Classified ads scams frequently involve one or more of the following:

• An inquiry from someone far away, often in another country
• Western Union, Money Gram, cashier's check, money order, or a "guarantee"
• Inability or refusal to meet face-to-face before finalizing the transaction

Below are some tips to avoid scams

1. DEAL LOCALLY with customers you meet in person

2. NEVER agree to sell an item for more than the purchase price and refund the overpayment to the seller

3. NEVER agree to cash a check for a stranger

4. NEVER WIRE FUNDS. Most such requests are fraudulent.

5. NEVER send money even if you receive a check. FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON, and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when the fake is discovered up to 4 weeks later.

6. NEVER GIVE OUT YOUR FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number)

7. NEVER agree to sell an item for more than the purchase price and refund the overpayment to the seller

Top Internet Scams

Nigerian (or 419) Scam

The most visible form of advance fee fraud today is the Nigerian Letter or 419 fraud, named after the section of the Nigerian penal code that it violates. Originally sent by mail, and later by fax, the Nigerian Letter is now sent almost exclusively by e-mail. A typical letter includes a header that says something like “Confidential Business Proposal” and claims to come from a person needing to transfer large sums of money out of the country. As the Nigerian letter has become well known to potential targets, the gangs operating the scams have developed other variations. The targets are often told that they are the beneficiaries of an inheritance or are invited to impersonate the beneficiary of an unclaimed estate. The target may be told that a wealthy individual is being held hostage and will reward those who help to transfer the ransom money. Another common related scam is a fake lottery in which the targets are told that they have 'won' a large prize but must pay an 'administrative fee' before they can receive it. After the 'administrative fee' is paid, the scammer vanishes.

Dog for Sale/Adoption Scam

This scam is relatively new, and is a hard to recognize as actually being a scam at first. In this scam, the scammer posts an online classified ad offering a rare or expensive dog for sale. The classified ad itself seems pretty normal, and there is nothing overtly suspicious about the way that it is written. But when you contact the seller, he will indicate that he would like you to send them a "shipping fee" or sometimes an "adoption fee" before they will sell the dog to you. Truth is there is no dog at all, and once the "seller" receives your deposit, he will disappear and be untraceable. While the scam is relatively simple, it sometimes works because the buyer is made to feel guilty about not paying "a small fee to ensure the animals health and safety.” Plus, who thinks that a nice dog breeder is going to try and scam them?

Note that not all "pets for sale" ads on this site or elsewhere on the Internet are scams. Just keep in mind that some may be, and exercise caution. If they want you to send money in advance, this should set off alarm bells

I am interested in your item scam

This is a very slippery scam and relatively new. The email will sound like a genuine reply to your ad. The tip-off is that the scammer will never actually refer to the item for sale by name. It will always be referred to as the 'item' or other term. Another red flag to watch for, this scam seems to be originating in Europe where an advertisment is referred to as an 'advert'. If you reply to this ad you will probably be asked to cash a cashiers check plus shipping. It will ask you to forward the 'shipping' to a shipping agent.

Banking Agent Scam

In this scam, the scammer posts an online classified ad which looks something like this: "Growing international company is looking for a financial/art/sales agent in (your) area."

When you contact the author of this ad, he will inform you that he is part of a new overseas company which is just starting to break into the North American market. Because of "international banking regulations," he cannot accept payments from new North American customers. So he are looking for someone who will act as a "Banking Agent", and who will cash customers checks for them. If you deposit these checks into your own account, and then send them the majority of the funds, the company will give you a generous commission.

This scammer is getting you to deposit counterfeit checks in your own account, keeping some of the cash, and then sending the bulk of the funds off to him. You will probably be able to do this a few times before the bank catches up with you (it can take weeks for some banks to identify fraudulent checks). At that point, you are the one left holding the bag, and the person who sent the checks to you will have disappeared

Work at Home Scams

Beware of Work at home ads.