CLASSIFIEDS CAUTION

PLEASE NOTE:

Junk Mail is in no way involved in brokering deals or sales administration. We are simply a service for connecting the buyer and seller via Print, Online or Mobile.

Junk Mail never takes any further transaction once the ad is placed and all parties stating that Junk Mail is involved should be reported immediately. There is no such thing as a "Junk Mail Verified Trader", so please don't be convinced otherwise.

Please report any such statements, fraud or scams to Customer Care via phone 012-342 3840 ext. 2295 or email ccc@junkmail.co.za.
Alternatively, you can also Report a Scam via the Junk Mail website. For more information on fraud and scams, please read our Avoid Scams section.

Hints for the seller:

• Take a friend with you when meeting a prospective buyer - safety in numbers.
• Leave your valuables at home when meeting with a prospective buyer.
• Meet in a public place or somewhere that you feel comfortable with such as your place of work, police station or shopping mall. Use your garage, garden or porch area to transact as opposed to taking strangers into your home.
• Know the potential buyer - have a name, telephone number, place of work and the contact details at hand. Verify these details.
• Cash should be your preferred method of trade. Accepting goods such as jewelry, investment opportunities or stocks as an alternative for cash is never a good idea.
• Hand over the item being purchased only when you have the full selling price in hand, small deposits, receipts or promises of payment should not be accepted.
• If you want to accept a cheque as payment, make sure that the cheque has CLEARED (which usually takes a few days) before handing over your item for sale. Also ensure that funds deposited into your account is available for use and not on hold with the bank.
• The prospective buyer should bring the cash to you. Going with the buyer to the ATM, Bank or other source of revenue puts you at greater risk.

DANGER SIGNS:

• When a buyer seems almost too keen to purchase items and appears to want to buy whatever you have for sale, without regard for the price or condition of the goods beware.
• Immediate requests for your bank account details to deposit money even before the items have been seen should be considered suspicious, especially when linked to a demand that the transaction be concluded immediately and goods collected / delivered within a few hours.
• The more complicated the deal becomes, the more likely that it is a scam.
• Sell your item on YOUR terms - do not drive great distances to meet the potential buyer or go to great lengths to enable them to make the purchase - such as buying airtime for them, depositing money into their account for petrol to be able to drive to your designated meeting spot and so on.

VERY IMPORTANT:

Make sure that funds paid into your account have cleared! Stolen or fraudulent cheques deposited at the bank will show in your account, but is not available for use. Call your bank. Insist that they make sure that the funds are cleared and available for your use.

 Hints for the Buyer:

• View, test and handle the item before purchase to ensure that all is in working condition.
• Get as much info about the item from the seller. By wary when details are hazy and sketchy.
• Leave your valuables at home when meeting with a prospective seller.
• Meet in a public place or somewhere that you feel comfortable with such as your place of work, police station or shopping mall.
• Know the potential seller - have a name, telephone number, place of work and the contact details at hand. Verify these details.
• Provide payment for the item if you choose to buy without allowing the seller to accompany you to the Bank, ATM or other source of revenue.
• Cash in exchange for the item is the best method of payment

 DANGER SIGNS:

When a deal seems to be too good to be true - beware. A seller who seems almost too keen to rid of the item, even agreeing to a huge drop in asking prices should arouse suspicion.

 When buying a car:

• Check with your local police station that the car has not been reported stolen.
• Ask an expert to accompany you when you view car and test drive the car. They may have useful insight.

 When renting property:

• Unscrupulous fraudsters have been known to ask for 'holding deposits' or a month's rent in advance and give the impression that a deal for the rental of the property has been concluded. However, the fraudster does this to many unsuspecting people, and then disappears with the deposits leaving many victims behind.
• Ensure that valid contracts are in place before parting with a deposit and that you have access to the property (keys etc). Holding deposits should be avoided

When buying / selling pets:

When selling or giving away your family pet, try to consider the following hints in order to ensure a good home for the animal. Try to meet at the home where the animal will be kept so that you can gauge the conditions for yourself. Ask the new owner who their preferred vet is and try to verify that they have a good track record with their pets. Use your discretion when responding to ads for pets wanted - is the person truly looking for a pet of that specific breed etc - or are they just looking for inexpensive / free pets to resell? Consider charging a market related price for your pet - if you don't want to benefit financially from the sale consider donating funds to NPO's like SPCA or Wetnose etc. Be wary of people who claim that they want a free pet because they battle financially. Pets can be expensive to maintain well - if a potential owner claims poverty at the outset ask yourself how they would be able to provide for the animal thereafter. Many scamsters use very emotive language when speaking of the family pet. Look out for this and as in all transactions - trust your gut feel. If things seem strange - hold out for another person wanting to take over your family pet. Be smart, be savvy, be safe!

