Spot Scam Ads
Buy - Sell - Safely

How to Buy and sell safely on free classifieds ads sites.

Classifieds sites are social media whose primary mission is to facilitate local interactions. That is their inherent nature. If some classified ads websites choose to deviate from this, then they are something else. Local interactions have the end goal of delivering Face to Face - No shipping and No wiring.

Users are expected to observe this usage. And that is the best and safer practice for using such sites. Most of the time, problems may only arise if users deviate from this. The good news is that even if you deviate (at your own risk), you can still spot most scams by just using some common sense.

Regardless of the scammers'constantly new nasty ways, at some point their practice will raise ovbious red flags when their intent starts to deviate from their initial innocent-looking one. At the bottom of this page, you will find some scam samples. Please keep reading, it is definitely worthwhile. In a hurry ? Click here to view rental scams samples . Have fun !

The Golden rule:

Locally, Face to Face, No shipping and No wiring.

Rule2:

Never reply someone from outside Canada or relocating !

Rule3:

Never reveal personal identity and/or financial details !

Rule4:

Avoid any checks if offered !

Rule5:

If it sounds too good to be true... It probably is !

2- Someone offers to overpay you for an item or service ?

Too generous,eh ?

Not so when they start asking you to pay the difference back then ultimately return all the money(your own money as their cashiers check or money order is bogus and worthless by now ). Car sellers have been particularly targeted.

Free cute pet for adoption/rehoming ?

Pet scams are no different from any other form of scam.It is only tweaked with appropriate pet jargon to fit.The "smell" and purpose are one.
The ad poster can be an individual who claims(now or later) to no longer be able to take care of the pet or supposedly representing a non-profit humane society.

Of course,these can be legitimate ads.They are scams if:

1- The poster poses as an evangelist or clergy who has been transferred to the UK on a mission. Tapping on the divine and noble(evangelist,clergy,nuns,peace workers,etc) is meant to conquer your suspicion and exploit your faith(weakness gap to them) if applicable so as to illicit mercy out of your kind and gullible heart.Transfer is an excuse to avoid the "Face to Face" requirement. The intent is to transfer your hard earned money or personal information for identity theft purposes.

2- The pet is offered free yet you have to pay transportation fees,insurance fees,custom fees,crate fees. (Remember No shipping(transportation/delivery) rule.No cute pup will show up at your door because it is non-existent.

3- You offered a pet for adoption and got replies asking you to forward your name,address and phone number so they can send you a certified money or any kinda wiring (Remember No wiring rule).They will then talk about arranging a fedex pick-up delivery(scammers don't pick up personally-Remember the Locally & No shipping rule). their intent is mainly to collect your personal informaton for possible identity theft or at the least sell your email to spammers. Please use the "Leave a Reply" option when communicating with suspicious posters.That feature does not reveal your email, it only sends an alert to them so they can come to the site to see the reply. If you email them,they will be able to see your email.

4-Some crazy scammers can even claim to have your lost kitty cat in their safe godly hand.They only want $50 for you to get it back.And yes,your cat made their way up to some african country and god was looking after them all the way long.

Now that you have some idea(hopefully) how a fishy ad looks like,please do not reply to it. If unsure, contact us. Even better, report it. The reporting link is under each ad. If you received a fishy email,report it as spam. Most web-based email providers(hotmail,yahoo,gmail) offer that option,it is just a click away(hopefully the scammers lose their email account,too). Do not trust any phone number. Sometimes scammers use fake and unlisted phone numbers. You can perform a quick check on any phone number with canada's free reverse phone lookup offered by WhitePages.ca

Work at home jobs scams

Very few work at home ads are legitimate but you have to take your time to digg and investigate them. Usually, these are local and country-specific. Only try them if they require no fees, have phone numbers and have been around for a while. Always approach work at home jobs with caution. Some of them are scams designed to get you pay some fees, work for them for free. At best they are commission-based where you will unlikely make any money if you are not into sales.
Nortad classifieds requires phone numbers for all job postings. The phone number is not a guarantee but one way to verify. Please ignore job ads posted in other categories other than the Jobs/Employment category. Search for the company name in google,yahoo,bing and other search engines.Post the ad on yahoo answers,popular forums,etc. Usually scammers just copy and paste the same ad all over the place. So a little search will reveal enough information for you to make your judgement. And do not forget to apply the "Too good to be true rule" on any ad. If the advertiser is offering unusually luring wages or hourly rates,get the hint. If you are interested in an ad but you are not sure it's legitimate,use the "Leave a reply" to respond instead of "Email me" . The former option does not reveal your email. Ask the advertiser for more information and do not give out your name,email,phone or resume yet. If the advertiser responds, their response will be posted on the site like in a forum. Usually if they got something to hide they will not post their response for everyone else to see. They risk their trick being exposed by other site visitors.

