Police advise caution to members of the public when using classified advert websites

Northern Constabulary is warning the public to exercise caution when dealing with classified advertisement websites. There have been several incidents reported recently in the Ross-shire area where adverts have been placed online on a website called Craigslist (now available in the UK) and have resulted in a series of alleged frauds.

The perpetrator claims to be in the Ross-shire area and is clearing high value items from the estate of a recently deceased relative. All correspondence is carried out by email and no phone number is provided.

Members of the public can avoid would-be scammers by following these rules whenever using such websites:

• Never give out financial information (bank account number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
• Do not transfer money into any bank account details provided by sellers unless you have seen the goods for sale.
• Deal locally with people you can meet in person – follow this one rule and avoid 99% of scam attempts.
• Police advise caution when using money wire transfer services, especially when concerning payments in such circumstances.

If anyone feels they may have been a victim of a fraud they should contact their local Police station or you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online atwww.crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

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