Avoiding Scams and Fraud on ESLUSA
Examples of Scams
1. Someone claims that ESLUSA will guarantee a transaction, certify a buyer/seller, OR claims that ESLUSA will handle or provide protection for a payment
- These claims are fraudulent, as ESLUSA does not have any role in any transaction.
- Scammer will often send an official looking email that appears to come from ESLUSA, offering a guarantee, certifying a seller, providing payment services -- all such emails are fakes!
2. Distant person offers a genuine-looking (but fake) cashier's check
- you receive an email offering to buy your item, or rent your apartment, sight unseen.
- cashier's check is offered for your sale item, as a deposit for an apartment, or for just about anything else of value.
- 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 THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE WHEN THE CHECK FAILS TO CLEAR, including criminal prosecution in some cases!
- scam often involves a 3rd party (shipping agent, business associate owing buyer money, etc)
3. Someone requests wire service payment via Western Union or MoneyGram :
- 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
- deal often seems too good to be true
4. Distant person offers to send you a money order and then have you wire money :
- this is ALWAYS a scam, in our experience - the cashier's check is FAKE
- sometimes accompanies an offer of merchandise, sometimes not
- scammer often asks for your name, address, etc for printing on the fake check
- deal often seems too good to be true
5. Distant seller asks for a partial payment upfront, after which he will ship goods
- he says he trusts you with the partial payment
- he may say he has already shipped the goods
- deal often sounds too good to be true
6. Foreign company offers you a job receiving payments from customers, then wiring funds
- 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
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