Scam Center
Avoid online scams and
fraud by dealing locally. Any non-local
deals involving wire transfers such as Western Union,
Cashier Checks, Escrow, or 3rd party payments are usually fraudulent.
Recognizing scams
Most scams involve one or more of the
following:
-
Inquiry from
someone far away, often in another country.
-
Western Union,
Money Gram, cashier's check, money order, shipping, escrow service,
or a "guarantee"
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Inability or
refusal to meet face-to-face before consummating transaction.
Follow these simple rules
and you will avoid 99% of the scam attempts online.
-
DEAL LOCALLY WITH BUYERS/SELLERS YOU CAN MEET IN
PERSON - NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM or any other
wire service - anyone who asks you to do so is a scammer.
-
FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON,
and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when
the fake is discovered weeks later.
-
NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank
account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
-
AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW
SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL "GUARANTEE" YOUR
TRANSACTION.
Report any suspicious item posted for sale on
cliQs.com by clicking on the "Report Abuse" link on the suspected items
page. You can also use the
contact form to contact us and make sure to include the items POST#
or the URL of the item you are reporting in your message.
Notify online scams and fraud.
Internet Fraud
Complaint Center www.ic3.gov
FTC online complaint form www.ftc.gov
FTC toll free hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357)
Canadian Phone-Busters hotline: 888-495-8501
U.S. Postal Service Warning
Foreign scams target U.S.
residents with counterfeit postal money orders.
Actual
examlpes of online scams.
Buyer Scam Examples
Hello,
I will like you to know that i can only pay by cashier cheque and i will
like you to know that i can handle the shipping please get back to me if
you can accept cheque. and it will be in for of Australia cashier cheque.
AWAITING YOUR REPLY.
-
Hello,
I am glad to receive the mail and the best offer price of your product.
I will be making the payment to you through a australia check forward to
you by a courier service. I will call and arrange with my shipping
agency concerning the pick up and shipping. I will forward you the check
of $5,000. You will have the cost of $220 deducted and forward the
excess payment to my shipper who will come for the pick up and shipping.
I will want you to kindly forward the following info to my mail box;
Home Address...
Full Name on cheque...
State...
Zipcode...
Country...
Telephone Number...
Mobilephone number...
Fax Number...
Do get back to me asap with this details for payment to be made out to
you immediately.
Regards,
-
Hello Seller,
I will inform my debtor in the United States to issue out the payment
(US Certified Check) to you to the tune of the amount he owes me. All
you need do as soon as you receive the payment from my debtor is to
deduct the cost of your item and get the excess fund on the payment send
via Western Union to the shipper's company so that they can come for the
picking up of the item from your location in the United States.
Please confirm your name, address as well as a valid mobile number as
soon as possible if you are ready and willing to continue with this
transaction so that I can inform my debtor to issue out the payment in
your name in time.
I await your reply.
Regards,
-
Dear seller,
I 'm interested in purchasing your advertised monitor,and i
will like to know the price if is okay by me.if I can pay with a
cheque in your location. If this is okay with you do get back to me
immediately for me to arrange the payment. Do get back to me immediately
with your
Full
Name, Contact Address and
Phone Number for me to instruct my client to make the payment ASAP.
Hope to
hear from you soon.
Best regards,
-
Seller Scam Examples
Dear Buyer,
We are pleased to inform you that your order has been processed and
labeled, consequently your package is now in care and ready for
shipment, Shipment will however commence as soon as your payment is
confirmed.
Thus you are now advised to go and make payment for your order , Payment
in care of our senior accounts officer whose information is given below
:
Payment via Western Union Money Transfer .
Receivers Name : Mayra Fernandez Chaves
City : San Jose
Country : Costa Rica.
We need you to get back to us with the following details as soon as
payment is completed ;
Full Name Sender
MTCN
Text Question / Answer ... if any.
Thank you for your order as we look forward to doing more business with
you.
Regards.
Mcnamara (Sales Head)
-
Hello Buyer,
We got your email and we have proceeded to modify your order by
including the 3 additional units to make it 5units of Unlocked Nokia N90
Mobile phones.
Your order total has now been updated and here's the total amount you
are adviced to pay for your order before it could be shipped out.
5units Nokia N90 - $1,000
Freight/Shipping charges - $230
Order Total - $1,230USD
Following the bad weather we are experiencing here today the phone
networks are very poor and calls are not really getting through, But we
hope to call you asap subsequently.
You can now make the payment for your order via our senior accounts
officer whose information was previously mailed to you.
Thank you for your order as we look forward to your payment and the
successful completion of your order.
Regards.
Mcnamara (Sales Head)
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