Scam Alert!
This article is written specifically for Used Cars Ontario™
users, however the information could apply to anyone.
GOALS OF A SCAMMER
EXAMPLES OF SCAM EMAILS
TIPS TO IDENTIFY SCAMMERS
THINGS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER
HOW IT WORKS
WHAT TO DO
FIGHT BACK!
Help Support Us
Introduction
If you have placed a classified ad on Used Cars Ontario™, you'll note that we do not show your email address to the public. Instead, we display a link that says "Click here to send email" which opens a form for the interested party to fill out. We do this to protect you from SPAM and SCAM attempts, as well as protect your privacy. When the form is submitted, the information is sent through our scam filters, and then on to you.
Even with this system in place, there is still a chance that you may receive an email of dubious nature. We urge you to use common sense when communicating with people. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
GOALS OF A SCAMMER:
- To cheat you out of your money by sending
you a cashiers cheque/bank draft for more than your asking price. They then
ask you to wire the remainder back to them. The scammer's cheque bounces 1-3
weeks later.
OR
- To cheat you out of the item/vehicle you are selling by sending you a cashiers cheque/bank draft for the amount that you agreed to. You ship your item/vehicle and the scammer's cheque bounces 1-3 weeks later.
Examples of typical scammer emails:
|
From: john <reeboks@yahoo.com> My client was happily encouraged when he saw the condition of the car and found it great joy in buying it. He is crazy about it and would like to view the interior part of the car if there is any. However he may wish to know your better price for onward transaction immediately so as to conclude the transaction Asap.Have a wonderful day,and God bless. |
|
From: wilson cliford <wilsontelford@yahoo.co.uk> Dear Sir, |
Tips To Help Identify Scammers
THEY USUALLY:
- Use free email accounts (ie: yahoo.com, yahoo.co.uk, hotmail.com, aol.com).
- Write in broken English.
- End their emails in "God Bless".
- Are located, or their "client's" are located, in another country.
- Have a friend or business associate who owe's them a large sum of money.
Things You Should Consider
- If your vehicle isn't selling locally, do you really think someone in another country would buy it?
- Who would actually volunteer MORE money than your asking price?
- Why would anyone, especially in another country, send you TOO MUCH money and trust you to send it back?
- No one would buy a car site-unseen!
How It Works
When you receive the cashiers cheque/bank draft from the scammer, you deposit it into your bank account. Like the wise person you are, you wait until it clears before you proceed. Within 48 hours, the bank has made the funds available in your account.
The problem is that due to government regulations the bank MUST release the funds within 48 hours. The cashiers cheque/bank draft has not actually cleared the issuing bank yet! This process can take between 1 and 3 weeks, and when your bank discovers the cheque/draft is a counterfeit, they take back their money from your account, even if it means you're left with a negative balance.
What To Do
If you have received a scam email:
- Forward a copy of the scammer's FIRST email sent through our system (it will have the subject "Your ad at UsedCarsOntario.com") to webmaster@usedcarsontario.com with the subject "SCAM ATTEMPT". We will add this information to our filtering system in an effort to prevent others from being subjected to scam attempts.
- Forward a copy of all communications to the Phonebusters National Call Centre at wafl@phonebusters.com. The Phonebusters National Call Center (PNCC) is a joint partnership involving the Ontario Provincial Police and the RCMP. The PNCC is very interested in receiving copies of any 'new' versions of Nigerian letter scheme, particularly those involving Canadian mailing addresses or telephone numbers.
If you are a victim of a scam:
- Report the fraud to your local RCMP Detachment or the police force of jurisdiction in your area.
- Forward a copy of all communications to the Phonebusters National Call Centre at wafl@phonebusters.com. The Phonebusters National Call Center (PNCC) is a joint partnership involving the Ontario Provincial Police and the RCMP. The PNCC is very interested in receiving copies of any 'new' versions of Nigerian letter scheme, particularly those involving Canadian mailing addresses or telephone numbers.
Fight Back!
Here are ways some potential scam victims are fighting back against the scammers. (Used Cars Ontario™ does not necessarily condone or endorse such actions. In most cases you may be better off not responding to any scam attempts.)
- Submit the scammers email to all sorts of spam mailing lists. The scammer soon won't be able to find valid emails among all the spam and will have to abandon the account.
- Allow the scammer to courior the counterfeit cheque, which costs the scammer money to send. Then instead of wiring the money to the Western Union location specified by the scammer, send them to a different Western Union location that is somewhat of a drive for the scammer. When they get there, of course there are no funds for them! (Obviously, DO NOT actually wire any money!)
- When you provide an address for the scammer to send the cheque to, give them the address of your local police force (you may want to check with the police before doing this). Then after a few days when you "receive" the cheque, send them to a remote Western Union location as mentioned in the point above!
- Basically have some fun. String them along and then drop them. At the very least they'll be aggravated and may give up the scamming business!
For more information on this topic, click here.
Help Support Us
If you find an ad at Used Cars Ontario™ that is not valid or seems to have been placed by a scammer, PLEASE LET US KNOW by emailing webmaster@usedcarsontario.com with the ad number! We will take the appropriate action.
We hope you have found this information helpful. If so, please consider supporting us by clicking on one of the text ads below. Thank you!
Used Car Classifieds 
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