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Avoid scams and fraud

 

What should I do if I suspect a buyer/seller of fraudulent action?

Please contact us immediately by simply indicating the reference of the ad. We take all possible measures to prevent fraud and we cooperate to this end with the authorities in the relevant legal proceedings.

How to recognize fake ads

Be vigilant if you are faced with the following cases:

  1. A price seems TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.
  2. The advertiser resides ABROAD.
  3. The ad is full of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
  4. The PHONE number does not exist.
  5. The city does not correspond to the region/department.
  6. The description contains a FOREIGN EMAIL/PHONE NUMBER.

How to avoid scams

 

Buyers:

  1. Make transactions PERSONALLY, you will avoid most cases of fraud.
  2. NEVER pay by Western Union or MoneyGram etc. – Fraudsters are the only ones to use these means of payment. Only accept forms of payment that give you a degree of protection, e.g. Credit card and online payment services like PayPal.
  3. BEWARE of middlemen, they are probably not who they say they are.
  4. DO NOT PAY any advances or deposits, the scammers will disappear with your money and you will not receive any goods.
  5. DO NOT PAY any fees up front including insurance for bank loans, the scammers will disappear with your money and you will not receive any goods or bank loans.
  6. DO NOT communicate your bank details or any personal information (account number, social security number, etc.).
  7. BEWARE of salespeople who never answer the phone.
  8. UNEED NEVER INTERVENES IN TRANSACTIONS. We do not support any payment or provide “Seller’s Certificate” etc.

Sellers

  1. Make transactions PERSONALLY, you will avoid most cases of fraud.
  2. NEVER ACCEPT payment via Western Union or MoneyGram etc. – Fraudsters are the only ones to use these means of payment. Only accept forms of payment that guarantee you a degree of protection eg. Credit card and online payment services like PayPal.
  3. DO NOT ACCEPT international payments by check or credit card.
  4. BEWARE of fake cheques. The banking entities WILL HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE if the check cannot be cashed.
  5. BEWARE of middlemen, they are probably not who they say they are.
  6. DO NOT communicate your financial and personal data (account number, social security number, etc.).
  7. BEWARE of buyers who offer you a price well above the sale price.
  8. BEWARE of buyers who never answer the phone.
  9. UNEED NEVER INTERVENES IN TRANSACTIONS. We do not support any payment or provide “consumer protection” etc.

Examples of scams

 

Fake checks:

  1. You receive an e-mail offering you to acquire the item you are advertising, to rent the apartment you are renting, etc.
  2. We offer you a settlement, a deposit by check, etc.
  3. The value of the check is much higher than the value of your item.
  4. Fraudsters declare that they “trust” you and ask you to reimburse the difference by transfer.
  5. Banks will often cash these (fake) checks AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE WHEN THE CHECK IS NON-SUFFICIENT.
  6. These fraudulent schemes often involve a third party (shipping agent, associate who owes money to the buyer, etc.).

Partial payments:

  1. The seller declares to “trust” you and accepts an advance.
  2. He can claim that he has already shipped the products.
  3. Often the offer is too good to be true.

Foreign buyer:

  1. A buyer sends you an email in English, similar to the following example:

    “ I MR.LEE from ENGLAND. I want to buy your items for my friends son who has just relocated in west Africa (Nigeria) and the item is needed very urgently because he has told me to buy the item for him and i dont want to disappoint him ,and dont want him to loose the competition and i have already promised him that i am going to buy it for him and send it to him in NIGERIA. So kindly tell me the price that you are expecting to sell the items. Moreso, make inquiries for the cost of shipping to NIGERIA via UPS or REGISTERED POST Service so that i can know what to do next to make the transaction fast and secured. Kindly get back to me as soon as possible. PAYMENTS: BANK TRANSFER or MONEYGRAM»

  1. The text is often written in poor English, and contains many spelling mistakes and other grammatical errors.
  2. The United Kingdom, Ukraine and France are often mentioned, but it can be any country.

Who to complain to?

You must file a complaint in the region where your computer is located. The approach consists, for victims of scams and identity theft, in going to the police station, to file a complaint.

If you live in a region, you can file a complaint with the Regional Judicial Police Service of your city, the National Police. Ask to speak to a Computer Crime Investigator, if one exists.

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