Buying & Selling Safely

With identity theft on the rise you need to be extra sure you know who you are dealing with in an online transaction. Although many consumers and ethical dealers have benefited greatly from the Internet, so too have crooked buyers & sellers. As such, you need to be aware of potential scams to solicit deposits. Here are some of the most common ones directed toward buyers & sellers online in (but not limited to) the US, UK, Canada and Australia.

These instances are few and far between and are not limited to just "Internet crime." These unscrupulous people can just as easily perpetrate these scams through a local newspaper. The following tips will help you identify fraudulent situations and safely buy or sell a vehicle online or offline. We have found that one of the best ways to immediately address this is to:

Never send or wire money to sellers or buyers. This includes never mailing a check or using payment services like Bidpay, Western Union, or Money Gram to pay for any ads on CarolinaBargainTrader.Net or any of our affiliate websites such as Post2Sell.Com.
When buying or selling, you should meet in-person to see the item and to exchange funds.

Safety Tips When Selling

Sellers beware! This new "counterfeit cashier's check" or "money advance" scam targets the average person who's selling through classified ads or auctioning goods over the Internet. Sellers have been targeted in the US, UK, Canada and many other countries - so it's important for everyone to be educated.

Here's how it works: You put a large item up for sale (a car, for example) then you're contacted by someone overseas. They may misrepresent themselves from time to time as a local resident. They pretend to be interested in buying your item for themselves or their client. They ask you if a friend/contact in the United States (or your own country) can mail you a cashier's check to cover the purchase price of your item plus will want to pay you extra for shipping fees.

You may see no reason to object, since, unlike personal checks, cashier's checks cannot bounce because the amount is paid to the bank when the check is issued (similar to a money order).

After the cashier's check is deposited, you are asked to wire the extra money for the shipping fee back to the buyer or directly to their accomplice (the shipper) so he can arrange for the transportation. It's only when the cashier's check is discovered by the bank to be counterfeit that you realize you've lost the money you wired for the shipping fee. Your bank will come back to you for those counterfeit funds, sometimes weeks after the fact.

There are also variants where you ship the item and lose everything (although very rare as they just want your advanced fee). The deal can be canceled at the last minute for some reason and a refund for the cashier's check is requested from the buyer via wire transfer too. This could also be any other type of request for an upfront fee advance just to get your money!

Actual Suspicious Messages:

Hello,

I saw your advert on behalf of my Boss,my mode of payment is Certified Check,i agreed to pay the amount you want as your final asking price also any additional fee for handling.There will be no problem about shipping,I do have a shipping private shipping company that will be responsible for the shipment,this is to let you know that my Boss will include the shipping fees in the Check payment.I don't really know the exact amount that will be because it will be issue by my Boss.Your honesty is needed once you receive the Check payment.You will deduct your item fees and western union whatever left to the shipping arrangement for shipping arrangement the same day you get the Check.To assure you that i am really interested in your advert item,i will add an extra $15.00 in your payment and i want you to close the advert for me once you get my message today,also email me your address,the full name you want to appear on the check payment also your phone nbr asap today....Anyway below are these questions i have for you.

1)Is the item in Perfect condition also email me the final askin price?

2)Is any western union location nearer to you and where you can send the balance money around you?

3)Can you get the Check cash at your Bank the same day you receive the Check payment and get everything done?

4)Can you make it possible to let the shipping company come for the pick up and complete the transaction the day you receive the check?

5)Can i trust you with my Boss shipping money that will be included in the Check payment?

6)Can you promise me that you will deduct your item fees and send back the left for to the shipper for shipping arrangement the day you get the Check payment?

If yes too all my questions,kindly send me your full name and address also your phone nbr asap today so that the Check can be mail out.

Thk You...

cowgirlxxxx@hotmail.com

Be Extremely Skeptical:

Of Overpayment: A buyer or seller will send you a check and then ask for money to be returned to them. Often the check will bounce and you will have lost all money you sent to the other party.
Of Fake escrow sites: A buyer or seller suggests using an escrow service to complete the transaction. Often these escrow web sites are run by fraudsters (even though they may look "official") and they will take your money and never send you the product.
Of overseas offers from someone you do not know. They may use broken English or pose as a poor mother, widow, minister, or foreign government official.
Of payment by cashier's check / bank draft / certified check.
Of buyers sending more than the purchase price of the item.
Of buyers who seem more worried about payment than the shipment of the item to them once payment is made.
Of buyers who show little or no concern to the condition of the item they are purchasing.
Of buyers who want to bring others into the transaction like their client, a shipper or friend owning money to the buyer.
Of buyers who ask you to forward or wire money for what ever reason.

