World Wide Internet Horse Scam

World Wide Internet Horse Scam - Please Be Aware

Written by Admin

Wednesday, 14 October 2009 20:03

Remember the old saying, "If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is."

A very serious matter has come to our attention and we feel it is our duty to inform our users regarding any type of large-scale fraudulent activity that may be taking place related to this industry. We strongly believe in educating everyone to create an environment that is beneficial to both the buyer and the seller.

People selling horses are receiving buyer inquiries from a third party regarding the purchase of a horse from a potential buyers in England, Nigeria, Africa, or other foreign countries. This inquiry commonly attempts to arrange the purchase of the horse with a cashiers check covering the price of the horse and shipping. After the horse has been shipped, they commonly ask you to refund the shipping charges as part of a “finders’ fee” arrangement.

Unfortunately, the cashier’s check that is sent is counterfeit. This fact is not uncovered until the horse and the finder’s fee have been forwarded to the scam artists.

Stallion owners should also be aware this scam is being use on shipped semen, for stallion breedings.

To protect yourselves and others against this type of activity, it is important to try and obtain as much information about the buyer as possible. If you suspect the buyer may be involved in this or similar scams, please forward any information you can obtain to the following organizations:

For U.S. complaints use the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Complaint Form:
https://rn.ftc.gov/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01

For Canadian Complaints contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police:
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams/scams.htm

To help you in recognizing these types of scams, we have provided below a list of indicators. They are only guidelines, and as always, should be tempered with common sense.

Big Promises

Claims such as offering more money than the asking price without an initial conversation regarding the horse are almost always a sure sign of a scam. Be careful of any individual who wants to send you more money than you are asking for.

High Pressure Tactics

Be wary of individuals asking you to speed up the transaction beyond your comfort range. Again, a legitimate deal probably isn't going to move as fast as your money. Don't let yourself be pressured -- think things through.

Requests for Financial Information

Don’t give out any bank information without establishing a comfort level with the buyer or seller.

Always get something in writing

You should never complete a transaction without first writing down the terms of the deal and have each party sign it. If you can’t afford a lawyer to draft up a contract, you still should write down the terms of the deal in plain English and get it signed. Any buyer or seller that is hesitant or resists is usually a sure sign of a potential problem.

Remember the old saying, "If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is."

Disclaimer from Phelps/Hathaway Inc

HorsesDaily.com HorseMarket is a listing service, whose sole purpose is to present horses for sale to prospective buyers. Any representations as to the quality, condition and health of the horse are made solely by the prospective seller, who has no association with HorsesDaily.com HorseMarket . HorsesDaily.com HorseMarket makes no representation as to the quality, suitability, soundness or safety of any horse listed on its website.

All dealings between buyer and seller are personal as to them and HorsesDaily.com HorseMarket shall not be held responsible for any issues which may arise as a result of the purchase, sale or use of any horse listed on this website.