We live at a time when we can purchase things halfway around the world with the click of a button. We can also find a gun or accessory we have wanted for a long time on Craigslist, Gun Broker, or E-bay among many others, and often at a price that may seem reasonable. The trouble is that scamming is now easier than ever before, and the thieves are getting better at catching folks with every passing day.
You notice I didn't say sucker, because that implies that smart people don't have to worry. Nobody is immune, and card companies and auction administrators don't have all the staff, tools and time needed to recover funds sent to a scammer. Therefore, we need to use extreme caution if we must take this risk. As with protecting ourselves and family from violence, we can't rely on anyone else, and it is up to us to avoid being caught at a disadvantage.
If I am thinking of sending funds to someone selling their wares on the internet, here are some things that can reduce the risk.
You notice I didn't say sucker, because that implies that smart people don't have to worry. Nobody is immune, and card companies and auction administrators don't have all the staff, tools and time needed to recover funds sent to a scammer. Therefore, we need to use extreme caution if we must take this risk. As with protecting ourselves and family from violence, we can't rely on anyone else, and it is up to us to avoid being caught at a disadvantage.
If I am thinking of sending funds to someone selling their wares on the internet, here are some things that can reduce the risk.
- Know the subject matter or study up on it. Some things are easy to counterfeit, others can be cobbled up from cannibalized parts, dates can be tampered with and photos never show everything. Request a video or propose to have a local friend physically inspect.
- Do an image search for the images of the goods offered for sale. Often the scammer never has the property, but has grabbed images from other sites.
- Get contact information for seller, including physical address that I can check with Zillow or other resources; a phone number used to discuss the sale; and e-mail address that works. Get the seller's name, and run it by the FFL licensee they will use to send to me.
- Check known spammer ISPs and ask for references from other sales.
- If the seller refuses, disengages or become nonresponsive at any point before funds are sent, that tells me something is fishy.
- I will use a third party if I can, such as a local FFL that I designate, that I can send the funds to and pay to look out for my interests, including a valid ID and often, a mug shot.