Canada Mystery Shopping Scams

First,stay away from job ads that only require your email or the ability to type or some MS Word knowledge(Who cannot do that? Unless that's not for a job).

Back to the mystery shopper scam. Here's how it might work (it might vary a bit but the goal is the same).

An ad poster claims to be a mystery shopping campany looking for new shoppers.Usually,they will evade posting on the jobs hiring section that requires a phone number.But they may provide a fake phone number and legitimate-looking website.These can be hard to detect,but do not worry,there are other easy ways to spot the scam.

The job seeker looking for a mystery shopper or a secret shopper position responds to the ad.Once contacted,the company will inform you can earn money by buying items at different stores,dining at different restaurants or purchasing some services.The alleged company will send you an employment package.The packet will include information on mystery shopping,business evaluation forms,training materials,a training assignment and a generous $2,000-$4,000 cashier's check.

I hope your common sense caught the red flag by now !

My god,why in the world would one get a cashier's check out of the blue ???

Move on..
According to the company (scammer) your training assignment is to cash the check into your bank account, wire transfer a portion of it to another account then go pose as a customer and shop with the rest. To qualify for the job,this assignment/transaction must be completed within 48 hours of receiving the packet.

Ask yourself for what legitimate reason would a company give you money just to ask you to wire transfer it back to some third party you have never met.
There is absolutely no legitimate reason for that.. Don't do it.

The scam is that the check is fake.

If it's fake,then it will eventually bounce.You will then be liable for the fraudulent check.The bank will not take the loss and will,of course,deduct from your account the amount that was credited with the fake check(the transferred amount) plus service charges.Basically,upon wiring money you ended up transferring your own money to an un-known person because the check's funds never made it into your account.
the 48-hour deadline is to pressure you into rush cashing the check and wiring the money before your bank finds it fake(it can take up to a week or more for a bank to determine a check is good).

Ever heard of rental scams?

Never send a first month's rent or damage and security deposit via any means and wait for the keys to be shipped to you from Mars. These are rental scams posted by fake landlords using other people's property.Most often they claim they are travelling outside the country preaching the gospel of jesus,on a humanitarian or charitable mission.Charitable mission,yeah right!
Check out these rental scams samples to learn how a fishy email looks like

Services scams?

If you offer a tutoring classes or lessons of any skill,be cautious about responders who are overly interested and asking lots of personal information in their first email. Their intent is to get as much personal info they can to use in their misrepresented stolen identity crimes. Here's an example of such scam

How about loan scams?

Never reply a loan lending company with a free web-based email(hotmail.yahoo,gmail,etc) unless they include a valid phone number. If they cannot afford an email with their company name,they cannot afford to lend you a penny. They use free email because company email requires a credit card and personal information to set up. And of course, they do not want to expose themselves. Sometimes, scammers will include a phone number that is not theirs,so make sure you actually call to ascertain. If the phone number is a bunch of zeros or random numbers, please do not hesitate to report it (there is a report link under each ad).

Unbelievably low price for a normally costly one(like an unlocked iphone)?

One of scammers'oldest tricks is when they represent themselves as merchants offering you products at luring low prices that cannot be undersold.This is popular with unlocked iPhone phones and gsm unlocked triband or quadband wifi pda phone scams.
Ask yourself how could they do it ?
Could it be the product is stolen ? or may be Nothing or Non-existent is the product ?
of course a non-existant product costs them nothing and they can be able to sell it at the lowest price available.
One way to guard against this kinda fraud is to ask for the serial number of the items being sold.If you are buying on ebay,only pay via paypal. In which case,credit card companies and paypal can get you a refund as they dont release payment immediately to sellers-enough time for you to ascertain and verify the legitimacy of the transaction. If you can use the escrow service then it is ideal.
The escrow service holds the payment and releases it to the seller only when the buyer has received the goods.

.

Rule for using the member area:

Always hit the Logout link to log out.

