Increasing numbers of internet advertisers are receiving emails from bogus buyers, attempting to scam sellers
This tactic is a worldwide problem; however it would appear to be on the rise in the equine industry, targeting everything from horses and ponies for sale, to horseboxes, trailers and tack
One scam is particularly common, here the advertiser is contacted about an item, asking for more images, and then once the images have been received the bogus buyer will agree to send a cheque for the full amount. At this point the seller is asked to email their full contact details to enable the buyer to send payment. The seller is then contacted again saying that the cost of shipping has accidently been included on the cheque, and could the seller forward the cost of shipment onto a courier, which is also bogus – we believe that this is an attempt at money laundering
These scams can vary, however emails are often written in broken English and written in an over friendly style. We urge HorseQuest customers to respond to email enquiries with caution. If something sounds too good to be true, it often is!
If you think you’ve been scammed then we strongly recommend that you contact the police