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Car Parts - Avoid Paying by Western Union or Money Gram

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NEVER buy products from anyone who wants to be paid by Western Union or Money Gram.

If someone asks for payment by Western Union, do not respond to them, and block their email. I know their low priced merchandise is tempting, but it is a scam EVERYTIME. Western Union advises the following on their website:

'Make sure you know to whom you are sending money. If you are purchasing goods or services and paying through the Western Union network, it is your responsibility to verify the reputation and legitimacy of the seller. Western Union is not responsible for the non-receipt or quality of any goods or services."

Common Western Union scams include, but are not limited to the following:

Scam 1: Seller asks you to pay by Western Union and tells you it will be safe because you can make out the payment to the name of one of your friend's or relative's names, but put the seller's address on the payment. You will then tell the seller the control number (identification) of the payment so he can go to Western Union and verify you have made the payment. Once you receive the shipment, you will go to Western Union and change the name to the seller's real name so that he can pick up the money.

Why it's a scam: Once the seller knows the address or control number of the payment, he can go get the payment and send you nothing. Many Western Union agents in foreign countries never ask for identification.

Scam 2: Seller asks you to pay by Western Union and tells you to make the payment using Western Union's "secret question" feature. This feature is designed so that the Western Union agent will ask a secret question to whoever is picking up the money, and he must get the answer right in order to collect the money.

Why it's a scam: Again, many times Western Union agents do not ask the question, and only care if the person knows the address or control number, especially outside of the United States. Western Union even advises on their website not to rely on the secret question feature.

Should you wish to pay for parts or items with a 3rd party that you have only had contact over the internet using Western Union or Money Gram then you do at your own risk.

E-Crime Expert presented several scam-methods: Charge back, Rental scam, PayPal scam. What those scams have in common beside they are a criminal act? The prefered methods of sending or receiving of funds are: Western Union or MoneyGram.

Why?

Wire transfers via Western Union and MoneyGram are ideal for this purpose. The wire transfer, if sent internationally, cannot be cancelled or reversed, and the person receiving the money cannot be tracked. Other similar non-cancellable forms of payment include postal money orders and cashier's checks, but as wire transfer via Western Union or MoneyGram is the fastest method, it is the most common.

More characteristics

-these services are quick and – more importantly in scams – the recipient essentially remains anonymous.

-maybe in some countries the Western Union agents will require a picture ID when funds are picked up, but the criminals will not have any problems getting a fake ID. Once the money is picked up, no trace to who they are or where they live is available anymore. (In contrast when someone opens a bank account or requires a Bank card, if the address is fake, the card is never received by the criminal).

-with Western Union and Money Gram the scammer can give the sender any postal address he/she likes and they will still receive the cash.

– postal addresses does not have any importance in a Western Union and Money Gram transfer because the recipient walks into any agent office and picks up the funds.

-the money is not delivered to the scammer home address or to a bank account which is traceable.This gives total anonymity to the scammer and a risks-free transaction.

-it is cost-efficient for scammers as they do not have to invest in fake bank accounts or pay money to legitimated owners of bank account to receive money. They just pay the upfront fees for the wired transaction which in most cases it is paid by the person who wires the money (the victim).

-in some countries, the recipient can pick any agent office in a nominated city or the entire country. That is one reason why the enforcement authorities will not even try to monitor agent offices, because the money can be picked up in any location that has a Western Union or Money Gram office.

Tips to avoiding financial frauds

-never use Western Union money transfer or MoneyGram for sending money to any person who you do not know personally.

-the Internet and Western Union money transfer or MoneyGram do not mix. Any transaction that involves a person introduced via email or a website (online store, eBay, classified ads site, etc.) should not involve Western Union or Moneygram.

-these services are good for wiring cash to a family member who urgently needs it, but do not use it with strangers.

-if you have wired money and it hasn't been picked up yet, call the wire transfer service to cancel the transaction. You will have to pay the wire transfer fee, but at least you won't lose the cash you sent. Once the money has been picked up there is no way to get it back.

-any scheme that involves forwarding cash via Western Union or MoneyGram after one of the following: cashing a check (cheque) or money order; receiving cash in your bank account by bank wire transfer or receiving a PayPal payment, it is virtually guaranteed to be a scam.

-the payment to you will turn out to be fraudulent (stolen check, hacked online banking, etc.), but usually only after you have already forwarded the cash. It is you will then be left to pick up the financial and legal consequences.

-avoid any online store that sells mobile phones, computers and other electronics which wants to be paid by Western Union or MoneyGram.

-a central element of advance-fee fraud is that the transaction from the victim to the scammer must be untraceable and irreversible. Otherwise, the victim, once they become aware of the scam, can successfully retrieve their money and/or alert officials who can track the accounts used by the scammer.

Watch a very explanatory victim testimonial video here:



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