Classifieds are a great way to find great deals but it pays to be careful. Please help our community stay clean by reporting to us any fraudulent transaction you have encounter so we can protect other users.
FBI Fraud Alert
If you can answer "YES" to any of the following questions, you could be involved in a FRAUD or about to be SCAMMED!
- Is the CHECK from an item you sold on the Internet, such as a car, boat, jewelry, etc?
- Is the amount of the CHECK more than the Item's selling price?
- Is the CHECK connected to communicating with someone by email?
- Is the CHECK drawn on a business or individual account that is different from the person buying your item or product?
- Have you been informed that you were winner of a LOTTERY, such as Canadian, Australian, El Gordo, or El Mundo, that you did not enter?
- Have you been instructed to either "WIRE", "SEND" or "SHIP" MONEY, as soon as possible to a large US city or to another country, such as Canada, England or Nigeria?
- Have you been asked to PAY money to receive a deposit from another country such as CANADA, England, or Nigeria?
- Are you receiving PAY or a COMMISSION for facilitating money transfers though your account?
- Did you respond to an email requesting you to CONFIRM, UPDATE, OR PROVIDE your account information?
When it comes to determining whether you're about to get caught up in a pyramid scheme and perhaps get ripped off, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued the following warnings.
Beware of plans asking you to spend money on costly inventory.
Be cautious of chain that you will make money by recruiting new "members" "associates" or "afilliates" instead of the sales you make yourself.
Beware of promises about high profits or claims about "miracle" products.
Be cautious about seemingly unsolicited testimonials to the effectiveness of the program; they could be from people hired by the promoter.
Don't pay money or sign contract in a high-pressure situation.
Check out all offers with your local Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) or your state's Attoney General.