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Scams & Scammers - What to Watch Out For!

***  IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS  ***

EMAIL & TELEPHONE SCAMS


ADVERTISERS PLEASE NOTE:


It has been brought to our notice that there are quite a few SCAMS being circulated by email at present.
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.

For MORE INFO on common frauds see the Metropolitan Police site notice board:
http://www.met.police.uk/fraudalert/ - On the main list look for the heading "Criminal Cashback"..

Or visit the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit website.


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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