Internet Fraud - Scams - Schemes

Like any form of media the Internet can be a tool for good or for bad. There is a percentage of business transactions on the Internet that are subject to fraud, scams and cheats. Just like normal transactions, buyers and sellers need to be aware of their surroundings and be cautious in their transactions.

If you have placed an ad on our network, you should be aware that we hide your email address from public view. We do this to protect you from spam and to initially hide your email address from people contacting you. Bear in mind that even though your email address is hidden, people can still send email messages to you through our web contact forms. Some of those contacts may be from unscrupulous people.

Some of these unscrupulous people utilize an old scam from Nigeria that has found new prominence on the Internet. This scam is commonly known as a "419" scam and usually involves the cheating of people with a variety of routines.

We find the most common type of Nigerian scam used today on classified sites involves an offer to buy your item where the scammer makes up some reason for needing to send you a check for more than the asking price. The scammer will ask you to send the difference in money back to them. These checks or money orders they send are counterfeit. Even if the bank initially cashes them, when the bank realizes their mistake, they will require you to return the money in full.

To find out more information about the Nigerian type scams, you may wish to visit:

http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/560047.html

In general, be cautious of potential buyers who make offers to buy your item without asking additional questions. Usually, these scammers are in such a hurry to engage you in the scam that they fail to ask obvious questions that a legitimate buyer might ask.

The latest trend in these Nigerian type scams is that the scammers are contacting sellers via a telephone relay service for the deaf. You can read more about that here:

http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/

We strongly recommend the use of escrow services – an inexpensive way to protect both buyers and sellers during personal transactions. Many banks and institutions offer these services and so does this company:

http://www.escrow.com/

If you need to report fraud on the Internet there is an online partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center at

http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp

In addition, we also recommend the following websites that deal with scams and myths perpetuated in various ways on the Internet:

http://www.fraud.org/

http://www.scambusters.org/

The Internet is a wonderful tool and it would be a shame for you to have a negative experience resulting from contact with bad people. We hope you find this information helpful.