Please always hit "Logout" to exit the member area in any site. Yes, it makes a difference. Logging out is a lot more secure than just closing your browser window (or worse clicking the back button).
When using a public computer, hitting the logout link to exit your session is a MUST. Sometimes,a malconfigured browser would remember and retain entered usernames. Just as an additional(optional) precaution, use Privacy Eraser to delete all stored(remembered) words. This will also get you rid of all typed google search words and free your computer memory from tons of unecessary temporary files and tracking codes.

The above tips apply when you buy stuff online,on ebay or offline.
Transactions on Nortad.com classifieds are to be conducted only locally in your city and completed in person. No money orders,cashier checks,wire transfers or shipping.
Also,double check sellers'business websites to make sure they are legitimate.Be extra cautious of businesses using free email like hotmail or yahoo as you cannot tell fom those types of email if a business is legitmate and real(though some are).
If you are a seller and decide to go ahead at your own risk with a transaction involving those methods of payment,at least make sure the check or money order clears before shipping the item. Not withdrawing and using funds for a week or so gives enough time for your bank to review the deposit and reverse it if needed.

Nortad.com classifieds does not tolerate abuse and fraud. If you noticed(or smelt) any kind of fraudulent ads, please report it(there is a Report link on top of every ad) or contact us.

Thank you all for your cooperation !

Rental Scams Examples

 

Below are some typical rental scams examples to help you identify and avoid fishy emailed scams.

Hello! So just saw your email and am keen to meet you and see the place. Im a 24yr old female from London, England, just arrived in Toronto and currently staying at a friend's relatives' place near Woodbine. Im here on a 1 yr working holiday visa. Interested in documentary film production and generally quite an easy going and friendly person i like to think:) Am keen to find somewhere to move in a nice area with nice people as soon as possible. Unfortunately dont have a Canadian cell phone yet but my English cell is 0044 xxxxxxxxxx so can maybe communicated via text messages? Am free to look around this evening or tomorrow. Let me know what you think. All the best,
Mr Scammer

"Hi
I just saw your add indicating you have an apartment for rent. I want to inform you that i am very much interested.I am ... an Economist consultant with the University of Liverpool(UK) currently on research work in regards to this global economy melt down am married with a daughter I will want to move by the second week in November depending on the availability of the apartment. and i will be staying over for a year I have had some clients in Canada that i did research for.I will tell you more about me if am going to rent your place,Inform me more about the utilities neighborhood and security. Reply ASAP."

"Hello,
I am writing to see if your 2 bedroom apt is still available and if I would be able to schedule a visit sometime next week. I am a young professional who is relocating back to Canada from ... and looking to get an apartment with my brother. I will be moving back to Ottawa on Monday evening therefore any time as of Tuesday would be good. Please let me know if the apartment is still available and what would work best for you. Kind regards,"

"Hello,
Im interested in renting a room or a studio for a couple of months. Im a dentist and I will be doing a dental course in Toronto in the ... Center., If you have any information that will help me from yourself or somebody trustworthy feel free to contact me. Im looking for something comfortable and not that pricy.. if you have pics of your place feel free to send them to me.. And let me know whats the distance from the ... Center in Bloor Street.. Thanks"

"Hello, I saw your advert on ... and will like to know if the office is still available for rent? Are you incharge of the unit? My name is Dr..., a chemist by profession and i am currently working with ... Hospital .. , United Kingdom. I will be in canada for the next 2 year as i' ll be coming to canada for a Private Research work on Bacteria programm. Kindly repond to my request below : What is the monthly rent : Can i have some recent pictures : What are the utility fees : Please let me know the exact location where the office is if possible the address. I hope to hear from you soon, Regards, Dr..."

