As people flock online to find out about the missing MH370 flight, an eBay seller has sought to profit from the trend by "flipping" the domain name MH370.com.

The hashtag #PrayforMH370 has been tweeted more than 1.8 million times since news of the missing flight broke on Friday night - and been used to share messages of condolence and support. But in an attempt to monetise the flow of traffic, somebody has registered a web address and tried to sell it for $5,000 (£3,000).

An eBay auction for the domain told potential buyers why bidding could be advantageous: "Buy this domain today and sell it later on for thousands of dollars," it began. "Dozens of companies, families of victims, will want to buy it from you. Pay little money today and make huge profit tomorrow," it continued.