Fraud & Scams

If you receive an email with the following message: "IMPORTANT - YOUR CREDIT CARD PAYMENT WASN'T CORRECT !!!" This is not a legitimate Netaupair email message, it is a phishing attempt.

  • DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON - follow this one simple rule and you will avoid 99% of the scam attempts on Netaupair.
  • 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.
  • Netaupair IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION, and does not handle payments, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer "buyer protection" or "seller certification"
  • NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
  • AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL "GUARANTEE" YOUR TRANSACTION.
  • FTC toll free hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357)
  • FTC online complaint form (http://www.ftc.gov)
  • Canadian PhoneBusters hotline: 888-495-8501
  • Internet Fraud Complaint Center (http://www.ic3.gov)
  • Non-emergency number for your local police department.

If you suspect that an item posted for sale on Netaupair may be part of a scam, please email the details to "abuse@Netaupair.org". Be sure to include the URL (or eight-digit post ID number) in your message.

Most scams involve one or more of the following:

  • inquiry from someone far away, often in another country
  • Western Union, Money Gram, cashier's check, money order, shipping, escrow service, or a "guarantee"
  • inability or refusal to meet face-to-face before consumating transaction

1. Someone claims that Netaupair will guarantee a transaction, certify a buyer/seller, and claims that Netaupair will handle or provide protection for a payment.

  • These claims are fraudulent, as Netaupair does not have any role in any transaction.
  • Scammer will often send an official looking email that appears to come from Netaupair, offering a guarantee, certifying a seller, providing payment services -- all such emails are fakes!

2. distant person offers a genuine-looking (but fake) cashier's check

  • you receive an email (examples below) offering to buy your item, or rent your apartment, sight unseen.
  • cashier's check is offered for your sale item, as a deposit for an apartment, or for just about anything else of value.
  • value of cashier's check often far exceeds your item - scammer offers to "trust" you, and asks you to wire the balance via money transfer service
  • banks will often cash these fake checks AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE WHEN THE CHECK FAILS TO CLEAR, including criminal prosecution in some cases!
  • scam often involves a 3rd party (shipping agent, business associate owing buyer money, etc)

3. Someone requests wire service payment via Western Union or MoneyGram:

  • Scam "bait" items include apartments, laptops, plasma TVs, cell phones, tickets - but could be almost anything
  • Often claim that an MTCN or confirmation code is needed before he can withdraw your money - this is FALSE, once you've wired money, it is GONE.
  • Common countries currently include: Nigeria, Romania, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Spain, Italy, Netherlands - but could be anywhere
  • Apartment listing may be local, but landlord/owner is "travelling" or "relocating" and needs you to wire money to them abroad
  • Deal often seems too good to be true, price is too low, rent is below market, etc

4. distant person offers to send you a money order and then have you wire money:

  • this is ALWAYS a scam, in our experience - the cashier's check is FAKE
  • sometimes accompanies an offer of merchandise, sometimes not
  • scammer often asks for your name, address, etc for printing on the fake check
  • deal often seems too good to be true

5. distant seller suggests use of an online escrow service.

6. distant seller asks for a partial payment upfront, after which he will ship goods

  • he says he trusts you with the partial payment
  • he may say he has already shipped the goods
  • deal often sounds too good to be true

7. foreign company offers you a job receiving payments from customers, then wiring funds

  • foreign company may claim it is unable to receive payments from its customers directly
  • you are typically offered a percentage of payments received
  • this kind of "position" may be posted as a job, or offered to you via email

Hello , Thanks for your mail back concerning the inquiry mail i sent to you. The price,condition also the pics i viewed is okay by me .And my client confirm there is no problem about the price($975 ) ,my client do pays with a {USA}cashier check,he has agreed to mail out as bank cashiers check of $3500. to you on my behalf to cover the shippment fees.About the shippment, that we be taken care by my me & my personal assistant,my personal assistant will be using his shipper to do the quick processing of the shipping of the(1987 Toyota Celica) to my client.

So all you are to do after you will received the check in your mail, Just take out your sale amount and refer the remaining money to my shipper immediately through the westernunion or the money gramm outlet so to get the money fast and start the fast arrangement for the pickup of the (1987 Toyota Celica).Since you are the original owner of this item,and i am buying the item directly from you i will like you to write your full name to be on the check,with the mailing address which my client will be using to issued out the check to you.I do wish to trust you by refering the rest balance back to my shipper and also your fast doing to this transaction. I will like to hear fromyou if this is okay by you and you are ready to process ,if you aready to sale your item and promise refering the rest balance to my shipper immediately you received the check so can start the quick arrangement for the pickup. Any body that want to buy this item this item just tell therm that it as been sold. I will like to copmplete this transaction befor the new year. I be at my computer waiting to see your epky to my payment method mailed.

THANKS AND MAIL ME BACK WITH YOUR DETAIL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

�� Thanks for getting back to me,i will be purchasing the motorbike Like i said earlier i am based in the netherlands(holland).there won't be any probs about the shipment,after payment ,the pick up will be made at your place. i have made arrangements with the prepaid shipping company. As regards payment,this is what i am going to do;I have a client in ENGLAND who is owing me 5800POUNDS i would instruct him to make out a money order/certifiedcheck to you in that amount and as soon as it clears your bank. you can now deduct your money from it and send me my balance,i will using use part of the money to pay for the shipping and other expenses .you will then send my balance by via western union money transfer.Although the value of the check is more than the asking price but i think i should be able to trust you with my balance. The reason why i am doing this is that it would take a check sent from over here in HOLLAND 21days to clearover there,whereas a check sent from the US would clear tops within 48hrs. So i would like you to deduct the western union charges from my balance.So if my terms are acceptableto you,i would like you to give me your fullname,address and phone number so that i can instruct my client to make out the check to you. Pls get back to me as soon as you get this mail so that we can round things up in a timely fashion..i willbe trusting in this business transaction.

Good day i am an auto dealer based in TAIWAN,i am interested in buying your ( 1989 Jetta GL 4 door )I will like to know if you would accept acertified cashier check for the payment of the,i also need to know the price and your full name and address including your phone is also needed in which payment will be sent to . i have a shipping company who takes cares of my shippment .So don't bother about the shippment.I will also like to know if is still in good condition and shape.urgent response is needed for procedure of payment of the ( 1989 Jetta GL 4 door )

REGARD

Thanks for your mail,Since the cost of your bike is $800 i just contacted my client about the cost of your bike and it present condition and he said there is no problem about that.So my client said he will be issuing you a Certified Check of $4000 while you wire 3000 to me through Western Union Money Trasfer and you deduct the cost of your bike $800 and keep the remaining $200 which my client said you should take for the terms of Transaction and Agreement between you and my client.So i will like you to send me your full contact information to where my client will be sending you the Certified

Check like this:
name.........
full address.............
city...............
state.............
country..........
zipcode............
cell/office/home phone number.......................

I will look forward to the requested information as soon as possible so that the check can be sent out to you immediately And do get back to me with the Pics of the bike so tha! t my client will be Able to see What he is paying off.Get back to me immediately. Looking torwards your respond, Best Regards.

Good day i am an auto dealer based in TAIWAN,i am interested in buying your ( Comic book collection - 500 comics )I will like to know if you would accept acertified cashier check for the payment of the,i also need to knowthe price and your full name and address including your phone is alsoneeded in which payment will be sent to . i have a shipping company who takes cares of my shippment .So don't bother about the shippment.I will also like to know if is still in good condition and shape.urgent response is needed for procedure of payment of the ( Comic book collection - 500 comics )

REGARD