AVOIDING
SCAMS AND FRAUD
We wish to advise our members of the potential risks of scams and fraud when
buying and selling high-priced items over the internet. You can protect
yourself by following these guidelines:
-
Deal locally with people you can meet in person. They should be
open and willing to provide you with a phone number, address, and which club
they are/were a member of. A phone call to the local club can verify
this information. After an initial e-mail contact, you should be
dealing with the interested party on the phone, and ultimately meeting in
person.
- Cash on pick-up is
the best policy, but it's wise to avoid accepting large bills due to the
high volume of counterfeits. When accepting a cash payment, check the
bills carefully.
-
Never wire funds via Western Union, MoneyGram, or any other wire
service. Anyone who asks you to do so is a scammer.
-
Fake cashier's cheques and money orders, including Western Union payments,
are common. Your bank may cash them, but will hold you responsible
when the fake is discovered weeks later; then you may be out the money
and the merchandise.
-
Never give out financial information such as bank account number, social
insurance number, Paypal account, etc.
-
Avoid deals involving shipping or escrow service, or any mention of a
"shipping agent" who will arrange for pick-up.
Recognizing Scams:
Most scams involve one or more of the following --
-
inquiry from someone far away, often in another country, including the U.S.
- Western Union, MoneyGram, cashier's check, money order, shipping,
shipping agent, escrow
service, or a "guarantee".
-
immediate agreement to pay full asking price plus an extra amount for your
"troubles"
-
inability or refusal to meet face-to-face before consummating the transaction
- if the deal sounds too good to be true, or if you have an uneasy feeling about the transaction, walk away.
For More Information on how to recognize and avoid scams and fraud, visit
the Canadian
PhoneBusters site.
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