UpperBid Online Auctions Forms Partnership With Trufina to Combat Online Auction Fraud

Partnership Maximizes Buyer Safety Surpassing Even eBay Through Identity Verification

CASA GRANDE, Ariz., July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- In a response to an overwhelming amount of fraud in online auction transactions, UpperBid.com took the lead today by implementing the most in-depth degree of seller verification among all online auction sites, even surpassing the verification process of industry giants like eBay. By partnering with Trufina.com, the leader in providing online identity verification and management services, UpperBid has ensured that all sellers will go through an in-depth and thorough identity verification process. This seller verification process now required by UpperBid is the toughest in the industry. UpperBid is also offering the identity verification to buyers who wish to provide proof of their identity.

"Our goal is to provide the greatest degree of assurance we can to our buyers that the person they are dealing with is exactly who they say they are," says Robert King, CEO of UpperBid Online Auctions, "and our partnership with Trufina has now made it possible for our buyers to purchase from our site with a new level of security." Identity verification will not ensure that every seller is honest, but it will most certainly make them think twice before partaking in any fraudulent activities since they will not be able to keep their real identity a secret. Though eliminating ecommerce fraud altogether may be an impossible task, it appears UpperBid is on the right track in confronting the problem head on.

UpperBid may be the first to implement such a stringent verification process for online auction sellers, but they most certainly will not be the last, and they are charging ahead as the trendsetter in combating online auction fraud. In addition, it appears that Trufina is set to be the leader in providing these types of services to other online auction sites that will most likely follow suit on what is definitely an effective means in ensuring the identity of online users and minimizing fraudulent transactions. "UpperBid solves a core problem of ecommerce by bringing together consumers and merchants searching for a safe and secure shopping experience, says Chris Madsen, Trufina's President/CEO. "By using Trufina's ID Server API, both buyers and sellers can be assured that they are dealing with a real, unique, individual."

About UpperBid.com - UpperBid is an online auction site featuring sellers that live in and ship from the United States and is owned by UpperBid LLC based in Casa Grande, Arizona. In addition to inspiring patriotism and keeping American dollars within the United States, the site maintains a high-priority no-tolerance policy on illegal replica, knockoff, and bootleg products. UpperBid also takes a proactive preemptive approach in effort, resources and technology to eliminate all potential fraud and dishonest individuals from any auctions hosted on their site. For more information about UpperBid.com, please contact Robert King, 520-876-4700, or e-mail Press@UpperBid.com. http://www.upperbid.com/

About Trufina, Inc. - Trufina is the leading provider of online identity verification and identity management services, enabling individuals to verify their identity attributes online, and providing the identity management tools for sharing that verified identity information with individuals and websites across the Internet. Trufina offers a unique method of building trust on the Internet. As the independent "trusted source" for ID verification, Trufina protects the privacy of the individual while limiting the opportunity for fraud and identity theft from partnering websites. Based in Annapolis, MD, Trufina can be found at http://www.trufina.com/. Contact for Press and Analysts: Jim Kinchley, 301.951.8998 x1, pr@trufina.com.

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CONTACT: Robert King of UpperBid LLC, +1-520-876-4700, Press@UpperBid.com; or Jim Kinchley of Trufina, Inc., +1-301-951-8998 ext. 1, pr@trufina.com

Web site: http://www.upperbid.com/ http://www.trufina.com/

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