Dec 19 2008
The Most Popular Internet Scam?
What is the most popular internet scam? According to the Federal Trade Commission, it is auction scams.
What is an auction scam and how does it work? Quite simply put an auction scam is where someone offers an item for sale via the internet, typically through some auction service. Usually this will be a very expensive or popular item such as a rare collectible or jewelry. Then when the item is sold, the seller collects and the fails to deliver. Either the item is never delivered or else a forgery or fake is delivered instead.
How can you avoid the auction scam?
Use only a trusted auction resource. There are many auction sites available, use only those you trust. Do a little reseach about the seller. What is their selling history? What do other customers say? How responsive are they to your emails? Do they have additional photos of the item?
If it is a particularly expensive item you may wish to consider using an escrow service to confirm delivery.
