Classifieds Seller Scams

The typical Seller Scam involves someone offering gear for sale that they have copied from some other site - typically EBay. These scams may be harder to detect but a little common sense can help prevent you from becoming a victim:

See the Security and Scam Alerts forum for the most recent reported scams.

What to look out for:

• The subject line and body of these ads are often quite clearly a "copy-and-paste" version of some other ad.


• In many cases the seller will not have made the effort to scrub the ad, so you'll still see references to "bidding" if the ad has been lifted from EBay for example.


• While not in itself an indication of a scam, a skydiver will usually be able to break down their gear and show the actual manufacturer, type and size information in the fields provided for that.


• Be suspicious of any user who registered very recently and immediately posted and ad. While this in itself is no indication of a certain scam, just be more cautious. Dropzone.com will show an Alert message, like the one below, if someone registered on the same day they posted the ad.





Alert! This user registered on the day this ad was posted.

What to do if you spot a scam ad:

1. If you're quite CERTAIN an ad is a scam, click the "Report a Scam" link at the top of the ad and let us know.


2. If you SUSPECT it may be a scam and you want to find out, here are a few questions we suggest you ask the seller:
   
   
   
   
   • What's your USPA (or licensing organization) number?
     
   • How long have you been jumping, how many jumps have you done and what is your home DZ?
     
   • Give me the name of your DZO or Instructor, and his/her contact info?
     
   • Give me the name and contact info of a regular jump-buddy?
     
   • When and who did you buy this gear from?
     
   • Give me your phone number?
     



3. Contact the seller and make sure he/she can answer these questions and others you may to your satisfaction.