Morning all,
I suspect most folks that post the 10,000+ monthly ads in the classifieds know of the possibility for online scams in particular from those inquiring on ads that don't meet you in person to look at/purchase an item. I appreciate the role that users have played in educating friends and family so that folks know what obvious signs to look for and when to hit the "delete" button on an email or text message that fits the typical signs of a scam reply.
When theres a new wrinkle from scammers I like to try to do my best to make sure its known so that we're always one step ahead of the game. Just a heads up that on an ad I'd posted this weekend I noticed that a text message reply I received from a scammer had a Manitoba area code on the phone number (431). Typically some might see it as a "tell" when examining a text message reply and noticing a foreign phone number/area code...... but folks should know that looking at the phone number alone isn't a proof positive method.
Nothing changes as far as the fact that they want to send you a payment without meeting in person (in my case a certified or cashier's cheque), and when you suggest meeting them there's always a reason why they can't (in my case they had a "busy schedule" and so their "handler" would pick up).
As always, never reveal personal information on an ad inquiry to someone wanting to send you a cheque or pay online prior to meeting in person to see the item. As soon as someone is interested enough in your item to pay for it before seeing it it should as always be a red flag that they're looking to use the classifieds in a way that they aren't intended for... that being a place to make connections to buy and sell in person. If you ever notice an ad that you feel should be looked at please dont hesitate to click on the "report" button next to the ad... those reports go a long way towards keeping things in ship shape. If you receive an inquiry that you feel might be suspect those reports are also often a big help in further refining the system to make this site as poor of a place as possible for scammers to ply their trade.
On a separate classified note, early this month we crossed the 1,900,000th submission between the classifieds and WestmanAutos. Its hard to believe but that means that some time toward the end of winter we'll be looking at the 2 millionth submission in what will be 13 years of eBrandon. Thanks as always to buyers and sellers alike who are an equally big part of making the classifieds the service that they've evolved into being for the community!