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Fraud Prevention

Here are some tips to help buyers and sellers recognize potential fraud attempts.

Most buyers and sellers are not scammers, but when dealing over the internet with someone you’ve never met, a little common sense and due diligence will go a long way to avoid becoming the victim of a scam.

Fraud Prevention Tips for Buyers

Scammers often try to post fraudulent For Sale ads in order to steal a deposit from unsuspecting buyers. At RVT we catch most of these attempts before they are actually posted. If you suspect an ad on our site may be a scam, please contact us. Here are some things to watch out for:

  • Very Low Price – if the seller’s asking price seems to good to be true, it probably is.
  • Overseas Country – be very cautious if the seller claims to be in an overseas country. Scammers often use this, combined with other fictitious personal circumstances, as an explanation for the low price on their ad.
  • Gift Cards – if a seller asks for payment in the form of gift cards, it’s a scam. Please ignore any request for Ebay, iTunes, or other similar retail gift cards as payment, stop all communication with the seller, and report the incident to us. Gift cards cannot be traced or refunded, and provide and easy way for criminals to launder money through legitimate retailers.
  • Wrong Phone Number – scammers usually prefer to communicate by email, and often provide an incorrect phone number or no phone number at all on their ad. If the wrong phone number is posted and the seller won’t provide a working number, avoid the deal.
  • Request For Your Personal Information – inappropriate requests for your personal or financial information are definitely a warning sign, especially when requested early in the process.
  • Phony Escrow Companies – take extreme caution here. Scammers can easily create websites that look like legitimate escrow companies but are really just a front to try and get a deposit from you. Using a third party facilitator for long distance transactions is a good practice, but only use those that you already know and trust. We recommend Escrow.com.
  • RVT.com as a Third Party – RVT does NOT provide escrow, take deposits, issue refunds or warehouse seller’s items. RVT provides ad listings only, and is never involved in the actual sale of an item.
  • Wire Transfer – scammers will often request a deposit by wire transfer because it’s fast, they don’t need ID to pick up the funds, and they can receive cash anywhere in the world. Do not send a deposit by wire or money transfer. The only truly safe way to pay online for an RV you’ve never physically seen is to use a service like Escrow.com
  • Email Address in Ad Description – some sellers post their email address in their ad description. While this does not necessarily indicate a scam, we strongly recommend clicking on the red “Contact Seller” button in the ad and sending your email message through our system as an extra precaution.

Fraud Prevention Tips for Sellers

Sellers must also take precautions to avoid scams. Emails sent through our system are screened for potential fraud, and we do catch almost all scam emails before they’re sent to sellers. When placing an ad, we recommend that sellers only provide an email address in the dedicated email address field under Contact Information – for your own privacy and security DO NOT type your email address in the vehicle description area. When contacted, sellers should watch for the following:

  • Phishing Scam / Login Spoof – recently scammers have attempted to trick sellers by sending them email or text messages that link to fake (but real looking) RVT login pages. These “spoof” login sites are used to steal username and password information. Once the scammer has access to the seller’s account, they can login and change the price and contact information on the ad in an attempt to lure potential buyers into sending a deposit directly to the scammer. As a seller, the easiest way to avoid this scam is to NEVER POST YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR GENERAL AD DESCRIPTION. Posting your email address in a publically available area is an invitation to scams and email spam. When creating your RVT.com ad listing, only provide your email in the proper form field that specifically asks for your email address.
    More info on logging in safely
  • Buyer Requests an Inspection – one scam involves a potential buyer requesting that the seller pay for a mechanical/technical inspection of the RV prior to purchase. The buyer then suggests a particular inspection company they prefer to use. After payment is sent, the buyer and inspection company are never heard from again. Do not pay for an inspection of your RV at a buyer’s request. If an inspection is requested, the buyer should pay for it. If you do decide to pay for an inspection, never use a service recommended by the buyer. * Perpetrators of this scam may claim to represent Helping Hands Ministry, Easy Go Auto, or Your Auto Brokers, and may even direct you to a website that looks legitimate but is really just part of the scam. If someone representing any of these organizations contacts you and requests an inspection of your RV at your expense prior to sale, tell them you are not interested and hang up immediately.
  • Out of Country – be extemely cautious if the buyer claims to be in another country. This is a very common set up for a scam.
  • Buyer Has an "Agent" – scammers may claim to have an “agent” or “shipping agent” who is to arrange for the transport of the item, which usually ties into the next warning…
  • Buyer Sends Extra Funds – do not accept payment for MORE than the selling price of the item. The scammer will request that you forward the extra amount to their “agent” after depositing a cashier’s check in your bank account. Of course, you’re really just sending money back to the scammer.
    Please read this FDIC warning.
  • Cashier’s Checks – avoid accepting payment by cashier’s check, or at least talk to your bank about the issue first. Although your bank may accept the deposit, it may take 30 days for the check to clear. If it fails to clear the buyer may already be long gone with your item, or if you had sent money to the buyer’s “agent” as above, you’ll be out for whatever amount you sent. Here is the FDIC warning on this issue, and an alert from the FTC.
  • Buyer is Representing a Client – this is another set up for a potential scam, similar to the “agent” scam listed above but in this case the scammer is claiming to be the agent for a buyer.
  • Request For Your Personal Information – early or unnecessary requests for your personal or banking information should arouse suspicion - this applies to buyers and sellers alike.
  • Phony Escrow Companies – also mentioned in the buyer’s tips above. We do recommend using a legal third party facilitator for long distance transactions, but only use those that you already know and trust. Again, we recommend Escrow.com.
  • Emails Only – be very skeptical of anyone who will only communicate by email. Scammers tend to avoid telephone conversations. They also tend to use free generic email accounts from providers like Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, AOL, and others.