How to protect yourself:

Always ask about their location to identify "the scam" if not obvious! Get the buyer's address, telephone number (not a cell phone number).
Trace their IP address or their ISP source. The source IP address is included with our security protocols and will be listed, with links to trace, within the initial email inquiry you might have received from our system.
If the buyer has a free e-mail account (e.g. yahoo, hotmail, etc.) ask for a fixed e-mail address (e.g. mybusiness.com, comcast.net, etc.). With a free e-mail account the buyer can remain anonymous.
Cross reference questionable buyers email or phone numbers (not all scammers are listed there but it's a start) or trace it using google or the white pages.
The scam always requires you to send money at some point to someone even though you are the seller!
If you receive a cashier's check, call the bank that issued it (the bank's name will be printed on the check) and ask them if they authorized that check.
NEVER do ANYTHING until a check clears with assurances from the issuing bank and your bank!
NEVER pay anything up front for ANY reason!
Ask them to make the transaction through a reputable third party escrow service, perhaps an escrow account with a law firm of your choice or www.escrow.com. Fraud sites often claim they are recommended by eBay, eBay Motors, or Yahoo! Auctions. You may see the list of sites eBay actually recommends by clicking here. We advise against transferring money through a Western Union Bank / MoneyGram service (this includes BidPay). If the seller insists on using this payment method, you're probably dealing with a scammer (even if they send what seems to be legitimate shipping information or ID).
Do not alert this "buyer" to your knowledge of this scam. Simply back away from the transaction.
Report fake check scams to the National Consumers League's, Internet Fraud Watch.

Safety Tips When Buying

Anyone can list an ad for sale on a website, or put an ad in the paper. Unfortunately there are always people who do business with bad intentions. A "fake," or criminal type person, in this scam can list an ad for sale without ever owning it. They simply take the picture, make up a description, or steal the information from another ad and list it as their own.

Buyers will typically note that the deal seems "too good to be true" (your first clue)! When you contact the seller, the item for sale will no longer be located where it was advertised (I just moved, or I'm currently overseas... etc.) making it difficult for you to view it in person. The seller will request that you send some money as a "down payment" via Western Union Wire Transfer to an overseas location so you don't "lose the sale." or put a deposit down through a fake escrow website.

These criminals may try to tell you we are endorsing their sale however: CarolinaBargainTrader.Net does not ship, insure, certify or ads.

Avoid scams from crooked sellers by recognizing the good deals. Buying locally from someone you can talk to over the phone and meet face-to-face is still always your best approach.

How to protect yourself:

CarolinaBargainTrader.Net will never email you to certify a "seller" as in good standing!
CarolinaBargainTrader.Net will never tell you to use Western Union to pay for purchases!
Watch for Brand name spoofing/phishing: You get an email that claims to be from CarolinaBargainTrader.Net, Western Union, or another company and offers buyer protection or an online payment system. These emails will typically request that you send money via this site or provide personal information. CarolinaBargainTrader.Net and most other companies will never send out such emails. If you send money via these sites you are likely sending money to the fraudsters.

1) If the the seller is overseas or the information within an advertisement is incorrect, misleading or you find (through communication with the seller) that the item for sale is not located where it has been advertised please advise us immediately by sending us an email to abuse@carolinabargaintrader.net.

2) Use extra caution if the price is unusually low. If an item is listed significantly below the manufacturer's suggested retail price or book value, take extra steps to verify the seller's claims.

3) Confirm where the item is located and always request to see or test-drive it in person. If you find that the item for sale is not located where it is being advertised (i.e., different state... etc.) please advise us.

4) Call the seller or ask for their phone number to talk directly. Verify the Seller's Name, City and Email. If the phone number listed is not accurate or match the area code of the items location, use added caution to verify the seller has possession of the item. Cross reference questionable sellers email or phone numbers (not all scammers are listed there but it's a start) trace it using google or the white pages.

5) Be cautious if a seller requests a deposit or any money via Western Union. or is offering Free Shipping and Escrow. Shipping a vehicle any distance can be costly and should be reflected in a higher then average price.

6) Watch out for Bogus Online Escrow Services. Online vehicle sellers often use escrow services, which collect and verify payment from a buyer. The money is held by the service until all parties are satisfied with the sale. Select your own reputable Escrow service, perhaps an escrow account with a law firm. Wire transfer services do not always provide protection or refunds if a dispute arises. Before sending funds to any Escrow Service, be certain to verify it is a reputable institution. Ask them to make the transaction through a reputable third party escrow service, perhaps an escrow account with a law firm of your choice or www.escrow.com. Fraud sites often claim they are recommended by eBay, eBay Motors, or Yahoo! Auctions. You may see the list of sites eBay actually recommends by clicking here.
There have been some instances of phony online escrow services operating on the Internet. Make sure you check out the escrow service with www.escrowfraud.com. They catalog the good and bad services.

6) Pay escrow deposits by credit card because you can often dispute the charges with your card provider if something goes wrong.

7) If sending money with Western union you will likely never ever see that money again. Once the cash is wired to the other end and picked up by the seller, Western Union cannot get it back. Call the Western Union Fraud Department, 1-800-325-6000 if you have any doubts about a Western Union transfer.

More information on scams:

If you have been a victim of any of these scams, please contact your local office of the United States Secret Service, FBI or report by visiting: http://www.ic3.gov Immediately. If possible, preserve the check and the mailing envelope(s) for fingerprinting or other potential investigative examinations. or Report fake check scams to the National Consumers League's, Internet Fraud Watch.

Scam Victums United
http://scamvictimsunited.com

Anti Phishing Work Group
http://www.antiphishing.org

Wikipedia entries on Internet fraud.

Press Release:
http://www.state.de.us

File an online complaint:
http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp

Internet Fraud Preventive Measures:
http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/strategy/fraudtips.asp

Nigeria - The 419 Coalition Website:
http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal

Nigerian Fraud Watch:
http://www.nigerianfraudwatch.org