Discussion Forums / TRADE ONLINE SAFELY / Advice and Information for Trading Online

Fraudulent Payment Requests

Dan_TradingPost — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:38:52 GMT

A few Trading Post users have received a fake invoice claiming to be from PayPal, asking users to pay a shipping fee via Western Union money transfer service. The fake email states that there is a large amount of “approved” money that will be credited to your account once this Western Union payment is made.

This is a scam and Trading Post users should be aware that neither PayPal or eBay will ask you to make a payment through Western Union.

Anyone who wishes to use PayPal to make a transaction should always confirm their balance by logging in through the PayPal website.

For more information, see http://www.paypal.com.au/au.

Beware Fraudulent Buyers

Amy_TradingPost — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:30:43 GMT

A few Trading Post Users have reported being contacted by SMS from overseas and asked to make contact with a potential buyer via email. When they contact the buyer, they are told the buyer is abroad but will organise to have the car shipped via a shipping/escrow company. Some sellers then receive a fake receipt for payment made to an Australian Financial Institution and are asked to pay a fee via Western Union to have the car released.

This is a fraud and we would recommend any Trading Post users who receive a message asking them to ship items overseas to not reply and forward the message to investigations@tradingpost.com.

Remember that Trading Post is an Australian website and we do not recommend payment is made to potential buyers or sellers overseas. Please also note that Western Union money transfer is a prohibited payment method on our site.

Phishing Warning - Don't take the bait...

Amy_TradingPost — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:59:31 GMT

Phishing Email or Phishing SMS messages

Some Trading Post users have recently received a phishing SMS or email message asking them to log into the Trading Post website though a link provided in the message.

This message did not originate from Trading Post but from a malicious third party.

The purpose of this message is to steal username and password details and allow unauthorised access to Trading Post accounts.

Trading Post will never send you a message asking you to log into the site through a link and you should always log on by clicking “My Stuff” from the Trading Post homepage and entering your details.

Identifying a phishing email or SMS can be tricky as they may use the Trading Post logo. However, you should be wary if the message contains any of the following:

A request for urgent action – the message may threaten account suspension or other action if you do not log in through the link.
Offers of payment - the sender wants to organise payment for an item that you have not listed for sale.
A link to a website that looks like Trading Post but which has a different web address from the Trading Post website.
The offer of a cash prize for logging in through the link.
A request to confirm personal or financial details such as Credit Card number.
Poor grammar or spelling errors.
A request to transfer money by Western Union money transfer.

If you ever receive a message that you believe is fraudulent then you should forward the original message to the following email address:

investigations@tradingpost.com.au

Example 1: Recent phishing email

From: <xxx@emailladdress
Subject: your tradingpost item
To: xxx@emailaddress

Hi ,

I have bought your item. How can i pay you for this item ?
Please let me know if this is your item :

http://tradingpost-online-sales.9k.com/AdNumber-TP002758753-loginpagedZViewitem.html

Thank you

Example 2: Phishing email

From: xxx
Sent:
To: xxx
Subject: your tradingpost item

This is an automated email

Hi,

It has come to our attention that your account is out of date. This require you to verify your account as soon as possible.

Please login on before September 29, 2009. A failure to login may result on a suspension of your account. Click on the link below to verify your Trading Post records:

Click here

This statement will help us continue to offer Trading Post as a secure place to buy and sell. This is also a new Trading Post security statement which goes according to the established norms on our Terms & Conditions.

We appreciate your cooperation and assistance.

Happy trading!

The Trading Post Team
www.tradingpost.com.au

Example 3: Phishing SMS

TradingPost.com.au
SMS ID: AU8DN4218UG
Congratulations! You won the $1500.00 cash prize!
Please visit http://sms.tradingpost-prize.co.cc to claim your cash.

Online Scams & Fraud

Amy_TradingPost — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:46:01 GMT

If it looks too good to be true, it probably is!

The internet is a great place for criminals to operate - they rely on being able to remain anonymous and on avoiding law enforcement by placing ads in different countries from the one they live in.

Always keep in mind that Trading Post is for buyers and sellers located within Australia only. If you are contacted by either a buyer or seller stating that they are located overseas, you should exercise extreme caution and report the user to us immediately.

Keep a look out for scams.

1. Fraudulent sellers usually advertise high-value items for sale at a price well below market value. These are usually:

· Cars

· Motorbikes

· Caravan

· Tractors

· Computers/Laptops

· Gaming consoles

· Any other high value item

2. Fraudulent sellers correspond by email - they usually do not reside in Australia.

3. The contact numbers are usually disconnected or incorrect.

4. The sale is urgent (e.g. divorce, moving overseas).

5. The method of payment is Western Union money transfer.

6. There is no opportunity to view the item or speak to the seller directly

If you see an ad with any of these characteristics DO NOT RESPOND.

Always be vigilant when trading online.

1. ALWAYS check out whether they actually own or possess the vehicle.

2. DON’T USE MONEY TRANSFER SERVICES - such as Western Union - once the $ have transferred, it’s gone!

3. ALWAYS check out seller's contact details

4. WATCH OUT: Trading Post® does not offer insurance or purchase protection.

5. Trading Post® DOESN’T HAVE a live chat service so don’t trust anyone that says it does.

6. If the ad DISAPPEARS from Trading Post® then it could be a scam. Ask us about it.

If you have already sent money via Western Union money transfer, you need to act quickly!

Call Western Union on 1800 173 833 and request that they immediately stop the transaction.

Contact Trading Post by email on investigations@tradingpost.com.au

If you think you see a fraud ad contact us immediately.

Email us on investigations@tradingpost.com.au

For more information on Fraud, check out the following links:

http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/693900

http://www.419legal.org/blog/2009/03/18/western-union-scam-how-promptly-you-can-spot-and-avoid/

http://www.westernunion.com.au/info/fraudIndex.asp

http://www.afp.gov.au/national/major_fraud/internet_scams

http://www.ahtcc.gov.au/tech_crimes_types/fraud.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_fraud