Scam E-Mail

[JohnRR]

Originally Posted by justimagination

I have been contacted on two(2) separate occasions about ads in the classifieds section. The first one being on our motorhome ad within the past 60 days, the second being today about accessories in the classified section also. What I am so concerned about, is how did this person get in the site and recover my email address, which is not posted anywhere in the ad ? or correct me if I am wrong, what am I missing here? I just feel that this should not have happened not once, but twice. Thank you and all the staff, I may be wrong, but I felt privacy was on our side being members of IRV2

You do realize there is a "Contact Seller" link in every classifieds ad for someone to contact you. You are correct you do not have your email address listed but it is hidden with in the Contact Seller link.

Not all people interested in something listed are willing to conduct negotiations with someone else in an open forum.

It is impossible to protect from scams on the Internet other than not listing something at all.

[Route 66]

Note that non-members can view the classified ads, but they must register to contact the seller.

Unfortunately, there is no way to know a new members intentions when they register.

As John notes above, the "Contact Seller" link does not reveal your email.

If you reply to an email, then your email is revealed as email is not an iRV2 function.

[CLIFFTALL]

I have set up a few " new " email addresses to respond to ads I'm running. When the item sells , I'll remove those addresses from my computer and they can scam all they want to in cyberspace.

[MSHappyCampers]

In the last few months I have advertised and sold a 5th wheel, toad, and tow vehicle. I advertised them here on IRV2, one Craigslist, autotrader.com, and RVTrader.com. All the scam responses came from the Craigslist ad. I usually received at least one a day and they were all worded about the same so they were very easy to spot. If I had any doubt that it was a scam, I responded with the same message, "I can only accept a direct transfer of funds between your bank and mine". I never heard from them again!

[Wayne M]

Justimagination,
Do you use the same email address on any other web sites? Just thinking outloud.

[wa8yxm]

I will take a shot in the dark at trying to answer the original poster (Cue Inspector theme, which happens to be titled "A Shot in the Dark")

If you are refering to posting something in the For Sale section.. Well, for best results you want the widest audience possible, the more people who see it the better your chances of a sale.

Sadly, this also means.. The more people who see it the more likely SCAMMERS will see it and try to rip you off.

There are only two defenses.

1: Do not post in For Sale areas.. And thus do not sell

2: Read carefully and if it looks like a scam. Take your pick from the following:

Respond with.. nothing (Do not respond)
Respond with.. Already sold
Report the Attempted scam
Do the research (Dissassemble the Envelope (Header) info, if you know how) and if it still smells like a scam. Report it.

NOTE: Scammers often have false info in the "FROM" field and dissassembling the header may catch them .. or not. But if it does it removes all doubt.

[Stano]

Why do some of these scammers offer to send a certified check?

Stano

[Toyduck]

Originally Posted by Stano

Why do some of these scammers offer to send a certified check?

Stano

Certified forgery.

[Dogpatch]

Originally Posted by Toyduck

Certified forgery.

Exactly! You can buy those check stamping machines at garage sales.

[johnnyreno]

you really have to watch classified adds