ADVICE

I posted that I wanted American toads not too long ago. A person said he had a toad to sell and show a few pics. I wanted the toad badly so I said fine. It ended up a scam and he took over 100 bucks from me. How can I find out if they are legit on here? Currently I have another person trying to sell me another toad and the way his typing is,is so similar than the first person. When buying on here how do I go about making sure they are legit? ty so much for any help

By putting your email address in your original ad you made it easy for a scammer to harvest it and target you. Never put your contact info in your ad, whether here or on Facebook. Always use private messaging for the initial contact.

Always pay using a method that provides buyer protection such as MasterCard, Visa, American Express, PayPal Goods & Services.

Never use PayPal Friends & Family, CashApp, Venmo, Facebook Pay, etc.

Now how would pm messaging be any different than if they just took your email. I dont understand that..sorry. Also,ty about the payments.

Originally Posted by Doodlemom68

When buying on here how do I go about making sure they are legit?

1) Do not put your email or phone number in the ad. Only reply to offers made through the Fauna PM system. Searching the user list here suggests that you were contacted by email or text, likely from Nigeria, since there is no account with that name that has logged in recently.

2) If answering a PM, check their post history. New user? Maybe wait for the next offer.

3) If "the way their typing is" suggests they're a scammer, they might be a scammer. Maybe wait for the next offer.

4) Pay with PayPal 'Goods and Services' only. That way if they're a scammer, you'll get your money back. (Make an unboxing video when you unbox your animal. Any deviation of box contents from what you paid for is basis for a PayPal dispute). If anyone expects to be paid in any sort of unsecured funds, they better have a long and perfect history here, and possibly elsewhere as well (check the other classified sites, and FB, and do a general web search on their username and claimed legal name with location).

4b) Don't ever give any stranger unsecured funds for anything that isn't cash and carry, and even then best to put as much security in between you and ripoffs as possible. Shopping online? Use whatever credit card you have that has the best protection programs in place, and screenshot any part of the transaction that might be useful later. Save the other CCs for the grocery store.

5) A hundred dollars for an American Toad suggests your desperation shows through too clearly. There are sellers here offering WC North American toad species from time to time that might be worth waiting for some to come in stock.

5b) Your username is cute. That's not necessarily a good thing, and sort of suggests that your defenses are down. Put them up; the world is trying to eat you, so don't look tasty. Consider changing your username to something strong, or at least ambiguous.

6) Don't feel too bad. More experienced people than you have been ripped off for much more.

TY so much for all the info! omg. I should have looked more into this before I posted..My fault. I took off my email address so they have to pm now on here. There is another person who got ahold of me last night. Riley Duckman Green. I looked online to see if I can fine anything and I got a country singer by that name and Duckman is his gear. They person also sent me his so called driver's license with the name as Riley duckman Green and a photo. Funny both people are for the exact same place. I told him I will pass.. he is offering to split the payment pay half now and half later. no ty. As far as my name awwww.. i like that name lol..I will have to figure out a stronger one.

Originally Posted by Doodlemom68

Now how would pm messaging be any different than if they just took your email.

To PM, they must have an account here. The odds of you being their first victim are less than 100%, and if someone else detected they're a scammer that someone might have reported them to the mods (I always do, and you should too -- just PM your favorite mod if you notice fishy stuff). If someone else reported them to a mod, they may already have been banned before they get to your ad.

Also, you can use their account here to help judge whether they're for real. If the name on their account and the one they give you doesn't match, or they're pretending to reside in a state that doesn't actually have American Toads, or something else that sends up a red flag.

You have helped me so much. don't mean to be a pain in the arse but how do i report someone on here to a mod?

***Moved to more appropriate forum***

BTW, besides all of the good recommendations made here, I would also suggest that you go slow with any transaction. Especially if you are dealing with someone here who has just registered recently. Sometimes we can't get to weeding out the scammers immediately, and it may take a day or two. Normally scammers will contact several people at one time, trying to land at least one unwary "fish" as quickly as they can before they are uncovered. Lots of people here are aware of the methods that scammers will use, and they will report them pretty quickly so we can deal with them. But not always.

If someone is trying to rush you into a deal, that is when you really need to put your own brakes on. You will quickly forget the occasional "good deal" you might have missed by being cautions. But getting scammed will be something you will remember for a very long time with bitterness and the regret of not being more careful.

Originally Posted by Doodlemom68

You have helped me so much. don't mean to be a pain in the arse but how do i report someone on here to a mod?

The users whose names are in blue are mods; there are two of them taking part in this thread. Just PM them (click on their username, then on 'send private message to...').

Helping on these sorts of things is self-interest, honestly. The more we all put up a fight against all sorts of malfeasance, the better this goes for all of us, one of whom is me. I don't like dealing with rats either, and if no one leaves crumbs all over to attract them, the less rats are around.

But, happy to help even when there is some altruism involved, too.