I thought we'd start a thread on what techniques scammers use and what clues you might use to detect them. Most of you that have been around awhile know all these but we have newbies coming on board all the time.
These 'clues' certainly aren't absolute. Some one is going to get upset some of these clues fit one of their best clients. If that is the case, speak up and tell us what differentiates them from a scammer...
Any broken English is immediately suspect. Awkward or bad grammar is almost always a dead give away. There certainly are good foreign knife buyers and English is not their native language. These people know that and often comment about their English and usually offer references. Scammers would like you to believe they speak English as their primary language to get you to trust them.
A free email address like hotmail or yahoo. These email accounts are almost impossible to trace for people like us. If Interpol wanted to, they could trace them easily but try to get them interested in your $500 knife problem.
A credit card number sent via email. No one that has any knowledge of the internet sends credit cards via non-secure email.
An email that is very generic and lacks detail about the item they are asking about or the website where they saw it.
A lot of talk about payments or the transaction instead of the item.
They ask you what the price of your knife is in their email when it was clearly listed. This is either a spambot that automatically gathers information and asks you about your knife, like a spam email or a 'farm' that sends out hundreds of generic inquiries.
An offer to send you money, a cashiers check, a money order, a bank draft, an official sounding check of some sort for over the amount of the purchase. They want you to send the extra amount back with the knife and they will offer you a little extra for your hassle. The 'check' is going to bounce no matter how good it looks. These are professionals that have high end printing equipment so the 'check' will look very good. They want you to ship the knife and the money before it comes back as counterfit.
They send you a credit card number and you check on it by calling Visa. The credit card comes back as declined. They offer to send you another number.
Here is the latest scam email I just received. It's a bit more polished than average but the clues are still there:
Hello,
I am Martins Knight a resident in UK. I am mailing in respect of your advert on the website I'm interested in buying from you, but then, I wish to let you know the mode of payment through which I intend to pay you. In the same vein, I want your immediate response as regards the understated questions: 1. Are the items to be sold in good condition? 2.Is there any rebate or discount on the price of the item? 3.what is the final price of the items?
You are to note that the said final price excludes the shipping cost, as I intend to foot the shipping cost through the balance to be obtained after the payment must have been made.
MODE OF PAYMENT
The Mode of payment is through Money Order (United State Postal Money Order/Walmart) worth $3000. I want the balance left out of the money order to be sent to the shipper via western union. In conclusion, kindly send your name, address and contact telephone number(s) along in your response if you agree to transact with me. Thanks.
Many of the clues are in this one. Awkward English with short sentences. Asked about the price. They will send more than the amount and I am to refund the difference. There is more written about the money than the item. Generic reference to item and website. Normally, if some one wants to buy a knife from me, they talk about the knife, not the transaction.
That's a start, I'd invite anyone else to jump in with their examples or clues to look for.
These 'clues' certainly aren't absolute. Some one is going to get upset some of these clues fit one of their best clients. If that is the case, speak up and tell us what differentiates them from a scammer...
Any broken English is immediately suspect. Awkward or bad grammar is almost always a dead give away. There certainly are good foreign knife buyers and English is not their native language. These people know that and often comment about their English and usually offer references. Scammers would like you to believe they speak English as their primary language to get you to trust them.
A free email address like hotmail or yahoo. These email accounts are almost impossible to trace for people like us. If Interpol wanted to, they could trace them easily but try to get them interested in your $500 knife problem.
A credit card number sent via email. No one that has any knowledge of the internet sends credit cards via non-secure email.
An email that is very generic and lacks detail about the item they are asking about or the website where they saw it.
A lot of talk about payments or the transaction instead of the item.
They ask you what the price of your knife is in their email when it was clearly listed. This is either a spambot that automatically gathers information and asks you about your knife, like a spam email or a 'farm' that sends out hundreds of generic inquiries.
An offer to send you money, a cashiers check, a money order, a bank draft, an official sounding check of some sort for over the amount of the purchase. They want you to send the extra amount back with the knife and they will offer you a little extra for your hassle. The 'check' is going to bounce no matter how good it looks. These are professionals that have high end printing equipment so the 'check' will look very good. They want you to ship the knife and the money before it comes back as counterfit.
They send you a credit card number and you check on it by calling Visa. The credit card comes back as declined. They offer to send you another number.
Here is the latest scam email I just received. It's a bit more polished than average but the clues are still there:
Hello,
I am Martins Knight a resident in UK. I am mailing in respect of your advert on the website I'm interested in buying from you, but then, I wish to let you know the mode of payment through which I intend to pay you. In the same vein, I want your immediate response as regards the understated questions: 1. Are the items to be sold in good condition? 2.Is there any rebate or discount on the price of the item? 3.what is the final price of the items?
You are to note that the said final price excludes the shipping cost, as I intend to foot the shipping cost through the balance to be obtained after the payment must have been made.
MODE OF PAYMENT
The Mode of payment is through Money Order (United State Postal Money Order/Walmart) worth $3000. I want the balance left out of the money order to be sent to the shipper via western union. In conclusion, kindly send your name, address and contact telephone number(s) along in your response if you agree to transact with me. Thanks.
Many of the clues are in this one. Awkward English with short sentences. Asked about the price. They will send more than the amount and I am to refund the difference. There is more written about the money than the item. Generic reference to item and website. Normally, if some one wants to buy a knife from me, they talk about the knife, not the transaction.
That's a start, I'd invite anyone else to jump in with their examples or clues to look for.
) Tracey, thanks for starting the thread. It it goes good, I bet Sparky will sticky it. I'm looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say.