Avoiding scams and fraud

You can sidestep would-be scammers by following these common-sense rules:

- DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON - follow this one simple rule and you will avoid 99% of the scam attempts.

- NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM or any other wire service - anyone who asks you to do so is a scammer.

- FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON, and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when the fake is discovered weeks later.

- NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, address, telephone numbers, CC details, Online Transaction ids, etc.)

- ONLY SHOP AT TRUSTED SITES and keep a lookout for SECURE ENCRYPTED PAGES (128 bit encryption or more) before typing in CC details for payment. The encrypted pages should be supported by providers like Verisign etc, for it to be legitimate

- AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL "GUARANTEE" YOUR TRANSACTION.

- ANY AND ALL "FREEBEES" AND "OFFERS" BY MARKETING PERSONNNEL MUST BE CONFIRMED IN WRITING. This is a very common fraud in this age of tele-marketing where the world is offered and all hell breaks loose.

Shop SAFE :)