When buying a family pet, meet at a vet (of your choice) to get a professional opinion on the condition of the animal and verification of pedigree etc. Ask to see documentation issued by vets when animals are dewormed, inoculated etc rather than taking the word of the seller. Good owners, who have taken good care of their pets would have little difficulty in providing this to you. Ask a pet shop owner, vet or other professional on things you should look for to ascertain the health status of the animal - such as checking in their ears for fleas, ticks, secretions; if their stomach area is swollen and hard, it may indicate worms; skittish behaviour may indicate previous maltreatment; feel for bulges or growths. Overinflated emotional displays of how loved the pet was, and how sad the person is to part with the animal may be an honest refection of adoration - or an attempt to use your emotion to pressure you into taking an animal with pre-existing problems. If the owner says that the price quoted in the ad was a misprint - still carefully consider whether you want to go through with the sale for the new price quoted. Fraudsters trust that you will pay higher prices when looking at that adorable puppy / kitten face. As with all transactions, if in doubt, walk away - be smart, be savvy, be safe!

Helpful info from a client:
I have recently posted a PC for sale on junkmail, and have been a victim of fraud.
A guy contacted me early Wednesday morning and requesting my bank details to deposit the money. He did so with a cheque that shows, as available balance, for 2 days.
I gave them the goods that evening as the money was available in my account.
The bank then rejects the cheque and withdraws it from your account 2 days later.
I was at my bank this morning and they found that the cheque was false and the account has been closed for 3 years already.
The only way they can get this done, is if the teller at the bank, makes the mistake of not putting the cheque through the "toaster" as they call it. They then transfer the money via the "house account" that later rejects the cheque.

Cash is the best means of selling your item! If you do choose to accept a cheque, wait 7 days before releasing the goods, even if the money shows in your account as available. Internet banking transfer's are NOT safe as they can do the exact same.

Importing Pets from outside SA
Junk Mail has been recently alerted by some readers of a possible scam relating to the importing of unusual / exotic pets from outside South Africa’s borders. Often the items are advertised for sale with a local pre-paid cell number. The advertiser will let you know they have recently relocated outside South Africa and are no longer able to care for their pet for whatever reason. The item will be advertised at well under market price. The seller will ask you to transfer funds to them to cover shipping cost, and with the balance on delivery. Do not accept such condition. Insist on full COD (Cash on Delivery) or ideally for payment to be made after the animal has been certified healthy by a local veterinarian. Always be wary of long distance trades. Many such trades are successfully concluded, but always take precautions to safe your money and goods. You can check with IPATA, an International Trade Association of animal handlers, pet moving providers, kennel operators, veterinarians and others who are dedicated to the care and welfare of pets and small animals during transport if the transport agency the person is claiming to use is registered with them. You can visit their website at http://www.ipata.com. Do not go ahead with any trade that you feel in any way uncomfortable with.

This was a comment a Junk Mail user posted on his personal blog

"I’ve taken a few days before writing this post to get rid of some extraneous frustration and anger at being ripped off by a professional.

How else can one sell things other than by advertising? So, I placed an advertisment the Junk Mail. Didn’t have to wait too long either. A willing, urgent buyer soon presented himself by phoning me and requesting more details. Yes, of course he wanted the stuff urgently. Would I accept a cheque as payment? No: cheque fraud is rampant, so cash would be good. Cash is difficult - could I send him details of my bank account so he could transfer the money and his “son” would pick the goods up. No problem, as long as I see what’s happened by checking out my bank account.

Saturday morning, the phone call to indicate the payment had been made. In my mad rush, I checked the mini statement using my mobile phone. The amount had been deposited and was available. So the goods were collected and everyone happy…

Friday, a phone call from the bank to indicate that a cheque had been deposited as cash and had bounced. Obviously.

To Michael or John or whatever you call yourself in future: I hope you get what you deserve.

To Banks: Why is a cheque reflected as cash in the bank without having been cleared? Shouldn’t it reflect only once its integrity has been verified? Banks could easily eradicate cheque fraud by ensuring faster processing of clearing times and only issuing confirmation once the validity of the cheque has been verified. Then at least I’d wait before acting on an obviously erroneous payment.

To Myself and Everyone else out there: Don’t accept cheques. Don’t accept any confirmation of funds until you haven’t verified the bank statement and the validity of the funds. Don’t act like the trusting individual you are: Don’t release anything to anyone until you’re not satisfied that payment has been received."

Please notify us if you are aware of such dishonest and unethical behaviour and help us to keep our publication free of crime. Your help is appreciated!