Malta-Classifieds-Network.com

Whilst every care is taken to filter out junk and scams we feel it is our duty to warn you of popular scams (tricks to steal your money) that are attempted by crooks on practically all classifieds websites all over the world! Please take the time to go through the below. In the future there could be different types of scams not listed here. As a general rule if it feels too good to be true it probably isn't.

Scams will most commonly be done by 'overseas' buyers/sellers. HOWEVER this DOES NOT mean that ALL overseas buyers/sellers are putting up a scam. The best thing is to give them a call and not just exchange emails. Slowly try to assess the risk before going ahead with a transaction.

Requests to use money transfer services like Western Union or Moneygram. These services are not meant for transactions between strangers and in our experience they are favoured by fraudsters. Be aware that fraudsters use different ways to trick people to use these services. One popular trick is that they ask you to prove that you have funds by sending money to a friend or relative via these services and show them the receipt. All they need is the tracking number from your receipt and they will be able to collect your money. Any requests to use these services in any way at all, connected to a transaction with a stranger, is a major alarm bell and should not be followed.

Payment or protection services by Malta-Classifieds-Network, MCN or Malta Classifieds Network or other well known sites such as eBay or PayPal. You get an email that claims to be from Malta-Classifieds-Network, MCN or Malta Classifieds Network, eBay, PayPal or another company and offers buyer protection or an online payment system, perhaps directly in connection for a transaction with someone you have met online. Or perhaps the buyer or seller suggests you use a payment or protection service by one of these companies and sends you to a link to follow instructions. These are fake and are known as “spoofs” or “phishing”. Malta-Classifieds-Network, MCN or Malta Classifieds Network doesn’t offer any form of payment scheme or protection. While other companies may offer payment or protection schemes, the email or instructions you have received may not be genuine. If you receive an email alleging to be from a company offering a service always go directly to the company’s official website and look for details of the service.

Cheque overpayment. A buyer, prospective tenant or even an employer will send you a cheque worth more than the value of the items/ rent/ job and then ask for the surplus money to be returned to them or a third party, for example “to pay for shipping”. The cheque will clear into your bank, only to be stopped/refused weeks later. At this point, the Banks/Building Societies will take the full cheque amount back out of your account. Not only will you have lost the goods, you will be out of pocket for the amount of the cheque and the amount you passed on as the difference.

Fake escrow sites. A buyer/seller or prospective tenant/ landlord suggests using an escrow service to complete the transaction. Often these escrow web sites are run by fraudsters (even though they may look "official") and they will take your money and never send you the product.

Payment for brokerage/importing. A seller claims that there are brokerage fees, import duties, or other such fees required to get an item into the country. Do not pay such fees, as you will most often never get the product and will have lost any money you paid. Again, Malta-Classifieds-Network, MCN or Malta Classifieds Network is designed for local, face to face trading.

An email from Malta-Classifieds-Network, MCN or Malta Classifieds Network (or another company) asking for your personal details (logons/ passwords/ credit card details). You get an email that claims to be from Malta-Classifieds-Network, MCN or Malta Classifieds Network (or another company) and requests that you reply or follow a link to provide personal information. These are fake and are known as “spoofs” or “phishing”. Any emails which combine urgency with some need for personal details should be treated with caution, no matter whom they purport to be from. Website pages can be easily faked. Malta-Classifieds-Network, MCN or Malta Classifieds Network and most other companies will never send out such emails. If you receive an email alleging from Malta-Classifieds-Network, MCN or Malta Classifieds Network asking for your personal information then do not follow any links provided in the email, come directly to our official website and contact us directly for help.

Work from home. Some work from home opportunities are fronts for money laundering. A key warning sign should be any 'job' that involves you receiving cheques and cashing them (these jobs are sometimes referred to as “money mules”). Another warning sign is a job that doesn’t require an in-person interview. Other work from home offers can be "pyramid schemes" which require you to recruit other members in order to get paid. For example, an ad may say that you can make 100 an hour by stuffing envelopes. But to make that money, you need to sell the system to others. For these reasons we typically don't accept work from home positions on Malta-Classifieds-Network, MCN or Malta Classifieds Network.

419 Scams. You get an email saying that your help is needed to take money out of a country and that you will be paid a commission for your help. Eventually they will ask you for money to help them take the large amount of money out of the country and once you pay you will never hear from them again.

Pet Shipping Scams. A seller will claim to have a pet and will offer to ship them from an overseas location, or even get you to book seats on a plane! These are usually sought after dog breeds such as English Bulldogs, Yorkshire Terriers and Chihuahuas. These ads are usually accompanied by ‘staged’ pictures. The pets don't exist and the fraudsters simply try to get you to pay money upfront. Remember: be wary of overseas sellers.