Craigslist belongs to the U.S. social version of the news regulars, a variety of fraud and crime related to it is not uncommon news. Although Craigslist has a bad reputation, but because it is too good to resist its temptation, so in this strong contradiction should be how to protect themselves from being recruited? Today I will take you to break down the common Craigslist scams and master the right posture to flirt with the scammers.
Common Scams
The Check Scam: This is a classic trope that has been circulating for more than a decade. From the Nigerian scam of the previous years to the British scam of the past few years, all of them take advantage of the operational loopholes of the bank: the time difference in the confirmation of the check to carry out fraud.
Route
1. Send an email or text message with the intention of trading
2. Find a reason to ask for a check for payment
3. Send a check for more than the actual amount and provide a tracking number
4. Take advantage of the "write the wrong amount",
- Requesting a check
Whether he gives the excuse that he's currently overseas, or that his company is paying for him, you should say no when he insists on paying by check!
- When he tells you that the amount on the check he's sending you is greater than the actual amount due
The sky is the limit, and no one in their right mind would write someone a check for hundreds or thousands of dollars more. The tracking
number he gave you doesn't need to be checked, it must be true. At this point, you can basically decide that it's a scam, and then you can choose to ignore it, or counter-molest it.
- When you deposit the check you received and find more money in your account
This is the trickiest part of the whole check scam. Normal people are not yet ready to transfer their own money before it arrives, so the vast majority of people will take the course of action of depositing that check in the bank. And the U.S. banks have a pitiful operational loophole lies in the fact that when the check is deposited, regardless of whether it is a blank check, you will immediately have more money in your account, and it is not impossible to withdraw cash directly during the period when the bank is checking the authenticity of the check.
- When he asks you to return the extra money by Western Union, or to use the money as a shipping fee to send something to Nigeria
You look at the extra money in your account, or withdraw the cash and get the real money in your hand, you believe that there is truth in the human world, and you decide to be an honest boy/girl, and use the extra money to return to Nigeria using the scammer's designated Western Union money transfer. Western Union specified to return it or send the stuff to Nigeria as well. And in the world of Craigslist, the words Western Union and Nigeria are equated with fraud. Important thing to say three times! Equivalent to fraud! Fraud! Fraud!
In the United States, personal checks are directly secured by and tied to a person's credit. Therefore, you should try to avoid using checks when dealing with unfamiliar people, because you can't confirm the creditworthiness of the other party, and the bank won't be held responsible for any discrepancies in the transaction.
Banks in the U.S. generally take at least two to four weeks to verify that a check is dishonored, and during that time you have the money in your account and can dispose of it. However, after the bank completes its verification, if the check is found to be dishonored, the bank has the right to revoke the money and automatically charge your account to cover it. If you do not have enough money in your account, the bank will close the account and collect the debt from you. Your credit score will also be adversely affected because you deposited a bad check.
Talk to a bank teller before depositing a check. They're experienced and deal with a check scam every few days, and may be able to poke you and help you spot the scam before you deposit the check.
The PayPal scam
When someone wants to buy something from you but insists on paying with PayPal, watch out, because a fake email that looks official and formal from PayPal is waiting for you to take the bait.
The trick
-? The email says you've been paid, but you have to reply to the email with the tracking number in order to get the money.
- The email says the money has been credited to you, but you have to click on a link to confirm the transaction to get the money.
- The scammer pays you from a real PayPal account but asks you to send the item to a different place.
How the scam works
- PayPal is not going to ask you for the tracking number before the money arrives.
- If you click on the link in the email, your account will be stolen and the money will be transferred from PayPal.
- Once they get the item, they file a complaint with PayPal saying they never received it. PayPal then activates buyer protection and deducts the buyer's payment from your account, so you lose both your money and your property.
hoolilaw Special Tips
When you receive an official-looking email asking for your account information, tracking number, or a link to click on in the email, be wary. Open a new webpage and log in to your account from the official website to check your real balance. craigslist is not eBay and the protection mechanism is not perfect. You should avoid using PayPal for transactions on Craigslist.
Official Craigslist advice
- Don't pay someone you haven't met in person.
- If the transaction involves a courier, be wary. Try to choose local sellers and face-to-face transactions.
- Don't do bank wire transfers - again, Western Union is synonymous with scams on Craigslist.
- Don't use personal checks, banks are not responsible for them.
- The transaction is between two parties only, there is no third party that can guarantee anything.
- Never give out your personal information such as bank account number, PayPal account, SSN.
- Don't trade items that have not been checked in person. The sky is not the limit, and deals that look particularly good probably don't exist.
- Don't agree to background and credit checks before meeting the landlord and employer.
Four tips for recognizing scams
1. Deal emails or texts from out of town.
2. Vague references to the item being traded, the item, rather than a specific name.
3. Spelling errors grammatical errors.
4. Refusal to deal in person.
Scam keywords: WesternUnion, Money Gram, cashier check, money order,Paypal, shipping, escrow
service, or state "guarantee. What to do
Go to the following websites to report a scam:
-Internet Fraud Complaint Center
-FTC (Federal Trade Commission)
- Fill out the FTC reporting form or call the reporting hotline. Hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357)
- Consumer Sentinel/Military
- SIIASoftware and Content Piracyreporting
- SIIASoftware and Content Piracyreporting- State of Ohio
- FTC(Federal TradeCommission) Federal Trade Commission
- Fill out an FTC report form or call the FTC.
- OhioAttorney GeneralConsumer Complaints
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