6-5-2004 Some notes on Yahoo Auction Fraud by Tom Gately

How to tell if you are about to be the victim of Fraud in a Yahoo Auction.
This information may be relevant in other auctions. Look at the feedback of your seller.
Is it low like 1 or none? Also look at the current selling items and the closed items.
A person with no feedback that is now selling 2 LCD monitors for 250.00 each and
a couple of . 99-cent items are probably looking to make a fast 500.00 and could
be a fraud. Another warning sign is they only want you to send them a money order or a
check. I think paypal is safer because paypal may get your money back if item is not sent.
Ask seller if they are willing to do COD then you give cash when item is delivered.
The fraud I have experienced is I sent a money order for 250.00 and the guy was real nice.
He gave me an insurance number on package. Sent me a refund check that bounced.
And would probably still tell me that a money order is on the way. I sent him
the check in March of 2004 and it is now June so I think he is not sending. I also
can easily go on yahoo auction right now and search for LCD. I could then find many
that have bids and fit the MO exactly. Yahoo has a question and answer link right
on every auction page. Ask if the seller will take paypal or send item COD and
if they say no then assume they are not going to send anything. I did see something that
yahoo will refund your money but that has a 90-day limit from the day the auction ends.
My guy padded me along for more than that.

As you can see from the closed auctions below ( also look at his feedback page.) he has scammed people
for about 4000.00 and there seem to be many others on yahoo doing the
exact same thing

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