandise being sold via online auctions. The paper reported that Tiffany is suing eBay, claiming the auction site facilitates counterfeiting. It seems Tiffany secretly bought about 200 pieces of jewelry via eBay in 2004 and found that three out of four items were fakes.

eBay says it tries to fight fraud, but the company readily admits that it cannot vouch for the items up for sale on its Web site. A company spokesman told The Times that "only a minute share of the items being sold at any give time - 6,000 or so - are fraudulent." Many believe that figure is far too low. As the paper points out, "counterfeiters easily pass off fakes in hundreds of categories."

If you're going to buy collectibles, jewelry, memorabilia, or antiques via an Internet auction, do yourself a favor - be wary. Here are a few of the tips passed along in that Times article:

• Check the Seller's feedback: Just remember this doesn't guarantee satisfaction.
• Check the Price of the opening bid: eBay says to be suspicious of prices that are too low.
• See if there's a certificate of authenticity from a reputable dealer with the listing.
• Know the merchandise: If you see someone selling dozens of rare collectible cookie jars, they're probably counterfeit.

(if this NY Times link requires a password, here is a link to the same article in the Seattle Times)