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Scams & Scammers - What to Watch Out For!
*** IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS ***
EMAIL & TELEPHONE SCAMS + HOW TO REPORT THEM
ADVERTISERS PLEASE NOTE:
If you suspect that you are a victim of Phishing and
other e-Mail scams asking for personal details, then never reply to these emails
- you will be put onto a suckers list.Send all "banking related" phishing emails to Bank Safe Online - reports@banksafeonline.org.uk
PayPal or eBay related issues should be sent to spoof@paypal.co.uk or spoof@ebay.co.uk
'ACTION FRAUD' - THE UK's NATIONAL FRAUD
REPORTING CENTRE
For other scam emails then Action Fraud is who you need. They can help with
emails that you receive, for example somebody wanting to buy your horse, pony,
trailer, horsebox etc from you and wanting to deposit money into you bank
account which will include a 'shipping' fee.
www.actionfraud.org.uk was set up two years ago and is linked to the
Metropolitan Police. It is the U.K's National Fraud Reporting Centre.
Scams to Look Out For ...
Please beware when buying items via the Internet.
For example, you have paid for
goods and they have not arrived - the seller may give you a poor excuse for non-delivery and will not return your money. This is a criminal offence and you
should contact and report this crime your local police.
Use of the Internet and email is something that is taken for granted these days.
Lured into a false sense of security, users often forget that they are not
dealing face to face with the other party they believe what they see is true,
without reservation or caution.
REPORTING FRAUD TO 'ACTION FRAUD'
If, you are a victim of a fraud/scam and wish to report it, then the link that you will require is http://www.actionfraud.org.uk/report_fraud
If you wish to speak to an Action Fraud Advisor then please call 0300 123 2040 between 8.00a.m. - 8.00 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9.00a.m. - 5.00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The above, is in addition to reporting the crime to your local police.
If you are unsure or want to speak to us, then call us on 01948 861015.
Please report all your suspicions as we will take them very seriously and your actions will help to keep this site clean
More Scams ...
Please be aware that you might receive strange email requests from scammers, who usually live overseas, but not always, and who offer you MUCH MORE MONEY than your horse is worth, and offer to send you a Bankers Draft / Cashiers Cheque, but ask you to give them, OR a shipping agent / colleague living in your country, a cheque for the difference.
Another pointer is that the English of the scammers is usually
very poor.
The Bankers Draft /
Cashiers Cheque sent in the post to cover the cost of the item, is likely
to be STOLEN OR A FORGERY, but may well be cleared by the Bank
initially. Some time later when it is revealed that the cheque is
not genuine, payment will be stopped and the seller will not only
loose their goods but the balance as well.
If you are not too sure and think that the buyer may
not be
genuine, then ALWAYS ask your Bank to clear the funds and confirm with you that
the cheque is not a stolen or a forgery, BEFORE you release you Horse or any
other money.
SO PLEASE BE AWARE.
OTHER examples of POPULAR SCAMS include:
LOAN SCAMS - They ask you to send a processing fee and then make
off with your money and all of your personal information. They are
out of Nigeria, and the U.K. but they say they live in the USA.
Horses that do not belong to the seller and are not the
"Owners" to sell..
Horse Sellers providing fake references
Horses not being "As Advertised"
Journeys
to see a horse that has already been sold
Horses being doped up
Sellers taking "Finder's fees"
WHEN BUYING A HORSE
HERE ARE A FEW SIMPLE POINTS THAT YOU MUST CHECK ...
With registered horses, run a check with the appropriate sporting
or breed organisation that the seller is its current owner.
Check that the horse or pony is sold with its own PASSPORT.
For further info on PASSPORTS click for the DEFRA website. NB: The government is also introducing NED - the National Equine Database - in 2008. The National Equine Database (NED) is a collaborative project between DEFRA and the Horse industry. One of the main reasons for it's development was to hold the information contained on horse passports.
When it is launched,
NED Online
will enable users to:
:. Search for horses and ponies using a variety of search criteria.
:. Check information contained in passports.
:. Obtain pedigree information for horses and ponies.
:. Obtain lifetime best competition results for horses and ponies.
:. Use NED Links enabling quick and easy access to any horse or
pony's record.
:. Associate yourself with a horse or pony and add (unverified)
supplementary information.
:. Trace and track 'favourite' horses and ponies.
Click here to visit
NED Online
The Horse Exchange strongly recommends that buyers visit and inspect any horse or pony that they are intending to loan, share or purchase.
When buying a horse or pony, The Horse Exchange recommends that a
pre-purchase vetting is carried out.
If in Doubt
Contact:
The British Horse Society - Tel: 0844 848 1666
British
Dressage - Tel: 02476 698839
The BSJA - Tel: 02476 698800
British Eventing - Tel: 02476 698856
Thanks.
Emma Higgin
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