Scam Center Avoid online scams and fraud by dealing locally. Any non-local deals involving wire transfers such as Western Union, Cashier Checks, Escrow, or 3rd party payments are usually fraudulent. Recognizing Scams Most scams involve one or more of the following: 1) Inquiry from someone far away, often in another country. 2) Western Union, Money Gram, cashier's check, money order, shipping, escrow service, or a "guarantee". 3) Inability or refusal to meet face-to-face before consummating transaction. Follow these simple rules and you will avoid 99% of the scam attempts online. DEAL LOCALLY WITH BUYERS/SELLERS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON - 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. NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.) AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL "GUARANTEE" YOUR TRANSACTION. Report any suspicious item posted for sale on HomeTownClassifieds.us by clicking on the "Report Abuse" link on the suspected items page. You can also use the contact form to contact us and make sure to include the items POST# or the URL of the item you are reporting in your message. Notify online scams and fraud. Internet Fraud Complaint Center www.ic3.gov FTC online complaint form www.ftc.gov FTC toll free hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357) Canadian Phone-Busters hotline: 888-495-8501 U.S. Postal Service Warning Foreign scams target U.S. residents with counterfeit postal money orders.