Tips for Best Practices Online

You can sidestep would-be scammers by following some common-sense rules:

• DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON - follow this one simple rule and you will avoid 99% of the scam attempts while shopping online
• 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, and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when the fake is discovered weeks later
• TAG SELL IT INC. 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, PayPal info, etc.)
• AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL "GUARANTEE" YOUR TRANSACTION

Who should I notify about fraud or scam attempts?

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

If you suspect that an item posted for sale on Tagsellit.com may be part of a scam, please email the details to customerservice@tagsellit.com and be sure to include the URL in your message.

Personal Safety Tips

It’s very important to take the same precautions online as you would offline. When meeting someone for the first time, it’s best if you:

• Consider having a friend or family member accompany you when someone comes to view an item or complete a transaction
• Always have your cell phone with you when meeting someone
• If you feel uncomfortable meeting someone at your residence, arrange to meet in a very public place, during the day or where there is good overhead lighting, with a lot of foot traffic
• Trust your instincts

Taking these simple precautions helps make second hand shopping online safer for everyone.

For more information about personal safety online, check out these resources:

http://getsafeonline.org
http://wiredsafety.org

Recognizing a Scam

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 consummating transaction

Examples of Scams

1. Someone claims that Tag Sell It Inc. will guarantee a transaction, certify a buyer/seller, OR claims that Tag Sell It Inc. will handle or provide protection for a payment:

• These claims are fraudulent, as Tag Sell It Inc. does not have any role in any transaction
• Scammer will often send an official looking email that appears to come from tagsellit.com 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
• Cashier's check is offered for your sale item, as a deposit for just about anything 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, laptops, plasma TVs, 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

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 web search on "fake escrow" or "escrow fraud"

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

• He/She says he trusts you with the partial payment
• He/She 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

A Helpful Tip for Second-Hand Treasure Hunters

Buying or selling second-hand treasures can be very exciting. The New York State Consumer Protection Board in conjunction with free papers and online listings services recommends checking the following websites to assure that these treasures have not been recalled or are not subject to a safety alert.

NYS Consumer Protection Board

Consumer Product Safety Commission

The Team at Tagsellit.com recommends that you always do your due diligence before making a purchase of second-hand items. Our virtual tag sale based business offers you an incredible opportunity to see what others are advertising, and with the power of the web, you can easily learn about any potential flaws, or if you’ve found a diamond in the rough!