Connecticut Attorney General warns of eBay, Craigslist scams

Connecticut Attorney general Richard Blumenthal has warned the public to watch out for eBay and Craigslist scammers. From The New Haven Register:

In one particularly common scam, a bogus buyer — often from overseas — offers to send a check to an item’s seller for more than the actual purchase price. The buyer then asks the seller to deposit the check and return the overage, often by wire. The seller agrees and, after the supposed overage is returned, the original check bounces, Blumenthal said....

To protect themselves from being duped by Internet scams, Blumenthal said consumers should never assume a check is valid simply because it looks legitimate. They should also independently confirm a buyer’s name, address and phone number, if possible.

Also, he said, consumers should never agree to accept or cash a check written for more than the actual purchase price that has been agreed upon. They also should never agree to wire money to anyone; there’s no legitimate reason for a buyer to ask for money to be wired, he said.

"An informed and cautious consumer is the front-line defense against Internet scams — virtually the only defense, because it is often impossible to track down and identify a person through an e-mail address," he said.