• Deal With Folks You Can Meet in Person - follow this one simple rule and you will avoid most of the scam attempts on Aerolist.
• Never Wire Funds Via Western Union, Moneygram or any other wire service - anyone who asks you to do so is a scammer.
• Fake Cashier Checks & Money Orders Are Common, banks will cash them and then hold you responsible when the fake is discovered weeks later.
• Aerolist Is Not Involved in Any Transaction, and does not handle payments, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer "buyer protection" or "seller certification"
• Never Give out Financial Information (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
• Avoid Deals Involving Shipping or Escrow Services and know that only a scammer will "guarantee" your transaction.

• FTC toll free hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357)
• FTC online complaint form (http://www.ftc.gov)
• Canadian PhoneBusters hotline: 888-495-8501
• Internet Fraud Complaint Center (http://www.ic3.gov)
• Non-emergency number for your local police department.

If you suspect that an item posted for sale on Aerolist may be part of a scam, please email the details to "fraud@aerolist.org". Be sure to include the URL (or post ID number) in your message.

Most scams involve one or more of the following:

• Inquiry from someone far away, often in another country
• Western Union, Money Gram, cashier's check, money order, shipping, escrow service, or a "guarantee"
• Inability or refusal to meet face-to-face before consumating transaction

1. Someone claims that Aerolist will guarantee a transaction, certify a buyer/seller, OR claims that Aerolist will handle or provide protection for a payment.

• These claims are fraudulent, as Aerolist does not have any role in any transaction.
• Scammer will often send an official looking email that appears to come from Aerolist, offering a guarantee, certifying a seller, providing payment services -- all such emails are fakes!

2. Distant person offers a genuine-looking (but fake) cashier's check

• You receive an email offering to buy your item, or rent your property, sight unseen.
• Cashier's check is offered for your sale item, as a deposit for a rental, or for just about anything else of value.
• Value of cashier's check often far exceeds your item - scammer offers to "trust" you, and asks you to wire the balance via money transfer service
• Banks will often cash these fake checks and then hold you responsible when the check fails to clear, including criminal prosecution in some cases!
• Scam often involves a 3rd party (shipping agent, business associate owing buyer money, etc)

3. Someone requests wire service payment via Western Union or MoneyGram:

• Scam "bait" items include apartments, GPS's, laptops, cell phones, tickets - but could be almost anything
• Often claim that an MTCN or confirmation code is needed before he can withdraw your money - this is FALSE, once you've wired money, it is GONE.
• Common countries currently include: Nigeria, Romania, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Spain, Italy, Netherlands - but could be anywhere
• Rental listing may be local, but landlord/owner is "travelling" or "relocating" and needs you to wire money to them abroad
• Deal often seems too good to be true, price is too low, rent is below market, etc

4. Distant person offers to send you a money order and then have you wire money:

• This is ALWAYS a scam, in our experience - the cashier's check is FAKE
• Sometimes accompanies an offer of merchandise, sometimes not
• Scammer often asks for your name, address, etc for printing on the fake check
• Deal often seems too good to be true

5. Distant seller suggests use of an online escrow service.

• Most online escrow sites are FRAUDULENT, operated by scammers
• For more info, do a google search on "fake escrow" or "escrow fraud"

6. Distant seller asks for a partial payment upfront, after which he will ship goods

• He says he trusts you with the partial payment
• He may say he has already shipped the goods
• Deal often sounds too good to be true

7. Foreign company offers you a job receiving payments from customers, then wiring funds

• Foreign company may claim it is unable to receive payments from its customers directly
• You are typically offered a percentage of payments received
• This kind of "position" may be posted as a job, or offered to you via email