Spotting Scammers in Online Marketplaces (Caveat seller, too!)

Malden MA

16 June, 2022

9:51 AM

Description

I'm just a gal who sells stuff online. I'm no expert in the ins-and-outs of fraud. However, as I do sell stuff, I've developed a few safety protocols. One -- Place a codeword at the end of your description. Many scammers use bots to auto-reply to sales ads. Here's my 'boilerplate': Please put the word DIRIGIBLE [not the word I use] in the subject line so I'll know that you have read this disclosure.Two -- A sure-fire 'tell' is when the potential buyer tells you that they'll send someone -- their spouse / cousin / alpaca to pick up the item. Scammers are adept at making you think that they've already paid for the item, when the email notification is not from PayPal or Venmo or Zelle. Finally -- Speaking of payment, if you specify that you take only 'cash or PayPal / Venmo / Zelle, and they offer to pay you some other way, don't be tempted to set up a new account just to accommodate them. I'm sure there are people out there who have other tips to avoid scammers. Please feel free to comment below. ~ End ~