Post by admin on Sept 15, 2011 17:36:32 GMT -8
Has this happened to you? You place a WANT TO BUY ad in the Insect Classifieds and amazingly you get a lot of immediate responses from people you've never heard of who have just what you are looking for! And they are using free e-mail services to contact you.
Several members have reported to me recently that they got ripped off by such 'sellers'. The member was contacted by someone who said they could supply what they were looking for, the member sent money in advance. You know the rest of the story: the buyer never received the items and the 'seller' disappeared, or even worse, requested more money be sent for 'customs' charges.
This kind of thing seems to be trending up on our board. My theory: It is because as time goes by I have been blocking IP addresses of every suspicious Classifieds seller I can find. I have built up a long list. They can't post FOR SALE ads in the Classifieds anymore so they use the reverse tactic of contacting their victims through responding to WANT TO BUY ads. They happen to have just what you are looking for, they will claim. And they will ask for money up front, typically by Western Union, and typically request you send the money to their 'wife' in another country.
Be careful out there. Especially you new traders.
Addendum: This tactic has become a full time occupation for some scammers. They spend all their waking hours responding to WANT TO BUY ads on the internet. They offer the item desired and see if they can get prepayment on it. A certain small percentage of buyers will send the money in advance. Of course, the items do not exist, so after the money is sent the game is over and they take your money, change their identities, and move on. These scammers go anywhere they can find a free classifieds service, not just here on InsectNet. All of this is made possible by MAUI: Multiple, Anonymous, Untraceable Identities, using free e-mail services such as Yahoo and Hotmail.
Several members have reported to me recently that they got ripped off by such 'sellers'. The member was contacted by someone who said they could supply what they were looking for, the member sent money in advance. You know the rest of the story: the buyer never received the items and the 'seller' disappeared, or even worse, requested more money be sent for 'customs' charges.
This kind of thing seems to be trending up on our board. My theory: It is because as time goes by I have been blocking IP addresses of every suspicious Classifieds seller I can find. I have built up a long list. They can't post FOR SALE ads in the Classifieds anymore so they use the reverse tactic of contacting their victims through responding to WANT TO BUY ads. They happen to have just what you are looking for, they will claim. And they will ask for money up front, typically by Western Union, and typically request you send the money to their 'wife' in another country.
Be careful out there. Especially you new traders.
Addendum: This tactic has become a full time occupation for some scammers. They spend all their waking hours responding to WANT TO BUY ads on the internet. They offer the item desired and see if they can get prepayment on it. A certain small percentage of buyers will send the money in advance. Of course, the items do not exist, so after the money is sent the game is over and they take your money, change their identities, and move on. These scammers go anywhere they can find a free classifieds service, not just here on InsectNet. All of this is made possible by MAUI: Multiple, Anonymous, Untraceable Identities, using free e-mail services such as Yahoo and Hotmail.