Just some notes about what to look for when corresponding with a "seller". I've consolidated a few of the previous posts and articles, and have added some updated info.

Since 2004, when we first posted about these scams, the ads have been getting better. However, the M.O. is always the same. Read our ATV Scam article and familiarize yourself with the scam ads.

At this point, you've already emailed the seller (because there's no phone number) and the seller has responded with some "details".

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The vehicle is almost always located in a city that is different from the stated location in the ad. Sometimes it's in a different province or country.

The seller is located in some other area, not in the city as stated in the ad, and not where the vehicle is supposedly located. This is supposedly due to a job (ie. oil rig), or having just relocated, or visiting friends/relatives.

The seller will not provide a phone number, usually because he just moved and doesn't have one yet or doesn't know it, or is at work and cannot take calls (but is able to sit on the 'net for hours on end).

The vehicle is always located at a shipping company. How convenient! Usually, shipping is included at the extremely low selling price. Sometimes, the shipping is free because the seller's relative works for the shipping company, ie. DHL. Ask yourself how DHL will track it then.

Your immediate action is needed! Because the seller has debts to pay, or some other reason for wanting the transaction dealt with right away.

The vehicle has a "clear title". This is common wording in scammer correspondence, but in our area, nobody uses that term. This alone does not indicate a scam, but it's something to watch for.

If the ad is on Craigslist or some other non-eBay publication, and the seller says he will be using eBay's protection program, you know right away that it's a scam because eBay does NOT cover non-eBay ads.

If the seller wants to use an escrow or "freight-forwarding" or "third-party holding" service, be aware that many of the websites are fake and are actually owned by the scammer. Look for odd-sounding or hyphenated domain names such as "worldwide-shipp.com". You can check the domain name whois to see when the site was created; generally you'll find that it was created within a few days of the ad placement, yet has hundreds of favourable "reviews" from satisfied customers. For more info, check the Fraud Information Center at Escrow.com.

The seller needs "your full name and address to proceed" or "to open a case". Sure you do, buddy.

The seller wants the money sent via Western Union or Moneygram. Don't send money!

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If you realize an ad is a scam ad from the resulting correspondence, post the ad and correspondence here, and include the email address of the scammer. Then anyone searching for that email address can find the thread, hopefully before they get scammed. This will also help us spot new scammer trends. Also, flag the ad so that the publication can delete it.

If you have a question about an ad you've seen, post it here and one of our Scam Busters will check it out, or send a PM to me if you're worried about getting "scooped".

And if our scam info has saved you from getting scammed, post up and let us know.

Greg