As web reporter for NBC25, I'd like to warn you of the growing problem of check and money order scams that are being perpetrated through on-line classifieds across the U.S.

The National Consumers League says "fake check scams are a clever ploy designed to steal your money." Typically scammers send counterfeit checks or money orders in excess of the amount requested. In return the seller is asked to wire the excess to another person. The seller is legally held responsible for the funds. This scam has cost unsuspecting people thousands of dollars.

If you think you may have received a phony check, call the bank listed on the check. If you get a bogus check, don't deposit it, report it to the National Consumers League at (800) 876-7060 or www.fraud.org To see a recent report on this scam, click the watch button below.

Your4State.com works hard to maintain a friendly environment in which buyers and sellers are honest and trustworthy; however, some scammers succeed in posting or responding to listings.  Your4State.com is offering the following warnings and tips to ensure your buying and selling experiences are hassle-free:

• Know what you are buying. Before making an offer to a seller; ask questions to learn more about what they are selling. 
• DO NOT do business with anyone offering to send you payment for a higher amount than your selling price, especially if they are buying the item sight-unseen.
• Be suspicious of anyone claiming to be acting on behalf of a “client” or another “customer”.
• Be suspicious of anyone offering an item for free or at a reduced price, and asking for the shipping fees to be sent to them in advance.
• Ask for personal contact information. Once you have negotiated the price and have decided to buy or sell the item, ask for a phone number and call him/her up at a random time to make sure he/she is receiving the calls.
• Use a payment method with fraud protection. Many scammers only accept money by wire transfer, Money Gram, or bank transfer because buyers cannot get their money back and sellers cannot be tracked.
• Don’t ship an item to a buyer until you have payment in hand, in the equivalent of cash, for the agreed upon sale price.  Avoid complicated payment schemes that involve multiple steps or buyers.
• Keep records of all correspondence.  Hold on to any e-mail, notes, shipping documents, and payment information.  Be sure to print a copy of the ad!  These records may prove useful in the rare event that you need to seek a refund from a seller or report an incident of fraud.
• Be aware that many "scammers" are from other countries and have obvious grammatical or spelling errors in their emails.
  

Thanks for visiting Your4State.com Classifieds. We hope you find this service helpful. 

Erin Wolfe

 
To view the most recent scams and warnings issued by the FBI, go to http://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/escams.htm

To file a complaint, visit the Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov/

Your4State.com will not be responsible in any way for any ad or other posting, or the content within, or for anything that might happen or result from any ad or other posting.

Your4State.com cooperates with law enforcement.