"Thanks for the email and it is my gladness hearing from you. I am the owner of the property you are making inquiry of. Actually i resided in the property with my family, such as my wife and my only daughter before and presently we had packed due to my transfer from my working place and now situated in the (London UK) and presently my property is still available for rent.Including the utilities like water, washer and security, it is furnished but if u which to move in with your furniture's no problem. Pls i want you to note that i am a kind and honest man and also i spent a lot on my property that i want to give you for rent, i will want you to take absolute maintenance of my property and want you to treat it as your own, money is not the most important thing but i want you to keep it tidy all the time so that i will be glad to see it neat when i come for a check up. SO IF YOU ARE REALLY INTERESTED I WILL WANT YOU TO FILL THE RENTAL APPLICATION FORM BELOW.. Also, Pls let me get this answer.
FIRST NAME:__________________
MIDDLE NAME:_________________
LAST NAME:__________________
PROFESSION:________________POSITION:__________
HOME PHONE __________
(CELL)PHONE __________
(WORK)PHONE __________
KIDS_____ (YES/NO), HOW MANY ________
PRESENT ADDRESS:_____________________
CITY:_______________
STATE:______________
ZIPCODE:____________
HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND STAYING?____________
CURRENT RENT PAYMENT:___________
WHEN DO YOU INTEND MOVING IN?______________
DO YOU HAVE A PET:_____________
NAME OF PET:_____________
IS THE RENT FEE AVAILABLE NOW?___ ___________
REASON FOR MOVING OUT?______________
KIND OF PETS:_____________
DO YOU SMOKE?______________
DO YOU DRINK?______________
Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file in case of issuing the receipt to you and contacting you.Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys to you. Note that the keys and documents of my property is with me here in London UK. Please we are giving you the property base on trust and again i will want you to stick to your words, you know that we do not see yet and only putting everything into Gods hand, so please do not let us down in this our property and God bless you more as you do this. Awaiting your reply soon.
Thank you.
Mr What a Nasty Scammer"

Car Scams Examples

 

"Hello, The car is still for sale. It has a clean title, very well maintained, no exterior damages and no mechanical problems, i don't smoke. I'm asking C $2900 for it. I'm a member of Canadian Forces, i've just moved from Winnipeg(Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg) to Florida from where i will be deployed to Iraq in the next month,and the car is here with me, that's why I'm selling it so cheap. I can ship for free within US and Canada if you want to buy it. Let me know what you decide ASAP. The pics speak for themselves, You'll love the car, I can guarantee you that! Thank you"

Services Scams Examples

 

"Hello Good day to you over there, Am Mrs ... I need a Private Teacher for my son (...), I got your advert while surfing through the internet and I really want my child to be taught by you... He is 15 year old and easily catch up. So i will like you to get back to me with your charges because I want him to be taught an hour daily, three times weekly and for two months
1.CHARGE FOR AN HOUR....
2.TOTAL CHARGES FOR 2 MONTH THAT HE WILL BE TAUGHT
3 TIMES PER WEEK..
4.FULL NAME.....
5.HOME ADDRESS...
6.YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER...
7.YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.....
So i'm paying you with a certified CHECK as soon as everything has been consider as a deal.willing to read from you as soon as possible,
God bless you.
In case you want to reach me on phone here is my number (+44xxxXXXxxxx) drop a message I will call you back if I am not able to pick your call.
Regards..........
Name:.................
Address: Ryhall Rd,
Stamford, PXX 1XX
United Kingdom"

Other Scams Examples

 

"How was your day?I write you in response to your advert placed on this site,i want to know the present condition,the final price,and a closer pix if you still have it for sale. I await your quick response so that we can get this deal done without any further delay. Thanks."

* How to Advertise in Canada with Google Adwords Program
* Facebook Advertising via Classifieds sites - Share your ads on Facebook & Twitter

How to Buy and sell safely on classifieds sites.Spot,Avoid and Protect against Scam ads and fraudulent claims:free pets for adoption/rehoming scams,car scams targeting canada,work at home jobs scams,canada mystery shopping scams,loan scams.Canada free reverse phone lookup.Learn how to identify and guard against scams with these Online security tips.No shipping,No money wiring on internet classifieds sites.Online security Guide to Avoid fraud,identity theft and scams online.Reverse phone lookup, online security,protect yourself online,tips to protect your logins,files,data and business.Buy,sell and conduct secure online transactions. Avoid work at home jobs scams,rental scams,car scams,loan and financial scams,identify and spot fraudulent and phishing websites,shipping and wiring fraud. Learn about trojan,keyloggers,monitoring and spying programs,software and techniques.

Related topics:Guide to Avoid fraud,identity theft and scams online.Reverse phone lookup, online security,protect yourself online,tips to protect your logins,files,data and business.Buy,sell and conduct secure online transactions. Avoid work at home jobs scams,rental scams,car scams,loan and financial scams,identify and spot fraudulent and phishing websites,shipping and wiring fraud. Learn about trojan,keyloggers,monitoring and spying programs,software and techniques.