Safelist Blog - Latest Comments

Re: More on Facebook and gift cards

SafeList.com — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:51:20 -0000

I have also seen Ikea and Walmart with this setup. Make sure any contest your entering is via an official Facebook page or also verified on their website!

Re: In Memory of Donna Jou

maeghan — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:01:40 -0000

I remember this happening a few years ago. I'm glad that SafeList is creating a safe and responsible site for people to feel safe on. This is a much needed advancement to other online classifieds sites that are very anonymous. You never know whats out there and SafeList will give us a little piece of mind when buying and selling with strangers on the internet.

Re: In Memory of Donna Jou

Kealii — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:38:05 -0000

We will always have Donna in our hearts. We need a place like SafeList where we can transact commerce safely so we don't have to relive these types of tragedies.

Re: More on Facebook and gift cards

jade — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 07:21:26 -0000

if i'm not mistaken, you can add Olive Garden to that list. a friend of mine send me a page suggestion for this deal where you could get a free meal at Olive Garden or something like that. needless to say, i just ignored it.

Re: Secret shopper scam

TONYA WASHBURN — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:03:08 -0000

I live in Pennsylvania and this same thing happened to me and my husband. We owe are back over 3,000.00 and it is not fair to us. We had a sheriff sale put on us because we owed are back so much money we lost just about everything and we are still paying the bank back...

Re: Do you clip coupons?

Andi — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:01:12 -0000

Here's another article about coupons via Facebook and mobile phone.

Re: Avoid employment scams

Shawn Mosch — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:49:27 -0000

We have found that Secret Shopper and Mystery Shopper scams are really on the rise.

Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of Scam Victims United

Re: Tell us your story

Shawn Mosch — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:47:55 -0000

In 2002 my husband and I became victims of a counterfeit cashier's check scam while selling a car online. The main reason that we fell for it was because when we took the check to the bank they told us that it was good . . . one week later they were taking back those words AND taking money out of our account to cover the check.

So what did we do? We started the website http://scamvictimsunited.com/ to share our story, educate others and offer support to scam victims. We have a message board where people can share their stories and post info on their scammers.

We are now also connecting with people on social networking sites like Facebook through our fan page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/...

We also share new info with people through our blog at http://scamvictimsunited.blogs... When something comes up in our every day life that relates to scams, it is nice to have a place where we can share this. We also post scam emails that we get so that others will be able to see them and know how to spot a scam. Also, if someone else gets the same email and searches any of the info in it (name of company, email address it came from) they will often be taken right to our blog or our message board and then they will know that it is a scam before it is too late for them.

All of this may not get our money back, but in the first two years of our site being in operation we helped to stop over 2 million dollars from going into these scams, and that does make you feel a little better.

Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of Scam Victims United

Re: D.C. area man taken in rental scam

Andi — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:53:05 -0000

Now it would appear scams are even combining - there are Nigerian rental scams happening!
http://bit.ly/2lrEBe

Re: D.C. area man taken in rental scam

Dave Dugdale — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:58:50 -0000

Trench, I created a rental scam detection quiz if anyone is interested finding out if they are dealing with a scammer:
http://www.rentvine.com/tools/...

Dave Dugdale

Re: D.C. area man taken in rental scam

Andi — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:04:36 -0000

The Better Business Bureau has weighed in on online classified rental scams too:

http://bit.ly/GXRzf

Re: Tell us your story

Andi — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:04:41 -0000

Rex, thanks for your comment. SafeList.com will be beta-launched shortly, and we're inviting people to help us test it - in exchange, individuals get free lifetime access to the site, and businesses get the first year of access free (a $49.95 value). The first 3000 people to register will be invited to participate once we open the beta.

The biggest difference between SafeList and other classifieds sites is verified identity - you can still have an anonymous username on SafeList, and YOU choose how much or how little of your personal information you want to display in your profile, but every user will have their real identity verified by SafeList before they are allowed to post on the site. We can't guarantee the total physical safety and security of our users, but we can provide a much safer environment, where users have a high level of trust for others in the community. Verified identity will also scare away users who just want to do the "bait and switch" you mention - it's too much work for scammers and spammers who can do it so much more easily elsewhere.

Bob, I understand your frustration - as classifieds users become better educated and more aware of the fact that there are alternatives available, scammers will have a harder time plying their trade.

Re: Tell us your story

Bob S. — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:12:11 -0000

I posted earlier on August 14th. I'm still looking for an apartment online and running into the same "rental scam". It really angers me that people are actually being duped into sending money to these criminals. They prey on the trusting and innocent and it's sick.

Bob S.

Re: The Rental Scam

Trench Reynolds — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:30:31 -0000

Brooke, the too good to be true axiom is a good one to always live by,

Rex, I understand that Realtors have one of the most dangerous jobs out here and it's hard not to see why.

Re: The Rental Scam

Rex — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 12:58:37 -0000

On a related note, I heard from a female Realtor about going to preview a home for sale, and getting very bad vibes from the person answering the door of the vacant house. She made an excuse about waiting for a colleague, and went back in the car to call for reinforcements. Since no one was avialble to come over, she left. She still has nightmares of what could have happened.

Rex

Re: Tell us your story

Rex — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 12:27:01 -0000

This sure seems like an interesting concept. Tried to go to this blog's main website but was not able to see anything. What is the deal behind the registration/invitation process? Can someone elaborate on the website's features and how they differ from other classifieds sites? The name certainly inspires confidence.

The problem I've often had with other classifieds website is "bait and switch". Either it is a very efficient website and items sell within minutes of posting, or the real intention is to capture your email address so they can sell you something else.

Rex

Re: The Rental Scam

Brooke — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:24:51 -0000

Thank you for posting this! I have been looking on Craigslist for a few months because my lease is up soon. I contacted one person and told them I was interested in viewing the home for rent. They emailed me back saying they were in Africa as a missionary and would not be able to show the home but I could drive by and look at it. HUGE RED FLAG!!!! So, knowing this was a scam, I emailed back acting like I was still interested. I asked how I would get the keys and how the paperwork would be processed if they were out of the country. Of course I got an almost immediate response but totally avoiding my questions. Instead they rambled on about what type of renter they want and to make sure the home would be taken care of...blah blah blah! Then they just cut to the chase as if I had already agreed to renting the property, telling me to send xx amount of money, etc...YET ANOTHER HUGE RED FLAG!!!
I am glad that I have enough common sense to detect these kinds of scams, but it's really sad for those who don't recognize the signs of these scammers. Perhaps people are so desperate to find a home with cheap rent? I don't know! My rule of thumb is this: If it sounds too good to be true, then it is! For example: if someone posts an ad renting out a five bedroom 3 bath home with a pool, jacuzi, and all the fancy items in a home that will draw an eye and says monthly rent is $800/mo with no deposit...that sounds too good to be true to me!

Thanks again for alerting people to this new scam! Always be aware of scammers when searching online advertisements...not just for rental homes, either!

Re: Tell us your story

Bob S. — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:43:36 -0000

I have been looking for an apartment to rent on Craigslist and twice have had what looked like attractive deals turn out to be vicious scams. Big waste of time and energy, not to mention personal disappointment. I welcome Safelist.

Bob S.