One telltale sign of a charity scam is urgent messaging. How to spot it: Obviously, you can research a charity to make sure it’s legitimate, but a scammer can claim to be collecting for a legitimate charity. GoFundMe has become particularly prone to these sorts of scams, since a fundraiser can be shared on social media, gathering large sums of money before anyone finds out that it’s not legit. Unfortunately, there’s no charity, and the scammer pockets the money and runs. With this type of scam, a fraudster poses as a charity and solicits funds, providing a link to pay using your PayPal account. Unfortunately, that convenience brings scammers. What is it? I love how easy the internet has made it to donate to friends, relatives, and charitable nonprofits. Before sending money, research the seller’s history, including reviews. If the seller doesn’t follow through, you can dispute the transaction and potentially get your money back. How to avoid it: Always choose “Goods and Services” when sending money to strangers through PayPal. PayPal Buyer Protection does not cover purchases marked Friends and Family. Ask questions before buying, and if the seller wants you to pay using PayPal Friends and Family, it could be a red flag. How to spot it: Anyone can steal a picture of an item and claim to have it. On eBay and Etsy, you can check reviews to make sure the seller is legitimate, but this isn’t an option with Facebook Marketplace. With seller scams, someone posts an item for sale, collects your payment, and then vanishes without shipping the item. However, marketplaces can also be hot spots for scammers. You can find items for sale on Facebook Marketplace or on sites like Etsy or eBay. Fraudsters will often target the same seller several times if no action is taken against them.What is it? You no longer have to go through a business to buy items. Block customers who file disputes or make fraud claims.Sign up for PayPal’s Seller Protection Program, and PayPal will monitor your transactions for signs of fraud.When shipping high-value items, insist on signature confirmation on delivery. Even customers with valid credentials may commit “friendly fraud” out of ignorance or impatience.Before shipping out especially valuable items, double check shipping and billing addresses to make sure they match. Items that have a high resale value or are in high demand are especially attractive to fraudsters. Requests to rush shipments, accept partial payments, or accept payments split up between multiple PayPal accounts are all strong indicators of fraudulent activity.
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