GlassWolf
03-31-05, 04:04 PM
If you have listed a Classified ad on our Free Classifieds, or anyone’s classified site for that matter – be aware of a big scam.
The scam usually comes to you as a form letter in broken English – that asks information and price that you usually have already provided in the ad – and promises a Cashier’s Check. How the scam usually works it that they’ll send you a Cashier’s Check to cover the item you sell and the shipping – and for you to pay the shipping company. The problem is that the Cashier’s Check is a fake and the non-existent shipping company is in cohoots with them – taking your good money in exchange for their bad money. They don’t even want what it is you’re selling – just the money.
These scams often originate in Europe – where the scammer can’t be touched via legal recourse. It occurs on every site where you might sell something – and reporting them to anyone won’t really help. They have unlimited e-Mail addresses and IP addresses.
I advise anyone selling anything on any web site to be aware of this scam.
I would suggest that you:
1: In your ads, say that you will not sell to anyone outside of the US.
(not that they speak English well enough to understand that)
2: Avoid all inquiries in broken English with what appear to be form letters.
3: Don’t prepay anyone’s shipping.
Tell them to send their broker with cash if they want it bad enough. Interbank wires are much safer than Cashier’s Checks for large sums of money.
The scam usually comes to you as a form letter in broken English – that asks information and price that you usually have already provided in the ad – and promises a Cashier’s Check. How the scam usually works it that they’ll send you a Cashier’s Check to cover the item you sell and the shipping – and for you to pay the shipping company. The problem is that the Cashier’s Check is a fake and the non-existent shipping company is in cohoots with them – taking your good money in exchange for their bad money. They don’t even want what it is you’re selling – just the money.
These scams often originate in Europe – where the scammer can’t be touched via legal recourse. It occurs on every site where you might sell something – and reporting them to anyone won’t really help. They have unlimited e-Mail addresses and IP addresses.
I advise anyone selling anything on any web site to be aware of this scam.
I would suggest that you:
1: In your ads, say that you will not sell to anyone outside of the US.
(not that they speak English well enough to understand that)
2: Avoid all inquiries in broken English with what appear to be form letters.
3: Don’t prepay anyone’s shipping.
Tell them to send their broker with cash if they want it bad enough. Interbank wires are much safer than Cashier’s Checks for large sums of money.