A word of warning to anyone
shopping on the Internet...
 For
most of us, the Internet is a useful and enjoyable source of information and entertainment. But
for a criminal few, it’s another new way to make money illegally. International crooks are now
targeting ‘For Sale’ ads on smaller specialist websites as a way to pass stolen cheques and
launder illegal money, and sad to say Agilitynet is no exception. Fortunately, though, the
scams are fairly easy to spot if you know what to look for. Take a look at the list of warning
signs which we’ve included on the ‘Fleamarket’ page for several months now. They apply not just
to Agilitynet but to any online auction or For Sale section as well as email invitations.
All the same, Lindsay Freeman has been generous enough to
share her experience when she almost lost £2,000 by advertising a dog guard for sale. Read on
and learn from Lindsay’s hard-won experience…
I recently
advertised a dog guard and tailgate guard for sale via Agility Eye and Agilitynet,
hoping that this would ensure that only genuine agility people would enquire. After about a
month, I had an inquiry from someone via e-mail (wilson_sharon2000@yahoo.com),
who said that she lived in Amsterdam. A few days later, I received an e-mail to say that
her 'associate' was sending a cheque drawn on an English Bank. Then another e-mail was sent
saying the cheque they had sent was for more than the goods, so when it arrived would I pay it
into my bank account and when it had cleared could I transfer the excess back to them in Euros
– details to follow.
I
was rather shocked when the cheque arrived for £2,000 but not overly suspicious. I decided to
pay the cheque into my bank account (on a Friday) and wait for it to clear before releasing the
funds and goods. Over the weekend, I decided that I had been rather naïve and that I should
have sent the cheque back to her associate who lived in Athens. The envelope that the cheque
arrived in had to correct postmark. I contacted my bank on Monday who advised me to contact
them and ask them to stop the cheque.
I
sent an e-mail to ‘Sharon’ and requested that she had the cheque stopped and one for the
correct amount be sent. Within 15 minutes of sending the e-mail, I had a phone call from her
associate in Greece. The man who had a foreign accent told me that the funds had already been
cleared and demanded that I transferred the funds immediately. This person was very
intimidating, and it is possible that some people would have complied with his demands. I told
him that the cheque he had issued was with the same bank I am with (HSBC) and they had told me
differently. I also told him that I had spoken to the police who considered that it could be a
case of fraud. At that stage he said goodbye and hung up. I have heard nothing from either of
them since and the cheque has now come back unpaid.
The
scam
I have spoken at length to my bank’s fraud department and one of the questions they asked
was 'do they want the money transferred to Western Union?' Which they did. This is by all
accounts a fraud that is wide spread, people are employed to search the net for smaller
specialist web-sites and find any goods for sale. The cheques, which are sent, are usually
stolen. The recipient is then put under pressure to release the excess funds either before the
cheque has cleared or as soon as and the cheque is then stopped. Apparently a cheque can be
stopped even after it has been cleared. I worked in a bank some years ago and was totally
unaware of this. The goods have also been collected so not only have you lost out financially
but the goods have gone also.
Buyer
beware
I always thought that I was ‘street-wise’ having
worked in a bank and am now employed in a law enforcing environment but it is
easy to be caught out. By only advertising in ‘agility areas’ I was convinced that I would be
dealing with only genuine people. Yes, I agree I was stupid to pay the cheque into my bank but
thank goodness I did eventually start to question my actions and still have my money and dog
guards.
Anyway anyone
want to by a dog guard?
 About
the author...
Lindsay Freeman started doing agility about seven years ago, just for
something to do and got hooked. She started training with Up Andover, then trained with Lesley
Olden and now trained with Gillingham and Lesley when work/time permits.
She has three WSD/Border Collies, of which she runs two. From left to right on the picture
is Taz (Tazzle Bazzle)- 7 1/2 years, Cassie (Bekkis Aphrodite) - 2 1/2 years and Tyke (Tyke By
Nature) - 8 1/2 years. Tyke won me out of starters at Supadogs this year after a few near
misses. Cassie came out at the end of last year. However due to work and holiday commitments
our season this year started at Supadogs. I love the sport and every clear round to me is an
achievement especially with Tyke.
She is married but has no kids (other than her husband.) She is currently in the Royal
Military Police (Army) and has been for the last 11 years.
Crime clip art
From Marisa
Have just read the article about the scam from Amsterdam. I too was contacted by
this lady with a view to knowing more about my dog guard and tailgate guard. We emailed her
some photos but never heard any more, lucky us! And yes, the items are still for sale!
(16/11/04)
From Rosey Durrant
I read your 'Buyer Beware' article this morning when checking to see if my advert
for my stud dog had been added. A couple of hours later I had an e-mail from a Dr. Norman
England wanting to buy the dog.
My reply...'Only his SPERM is for sale!' I had to laugh. (16/11/04)
Val from BC Buddies
Following your recent article Buyers Beware, I thought I would just write to notify
you that there still seems to be fraudsters abound. I have so far received three e-mails where
it is obvious the senders have not read the ad thoroughly. The first one needed an urgent
response as he was off on a Church crusade....yeah, right. To stress his interest the entire
body of the e-mail was typed in upper case. The other two were from the same person, one e-mail
was responding to an ad I did not place. Needless to say all three were sent to the trash
folder. I haven't even bothered to reply with an 'item sold' e-mail.
I would advise all people selling items on the flea market to try and reply only to those
names they recognise, and to people responding to ads I would say, try and make your response
friendly and chatty. (21/11/04)
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