Spammers have targeted our site over the past few months. With the help of some of our users, we quickly spot these and remove them immediately from the Junk Mail website, but with the rate at which ads are being placed on the site, we sometimes miss a few and unfortunately some of our users have fallen for these scams and lost money to these fraudsters. We have therefore come up this guideline to protect our users from such.
Posing as sellers, spammers place fake adverts on Junk Mail, when potential buyers try to contact them, usually the phone number is faulty, invalid or diverted to voicemail. Now, because spam adverts are usually cheaper, well below market rates, the potential buyer will pursue the seller then use the “Reply By Email” link to contact the seller via e-mail.
The spammer will respond with a story of being in the UK or anywhere out of the country and at this point by email the seller informs the customer that they are unable to use the phone and that they can only converse via email.
The seller will ask for a deposit or the full price to be transferred to them but after they have received the money they create an excuse as to why they cannot release the vehicle, need more money to be transferred or become impossible to contact.
Below is a list of things to avoid when using this site:
- Look out for vehicles / electronic appliances / cell phones or other items that are below market rate because the seller is a widow or a funny story. Try to look for vehicles that are within market rates, anything “cheap” should always be scrutinised.
- Do not make payment until you have actually seen the item that is advertised and are you happy with it.
- Avoid making any payments to Western Union / Moneygram / via Ebay / via BidorBuy.co.za / via Carfind.co.za / via Bikefind.co.za / via another 3rd party website for an item advertised on Junk Mail. Junk Mail does not conduct payment transactions via 3rd parties. It’s almost 100% certain that you are being lured into a scam if you come across this.
- Be cautious if the advert or ensuing emails are full of spelling mistakes and bad grammar, as this seems to be a trait of fraudulent adverts.
- Finally, if you are suspicious or not sure of anything at all, do not hesitate to contact us for guidance.
Also remember that Junk Mail does not have “verified traders”.Please let us know if you find an advertiser that claims to be a Junk Mail Verified trader.
Remember: Be Smart! Be Savvy! Be Safe! Check out the other posts under the Safety & Security section and Avoiding Scams section for more information about scams.
Henno Kruger
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Hi just be careful, if you are selling, phones ext. you get a e mail saying they want the phone, and will pay in dollars, then ask if you got pay pal, so I realized this a scam immediately, so I don’t know how the scam works on but I tell you it sure is a scam.
Some one by the name Simno Kalal send us an email claiming he wanted to buy 5 laptops and wanted them delivered that same day! He then forwarded a fake ID copy and proof of payment from Standard Bank. He deposited 23500 into our account with a cheque, of which his bank account didn’t have money. His idea was to get the laptops and vanish before the cheque bounces back with no money in his account. He is a very clever tsotsi because we almost gave him the laptops before we realised he had paid with a cheque. Please beware of this guy!! His email address is simonkalal@yahoo.com. Hid ID copy is fake! BEWARE
Thanks for your feedback! We have received your e-mail report via our Customer Care Department as well.
2 new conmen on Junkmail. One going as Krista Johan from Sweden and one posing as Remy who is filming a documentary in the kruger selling cars.
Thanks for sharing this info with us Llewellyn. Contact our Customer Care department via ccc@junkmail.co.za and provide them with the details of these scammers.
I suggest Junk Mail must urgently have a special page where we could list scammers in realtime, their mobile numbers, landline numbers, addresses, names they go with and the methods each use to try scamming us as we honestly put our ads here. These guys are making our lives to be in a hell! Unfornunately most of the scams are from the Nigerians. We must slowly make their rooms smaller by the day by exposing them. They must not do as they wish with Junk Mail advertisers, that must be known to them. Please do so.
Kwazinkosi thank you for your suggestion. Junk Mail is in regular contact with http://www.cardfather.co.za – We are also planning to launch a user forum section on the Junk Mail website soon. We realize that this is a serious matter.
Please see :http://forum.gumtree.co.za/viewtopic.php?p=18969#18969 - This man is trying to groom more people to scam – I have just been scammed and lost around R14 K Do a Google search on his name: Riaan Raydn for more - The police are aware of this and are following up – avoid being taken
Hi also be careful if you are selling items such as cell phones etc – they give you an e-mail story saying they are buying it for someone else in SA – then ask for your banking details so they can deposit the money and ask you to post the item for them. If you tell them you are not interested – you are inundated with e-mails demanding the information and that you send them the goods – they also get people with funny accents to phone and threaten you! beware of e-mails from yahoo.com and hotmail – they are normally the chance takers!
I have recieved feedback through junkmail from this email address: 442mendez@gmail.com. This person’s name is Josh. He lives in Nigeria. I am selling dresses on junkmail and he wanted to buy one and transfer the money for me. I live in South Africa so the transfer was going to be international. I said as soon as i get the cleared payment i wil send him the dress via mail. I then recieved an email from America bank stating that het paid in the money but i first have to send the dress shipping info to the bank so that thay can proceed to paying me the money. There i realised that it was all just a scam so watch out for this guy.