Published in El Pais, 24 July 2018.
More and more people are relying on the internet to buy and sell. Some are using it as a business model, but many are simply using it to sell old things they no longer require or if they need extra cash. Of course, there are always people who want to take advantage of people of others and one should always be on the lookout for possible scams. Here are some notable ones that one should be wary of when about to conduct a transaction with someone you just met online.
1. Counterfeit Money. This one is self explanatory, the person buying your goods simply pays you with “monopoly money”. There are things you can do such as taking a detector with you, but these scammers often take their own precautions such as meeting in a garage rather than in a more public place with their getaway vehicle nearby. The key here is to make the exchange as quickly as possible with nobody around to increase the chances of getting away. When meeting someone make sure to do it in a public place, that alone will likely scare off any scammers.
2. Fake Cheques. Often you will be contacted by the buyer who will make up an excuse why they cannot come in person. They request it be delivered, even suggesting a postal service that only delivers once the buyer hands over the cheque to the deliveryman. While this may put you at ease these services do not usually authenticate cheques. Its best to stick to buyer who are willing to meet in person.
3. Fake Jobs. This one is sort of an extension of the last one as it too involves fake cheques. These people usually pray on the ones seeking a job and may be more desperate for money. They will usually contact you with an opportunity involving debt collection. They ask you to collect money from a made-up business, who will give you the money in a cheque made out in your name. Your “employer” will instruct you to deposit the cheque, keep a small percentage as your payment and wire the rest to them. Shortly after the money is sent the cheque will be found as fake and you will be on the hook. One should always stay away at all costs as they are always a scam.
These scams are not meant to scare you from selling your stuff online but should be used as guidance on how one should conduct oneself. If you take precautions and be on the look out for fraudsters, the risk to you should be minimized.
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