TradeAway cares about the people bartering on our site, so we have dug into some goverment sites to help you identify fraud before it happens to you! Here is what we found:
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
The above web site it is The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) which is operated as a partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and is funded through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). It allows you to report suspect cases of Internet and e-commerce fraud.
This site had an abundance of information regarding fraud on the internet. It explains the following
- Legal Issues
- Protect yourself
- Mass Market Fraud
http://www.bbb.org/ and http://www.bbb.org/
These two sites are the Better Business Bureau and they certify web merchants with a privacy seal of approval. This is great news because they allow you to research merchant through the Better Business Bureau AND you can also report e-commerce fraud/problems through these sites.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt191.shtm
This, to me, is one of the best for TradeAway users to research!
- Know what you’re buying
- Read ALL of the sellers description – even the small print
- Read/ask about terms and conditions
- Can I return the item for a refund
- Who pays shipping
- Will I be charged a restocking fee
- Print and save records of online transactions
- Only buy gift cards from merchants you know and trust
- Do not buy gift cards from online auction sites – most are fraudulent
- Be stingy with your personal information
- Do not give out your credit card or bank information in exchange for anything including:
- Newest tech toy
- Free gift card
- Seasonal job
- Holiday vacation rental
- Do not email your financial information
- Email is NOT a secure way to transmit numbers. Protect your credit card, checking account and Social Security number
- Do not click on a link in an email as legitimate companies will not ask you to give your financial information through email or pop-up messages.
- Check the privacy policy
- This may be a long but WORTH IT process. It can give important information telling you:
- What personal information the site collects
- Why it collects it
- How your information will be used
- If you can not find the privacy policy or if you do not understand it please do not shop there.
- Shop around
- Always compare “apples to apples”
- Some retailers will match prices
- Check for shipping costs
- Many will offer free shipping
- Should you buy on public WiFi?
- Never assume public hot spots are secure
- Do not send sensitive information such as credit card/bank information over public networks
- Pay by credit or charge card
- Credit Cards offer the best consumer protections.
- By Federal law, you have the right to dispute charges under certain situations and you may temporarily withhold payments during the time the creditor is being investigated.
- If your card is used without you authorizing it your liability usually ends after the first $50.
- Free can be costly
- Keep your anti-virus and anti-spyware software and firewall current
- Free screensavers, e-cards or other downloads can carry dangerous viruses.
- Monitor YOUR financial accounts
- This will help you find unauthorized charges before it is too late to do anything about them.
- For more information
- To file a complaint or get free information on consumer issues you may visit ftc.gov or call the following toll free numbers
- 1-877-382-4357, TTY: 1-866-653-4261
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/tech/privacy.shtm
Refer to this site when you need to find out about under the heading Facts For Consumers:
- Dot Con
- Warns about consumers who are con artist and are very high-tech and use the internet to fraud consumers.
- Lists the top 10 dot cons on the net and the known fraudulent people behind them
- Minimizing the Effects of Malware on Your Computer
- Teaches you to protect your computers against malware and provides tips on reclaiming your computer and electronic information if malware is on your computer.
- OnGuard Online: Stop, Think, Click
- These tips help you be on guard against Internet fraud; it helps secure your computers and protects personal information.
Hope this helps you relax and have fun trading!
