Safe Trading Tips

Each week, many people get extremely satisfying results from finding great buys and making great sales on the Internet. Unfortunately, sometimes, things go wrong.

The easiest cure for Internet fraud is prevention.

Don't get caught. If you follow some easy steps, you will dramatically decrease your risk of being scammed and deriving maximum value from the world of opportunity the Internet affords you.

Below are some tips to help you avoid problems:

Buyer's tips

If it's too good to be true, then it probably is – It's a cliché, but it's true. If the item you're looking at is far cheaper than the going rate, then the ad is probably a fraud. A good way of checking the going rates of mobile phones, laptops and other items is to visit a price comparison site.

Be specific about the item you are buying - Ask the seller specific questions about the item. Gain a clear understanding about any possible flaws or faults it may have and how it has been used before.

Pick the Goods Up - Picking the goods up is the best way to avoid being scammed. Use your common-sense when organising to pick an item up to avoid any possible security hazards.

Under no circumstances should you ever send a seller cash or anything cash-like. Examples of cash-like things are Western-Union money orders, any other type of money order, bank drafts, bank cheques, telegraphic transfers, electronic funds transfer payment via Internet Banking or anything else that cannot be retrieved if things go wrong.

Seller's tips

If it's too good to be true, then it probably is – I know it's a cliché, but the fact is if someone is offering to buy your item for a lot more than you're selling it for, then they are probably trying to scam you.

Be upfront about the item you are selling – Honesty is the best policy, yes another cliché. If the buyer is happy you didn't hide anything from them, then they'll probably buy from you again and tell their friends to buy from you.

Stipulate what payment methods you'll allow – This shows you're a genuine seller and you aren't trying to hide anything. Do not advise that the only accepted method of payment is cash, bank cheque or money order to be posted to you. This is a calling sign of a fraud ad and is likely to be a big turn off to potential buyers. Even offering direct bank transfers can be seen as being dodgy. You may be an honest individual of high moral standing, but unfortunately, not every seller is.

Stipulate what the buyer's delivery options are - Picking the product/goods up is the best way to avoid buyer scammers. Use your common-sense when arranging the pick up to avoid any possible security hazards.

Don't rush the sale – This is another calling sign of a fraud ad; 99% of buyers would be willing to wait a little longer to get the item/service they really want. This gives you time to create a safe environment for the complete transaction to ensure the satisfaction of both parties.

Other tips

Keep records – Keep a copy of all correspondence between parties and of any transactions that took place. This will aid authorities when they need to intervene if something goes wrong, it's also great for your piece of mind.

Dealing Outside of Qatar - Be particularly wary dealing with people outside of Qatar. Favour only using a credit card, or an escrow service. If the amount is large, then only use a trusted escrow service. Be mindful that many non-Qatari crime agencies do not investigate Internet crime of values below a certain amount. This includes countries you may not ordinarily expect to be lax on crime.

Keep your Virus Scanner, Internet Firewall and Spyware Scanners Up to Date - Use only up-to-date versions of security software.

Do not follow links in emails - If someone sends you an email claiming to link to a well-respected site, do not click on the link they give you unless you are sure. Type the link into a web browser to ensure you know the real address.

Report Suspicious Activity - Anything you find that doesn't sound right, report it to ILQ. We will investigate and remove any ads that seem suspicious. We cannot - however - follow up on any crime without authorisation from the Police or the Court.

This list is not comprehensive - There is no substitute for common-sense for assessing your own situation.

What happens if I am the victim of Online Crime? - You can try contacting the the Police if you are unlucky enough to be a victim of crime. Now you know you'll be safe start posting at http://www.iloveqatar.net/classifieds

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