How to spot fake sites

The con is a particular nuisance for Escrow.com and other legitimate escrow sites because many of the fake websites copy part or all of the site to give their site an air of legitimacy. Most often copied are the Terms of Use, privacy policy and frequently asked questions sections. Fake sites can sometimes be spotted because they fail to change references to Internet Escrow Services Inc. or another genuine escrow service in their privacy policy or other documents on the site, an obvious sign the content has been copied. The obvious advice here is to look at 'terms and conditions' and not to simply skim over them as many of us do (if we even look at them!)


Many other tricks are used by the fraudsters to make the con hard to spot. Once a customer has been lured into a transaction, the con artists use a variety of names and bank accounts, making it difficult to spot the scam in progress. In one typical exchange a fake escrow purveyor identifying himself as Michael Comer asked that $1,700 be wired to American National Bank in Rockwall, Texas. The real Michael Comer operates an electronic money firm and is a victim of Identity Impersonation. The scam artists were using his legitimate American National **** to move money out of the country.


Another payment was directed to "Aspen Consulting Inc., " attached to an account at HansasBanka, in Riga, Latvia.

How to avoid being defrauded

If you decide to use escrow services then you can be assured that genuine escrow services ARE the most secure form of transaction but there are some obvious signs of potential problems that both buyer and seller should look out for to spot the fakes.


Consumers should never buy or sell items to a consumer who insists on using a specific escrow service. Propose an alternative. With very little research you will be able to locate some genuine escrow services (or ask your bank to suggest one.) If that disturbs the other party, then be very cau[span]tious.[span] eBay carries a list of recognised escrow services.


If the escrow service and the seller appear to be working closely together, that's also a bad sign. One victim got instructions on how to send money to the escrow company from the seller's own e-mail address. If they seem to know details of the payment progress immediately the escrow service 'takes action' be careful. They may be the same person!


Sending money to a bank outside the country is always a bad idea unless you are using a certified and traceable method such as Telegraphic Transfer using trustworthy high-street banks and they have assured you of the validity and ownership of the destination. Remember that transfers like this are also covered by modern Money Laundering laws and you can be in breach of these regulations if you don't know where the money is going to! Always beware of suggestions to use Western Union or MoneyGram transfers. These are NOT verifiable or traceable payment methods. E-Gold,E-Bullion, Evocash and E-Dinar are cash transfer services that have also been used in the past.


Examine the sites website carefully especially the 'terms and conditions' section. This section is one of the most difficult to fake from scratch and is frequently 'cloned' from legitimate sites. In some cases there may be references to the wrong escrow site.


Fraudulent sites frequently carry an equally fraudulent VeriSign symbol. If you see one, check it out.


Genuine escrow sites will operate in a secure environment especially if taking personal data. Is the site address secure? (https//)


Do a 'whois?' query on the escrow website. This will tell you the country of registration and sometimes registrant contact details. If you are worried you can try to contact them (although sometimes they may have set up measures to send responses like a genuine escrow site.) The main thing to look out for is the date of registration. Remember that these sites are set up purely for fraud purposes and therefore very likely to be as recent as just a few days or weeks prior to the advertisement or auction date. It is important though, to not take this as a positive test. Sometimes the fraudster may have set these up as 'sleepers' registered a few years previously intended for fraudulent use in the future. DO NOT be fooled by a copyright date on the page . It is the easiest thing in the world to make this 1998 to make the site look old and trustworthy. Sometimes the 'about us' information may also allude to an older date ( "In business since 1066 " etc.)


It had also been reported in the past that some registrars (the people who maintain the lists containing this 'whois' information) are less assiduous in checking the truth of the information supplied. Just because there is a contact telephone number, don't assume it is OK until you have spoken to the registered contact. If it is fake, in many cases the number will just ring out. If what you are buying is expensive the price of the call it is a small price to pay as (part) proof that the domain is genuine.


There are websites that have been set up to specifically combat these fake escrow sites. Many maintain lists of currently operating fake sites that you can check. Look at these if the escrow site name is unfamiliar. Beware again though that some false 'warning sites' have been found publishing lists allegedly in the 'public interest' which just happen to omit their own currently active fake sites!

Source: http://netcred.co.uk