WATCH OUT FOR SCAMMERS!
Recently a fellow Forum member was scammed. Don’t be scammed!
There are scammers who target classic car forums, including ours. While our Forum administration works hard to try to keep scammers from our midst, sometimes they do manage to sneak in.
So how do the scammers try to separate you from your money? The following describes one possible scenario. Please note that the Forum names below are ALL FICTICIOUS and do not represent any person. And this is not the only way scammers might try to get your money.
Forum member Sam_the_Tiger_Man (Sam) posts in the parts wanted that he is looking for a fuel level sensor. Sam gets a private Communication from Forum member HiPoEd (Ed). In the private Communication, Ed tells Sam that he knows another Forum member, JohnnyBGoode (Johnny), has an extra fuel level sensor. Ed goes on to say he has been unable to reach Johnny, so he gives Sam Johnny’s email address. Sam gets excited that a fuel sender unit is in sight, so he immediately sends an email to Johnny, who replies to Sam. (Remember that Ed had said that Johnny had not responded to HIS emails.) Payment is arranged via some form of digital payment. After providing the information for the digital payment to Johnny, Sam waits for the delivery of the fuel sender. And waits. And waits. He sends another email to Johnny, but never hears back from him.
So what can you do to protect yourself from being scammed like Sam? Below are some tips which might help you avoid something similar. Please note that there is no one right answer which will protect you 100%, but you can improve your odds. These tips are not in any particular order.
Keep Communication on the Forum. Avoid Being Led off the Platform to Communicate Through Emails.
Recently a fellow Forum member was scammed. Don’t be scammed!
There are scammers who target classic car forums, including ours. While our Forum administration works hard to try to keep scammers from our midst, sometimes they do manage to sneak in.
So how do the scammers try to separate you from your money? The following describes one possible scenario. Please note that the Forum names below are ALL FICTICIOUS and do not represent any person. And this is not the only way scammers might try to get your money.
Forum member Sam_the_Tiger_Man (Sam) posts in the parts wanted that he is looking for a fuel level sensor. Sam gets a private Communication from Forum member HiPoEd (Ed). In the private Communication, Ed tells Sam that he knows another Forum member, JohnnyBGoode (Johnny), has an extra fuel level sensor. Ed goes on to say he has been unable to reach Johnny, so he gives Sam Johnny’s email address. Sam gets excited that a fuel sender unit is in sight, so he immediately sends an email to Johnny, who replies to Sam. (Remember that Ed had said that Johnny had not responded to HIS emails.) Payment is arranged via some form of digital payment. After providing the information for the digital payment to Johnny, Sam waits for the delivery of the fuel sender. And waits. And waits. He sends another email to Johnny, but never hears back from him.
So what can you do to protect yourself from being scammed like Sam? Below are some tips which might help you avoid something similar. Please note that there is no one right answer which will protect you 100%, but you can improve your odds. These tips are not in any particular order.
Keep Communication on the Forum. Avoid Being Led off the Platform to Communicate Through Emails.
- Try to keep all communications open on the Forum itself (in your Parts Wanted thread). At a minimum, use only the Forum’s private Communication tool.
- If someone says that they know another Forum member who has the part you want, do not send that other person an email. Instead ask the person to have the potential seller respond to your post looking for part(s). Otherwise ask the person to have the seller send YOU a private communication. Using this method will validate that the person with the part is an actual Forum member.
- Think about it. If a person says that the person with the part has not been responding to his emails or communications, why would the person with a part respond to your emails or communications?
- Get the telephone number of the seller and talk with him on the telephone. This provides another link to the seller.
- Have the seller post or send you a photo of the part(s) you wish to buy. Ask him to take a photo of him holding the part(s) with his face clearly showing in the photo. Review the photo carefully and look for signs of Photoshop or similar photo manipulation program being used. Do not accept any photos which are out of focus, blurry, or with important information (part, face of seller) cut off.
- Ask the seller if he has sold other parts to other Forum members. If so, get their Forum names and contact them for references
- Be careful of poor grammar.
- Feel free to contact one of the Administrators to check on another Forum member. Provide as much information as you have about the seller.
- Avoid high-pressure sales tactics: Be cautious of sellers who pressure you into making a quick decision.
- Without providing your location, ask the parts seller where he is located. Offer to meet him to exchange money for the part(s) and see how he responds.
- Try to pay via check, even if it slows down the transaction instead of making a digital payment.
- Do not use any payment method which is not traceable.
- If buying multiple items, break up the purchase into multiple transactions. Do not pay for the second part until you receive the first part.
- Use PayPal for payment. Do not share your banking information.