Safe Online Shopping Tips

[Mike Labbe]

Attention Members,

We would like to remind everyone to be cautious and vigilant when buying or selling items. It is important to keep in mind that there are individuals who may use for sale forums to perpetrate scams and fraudulent activities.

To avoid falling victim to a classified ad scam, it is crucial to watch out for the following signs:

1. Unreasonable deals – be wary of ads that offer items for much less than their actual value.
2. Payment requests – if someone asks you to pay via a method that seems unsecured or non-standard, it could be a red flag. This includes payment types like PayPal Family and Friends, which have fraud protection removed, and scammers may request partial payment up front.
3. Shipping – if you are buying an item online, double-check the shipping fees and terms to make sure it aligns with common practices.
4. Overpayment - if the seller over pays for an item and asks you to send them some money back to a different account, it could be a sign that they are using a fraudulent account, which has not yet been identified. When identified, it will be charged back.
5. Lack of communication – if the seller is unresponsive to your queries or only responds sporadically, it may be a sign to back out of the deal.
6. Insufficient information – beware of ads that lack details about the seller or the item, or those featuring stock images instead of actual photos.
7. New accounts - if the account is brand new, it should get extra scrutiny. If they have been a member for years, with a post history, they are likely a legitimate member of the industry.

Remember, scammers often use convincing language and top-notch graphics to make their offers appear credible.

Always do your research, trust your gut, and if something seems too good to be true, it probably is!

To keep our community safe and secure, we encourage members to report any suspicious activity to the forum help team immediately.

Stay safe, stay smart!