If you include your email address in a Florida Market Bulletin ad, it becomes available to anyone anywhere in the world who has access to a computer. Unfortunately, some of these people have bad intentions. Once someone has your email, they might send you unsolicited ads or financial opportunities. You might even receive phishing emails. These are sent by scam artists — posing as legitimate businesses — who try to entice you to provide sensitive personal information, such as bank account information, Social Security numbers, passwords, credit card numbers, etc. Never respond to an email or pop-up window that asks for your personal information. If in doubt, call the institution that claims to be the sender of the email or pop-up window and get verification.
Because the Florida Market Bulletin website is accessible globally through the internet, there is the potential for scammers to target advertisers. Always be on the lookout for potential fraud and scams. Always use sound judgment and common sense. If you feel the least bit uncomfortable about a potential transaction, do not proceed with that transaction. Trust your instincts; if something doesn’t seem legitimate, it probably isn’t.
Here are a few tips to help avoid scams:
- Deal locally and meet in person. Be wary of any buyer who only wants to communicate through email or text messages.
- Be wary of anyone who wants you to wire funds to them via MoneyGram, Western Union, etc. Do not accept wired funds that you did not initiate.
- Be wary of cashier checks and money orders. If it is a fake, you will be held responsible for the funds once the fraud is discovered — often weeks later.
- Be wary of a cashier check or money order that exceeds the sale price of your item and the buyer asks you to return the overpayment in cash or via wire transfer.
- If a buyer wants to pay with a personal check, offer to meet them at their local bank, have the bank teller cash the buyer’s check, and then obtain the cash from the buyer.
- Be wary of anyone offering to make a partial payment and then promising to send the balance after they receive the item.
- Be wary of anyone who wants to buy your item but says they need your help to pay an agent or third party for upfront costs, such as transportation or insurance, and will reimburse you later.
- Be wary of anyone who is willing to purchase an expensive item, such as agricultural equipment, without having viewed it in person.
- Be wary of anyone requesting that you provide a verification code sent to your cell phone via text or phone call.
- Never give out financial or personal information such as your bank account number, Social Security number, passwords, credit card numbers, date of birth, etc.
If you suspect attempted fraud, contact the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. If you have lost money to one of these schemes, visit your local Secret Service field office.
If you receive an offer for your advertised item via email from someone offering to pay by cashier’s check for more than the purchase price, forward the email to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov.
If you are defrauded by someone you dealt with in person, contact local law enforcement authorities.
