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Announcements in Forum : Classifieds & Marketplace
07-31-2023 until 08-31-2033
Beware of Scammers!
Hello all,
Unfortunately, RCU, like any other forum, is not immune to scammers attempting to take advantage of our community's close-knit nature. This has involved:
*Sending Private Messages (PMs) from brand new accounts, soliciting items for sale
*Insisting via PM or email that buyers use "Friends and Family" payments on PayPal (this has no buyer protection)
*Trying to direct conversations off-site (email, text messaging, messaging apps, et cetera)
*Also remember to not include personal information in your ad, such as your phone number, name, or email address
Where possible, we have banned the new accounts attempting to scam our members, as well as retroactively deleted all PMs sent from those accounts.
If you are solicited to purchase something via PM, as everywhere on RCU, buyer beware. Use your best judgment, and try to verify if the user is on the up-and-up before sending any money; do not pay "friends and family" as you will not be able to easily recover money scammed; where possible use a credit card and never cash. If the member is not familiar to you, you may insist on delivery of the item before payment. Use the "smell test" - does the deal sound too good to be true? It probably is. Is the seller a little too motivated or eager to accept a lowball offer? Watch out. As ever, RCU does not get involved in payment disputes under any circumstances – they are strictly between the buyer and seller.
-The RCU Team
Unfortunately, RCU, like any other forum, is not immune to scammers attempting to take advantage of our community's close-knit nature. This has involved:
*Sending Private Messages (PMs) from brand new accounts, soliciting items for sale
*Insisting via PM or email that buyers use "Friends and Family" payments on PayPal (this has no buyer protection)
*Trying to direct conversations off-site (email, text messaging, messaging apps, et cetera)
*Also remember to not include personal information in your ad, such as your phone number, name, or email address
Where possible, we have banned the new accounts attempting to scam our members, as well as retroactively deleted all PMs sent from those accounts.
If you are solicited to purchase something via PM, as everywhere on RCU, buyer beware. Use your best judgment, and try to verify if the user is on the up-and-up before sending any money; do not pay "friends and family" as you will not be able to easily recover money scammed; where possible use a credit card and never cash. If the member is not familiar to you, you may insist on delivery of the item before payment. Use the "smell test" - does the deal sound too good to be true? It probably is. Is the seller a little too motivated or eager to accept a lowball offer? Watch out. As ever, RCU does not get involved in payment disputes under any circumstances – they are strictly between the buyer and seller.
-The RCU Team