The FREE Classifieds Directory

If you suspect that an item posted for sale on GuYMix.com may be part of a scam, please email the details to fraud@guymix.com Be sure to include Ad ID# in your message.

Recognizing scams

Most scams involve one or more of the following:

• Inquiry from someone far away, often in another country.

• Western Union, MoneyGram, cashier's check, money order, shipping, escrow service, or a "guarantee".

• Inability or refusal to meet face-to-face before consumating transaction.

Examples of Scams

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

• These claims are fraudulent, as guymix.com does not have any role in any transaction.

• The scammer will often send an official looking email that appears to come from guymix.com, offering a guarantee, certifying a seller, providing payment services -- all such emails are fakes!

• You receive an email (examples below) offering to buy your item, or rent your apartment, sight unseen.

• A cashier's check is offered for your sale item, as a deposit for an apartment, or for just about anything else of value.

• The 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 will hold you respobsible when the check fails to clear.

• The scam often involves a 3rd party (shipping agent, business associate owing buyer money, etc)

• 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.

• Scam "bait" items include laptops, plasma TVs, cell phones, tickets - but could be almost anything.

• common countries currently include: Nigeria, Romania, Ukraine, Spain, UK, Italy, Netherlands - but could be anywhere.

• The deal often seems too good to be true

• This is ALWAYS a scam, in our experience - the cashier's check is fake
• sometimes accompanies an offer of merchandise, sometimes not. The scammer often asks for your name, address, etc for printing on the fake check.

• The deal often sounds too good to be true.

• Most online escrow sites are fraudulent, operated by scammers.

• For more info, do a google search on "fake escrow" or "escrow fraud".

• They say that they trust you with the partial payment.

• They may say that they have already shipped the goods.

• The deal often sounds too good to be true.

• A 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.

Actual Scam Emails Received by GuYMix.com Sellers & Scam Ads

Hello,

I am interested in purchasing your Dell laptop. Please confirm asking price if its still available.

Regards,
John

2^nd email:

Hello,

Thanks for your immediate response.Asking price of $400 is okay.Presently I am off the shores of Angola with my family where I work as a Drilling Engineer on the coastal explorations with Exxon Mobil Oilfields.So I will need to ask a colleague from my home town in Texas to send you a Cashier's Check.Please send me your address,full name and telephone number so that I can instruct my colleague to send you the Check.Since that is the only means of payment I can offer now due to my present location.Do not bother about the shipping to Angola I have a shipping agent who will come over to the USA to ship some of my items from my home in Texas so he would also come over to your house for pick up of the car.Please reply asap.

Regards,
John