Avoid scams by following these guidelines:

• If the person you are dealing with is not local to you and does not want to meet, it is probably a scam.
• Never wire funds. Anyone requesting a wire transfer is probably a scammer.
• Keep in mind that fake cashiers checks and money orders are common tools for scam artists. You may even be held responsible for legal and financial ramifications if you attempt to process fraudulent checks or money orders. Money order fraud is specifically not reimbursed by most institutions and the victim is required to go through local police to attempt to recover lost funds.
• Backpage.com is not involved in ANY transaction, does not handle payments, offer guarantees or buyer protection.
• Never give out any of your personal financial information. Anyone requesting this is probably a scammer.
• Deals involving shipping or escrow services are usually fraudulent. NO ONE CAN GUARANTEE YOUR TRANSACTION.
• If a buyer offers you more than your asking price, it is probably a scam.
• IF IT SOUNDS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE; IT IS!

Recognizing common scams:

Wiring money is like sending cash. The sender has no protections against loss.

• DO NOT wire money to strangers or sellers who insist on wire transfers for payment.
• DO NOT send money to someone you don't know. Try to deal locally and in person if possible. Don't send cash or use a wire transfer service.
• DO NOT respond to messages that ask for your personal or financial information.
• DO NOT agree to deposit a check from someone you don't know and then wire money back.

By law, banks must make funds from deposited checks available within days, but uncovering a fake check can take weeks. You are responsible for the checks you deposit. When a check turns out to be a fake, it's you who is responsible for paying back the bank.

Know where an offer comes from and who you're dealing with.

Most scams involve one or more of the following:

• Inquiry from someone far away.
• Wire transfers, cashier's checks, money orders, shipping, escrow services or "guarantees."
• Refusal to meet face to face before transaction.

To Report Scams and Frauds:

• To file a complaint online: ftccomplaintassistant.gov
• FTC toll free hotline: 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261
• Canadian phone busters hotline: 1-888-495-8501
• Non-emergency number for your local police department
• Email: abuse@backpage.com

Other scams:

PayPal scams:

You put an ad on backpage.com selling an item. Someone inquires but wants to use PayPal instead of cash.

The scammer requests that you SHIP THE ITEM. They tell you the purchase is urgent and ask that you send the item as soon as you receive a confirmation email, allegedly from Paypal, informing you that funds have been transferred to your account. What you will then receive is a fake confirmation email from "PayPal" saying that the money will not clear until you send your item. This is ALWAYS A SCAM.

To confirm whether or not payment has been made to your PayPal account:

• Check to see if the email you received is from "service@paypal.com." PayPal will never contact you regarding a funds transfer from any other email address.
• Always login to your PayPal account to see if money has been transferred.
• Contact PayPal directly: 1-402-935-2050

The scammer requests that you MEET IN PERSON. They send you the money for the item normally though PayPal (usually from an account with an "unconfirmed address" such as a fake P.O. Box) and collect the item from you. Later the scammer challenges the transfer with PayPal, claiming they never received the item. PayPal's policy is that it will reverse a purchase transaction if the seller cannot provide proof of delivery, such as a shipping tracking number. Such transactions are not covered by PayPal's seller protection policy. PayPal will not accept video evidence, a signed document, or any form of proof other than a tracking number as valid proof of delivery.

It is important to note that PayPal is a wholly owned subsidiary of eBay and is generally geared toward online auction transactions (such as eBay auctions), not classified ads. As such, PayPal's seller protection policy is limited when it comes to non-auction transactions.

Money order scams:

• Scammers ask for your address so they can send a fake money order or bank check in return for an item you're selling. After you deposit it and send out the item, the bank later tells you that it was fake - and now you're held responsible.

• Scammers offer you an "employment opportunity" receiving and then wiring funds, usually to companies or individuals based in foreign countries. The person who contacts you will claim it is unable to receive payments from its customers directly or that the cost of doing so is too high. The victims of such scams are typically offered a percentage of these transactions. The scammers then send fake checks or money orders, in the hopes that you will attempt to cash them and send money to the scammers before the fraud is discovered. These types of scams can be found posted in ads or as email responses to ads you posted.