is there a human being I can speak to so I can sort this out?


Probably not... but please keep in mind that eBay racks up hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions?) of transactions a day, and they simply cannot track each one on a personal basis.

There are procedures for reporting fraud, but as you have found out, the wheels grind slowly.

At least you didn't send him the item before finding out about him...

tanstaafl.