Ebay doesn't offer extra security per se, it is the payment method which should be the focus here. Paypal offers 'buyer protection' for purchases on items bought on ebay. However if you buy on eBay, and deposit the money straight into the sellers account, ebay don't cover you for that type of transaction. Likewise, Ebay sellers with good feedback can one day turn rogue and rip a few people off until they are shut down. Another scenario is a sellers account with good reputation/feedback is compromised, and the real seller doesn't catch it in time - you can't even trust "trusted" sellers all the time. Trading over the internet is and always has been a high risk activity. Use common sense.