Hunniebunnie posted this in the Puppy Scam thread and it's very good information - is it possible to have this somewhere on the site (a Sticky maybe?) so we can refer new people to it who aren't aware of the scams on the net ?
Craigslist has a great page on scams. I think the tips and hints on that page would apply to any online scams for the purchase of any item.
http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html
Cut and pasted below are portions of that page that should sound very familiar to those of us that followed this thread.
Recognizing scams
Most scams meet involve one or more of the following:
- long-distance buyer or seller
- offer includes a cashier's check, postal money order, Western Union, or escrow service (BidPay, Squaretrade, etc.)
- refusal to meet face-to-face
Types of Scams
3. distant seller requests payment via Western Union or MoneyGram:
- seller often claims that an MTCN or confirmation code is needed before he can withdraw your money - this is FALSE, once you've wired money, it is GONE.
- common items currently: laptops, plasma TVs, cell phones, tickets - but could be almost anything
- common countries currently include: Nigeria, Romania, Ukraine, Spain, UK, Italy, Netherlands - but could be anywhere
- deal often seems too good to be true
6. distant seller asks for a partial payment upfront, after which he will ship goods
- he says he trusts you with the partial payment
- he may say he has already shipped the goods
- deal often sounds too good to be true