If you suspect that an item posted for sale on Roadfly may be part of a scam, please email the details to "webmaster@roadfly.com". Be sure to include the URL in your message.


Recognizing scams
Most scams meet involve one or more of the following:
• inquiry from someone far away, often in another country
• proposed transaction includes a cashier's check, postal money order, Western Union, or escrow service (BidPay, Squaretrade, etc.)
• inability or refusal to meet face-to-face


Types of Scams
1. Someone claims that Roadfly will guarantee a transaction, certify a buyer/seller, OR claims that Roadfly will handle or provide protection for a payment
• These claims are fraudulent, as Roadfly does not have any role in any transaction.
• Scammer will often send an official looking email that appears to come from Roadfly, offering a guarantee, certifying a seller, providing payment services -- all such emails are fakes!
2. distant person offers a genuine-looking (but fake) cashier's check
• you receive an email (many examples posted on this forum) offering to buy your item, or car, sight unseen.
• cashier's check is offered for your sale item, as a deposit for a car, or for just about anything else of value.
• value of cashier's check often far exceeds your item - scammer offers to "trust" you, and asks you to wire the balance via money transfer service
• banks will often cash these fake checks AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE WHEN THE CHECK FAILS TO CLEAR, including criminal prosecution in some cases!
• scam often involves a 3rd party (shipping agent, business associate owing buyer money, etc)
3. Someone requests payment via Western Union or MoneyGram:
• Often claim that an MTCN or confirmation code is needed before he can withdraw your money - this is FALSE, once you've wired money, it is GONE.
• Scam "bait" items include laptops, plasma TVs, cell phones, tickets - but could be almost anything
• common countries currently include: Nigeria, Romania, Ukraine, Spain, UK, Italy, Netherlands, and all of South East Asia - but could be anywhere
• deal often seems too good to be true
4. distant person offers to send you a cashier's check and then have you wire money:
• this is ALWAYS a scam, in our experience - the cashier's check is FAKE
• sometimes accompanies an offer of merchandise, sometimes not
• scammer often asks for your name, address, etc for printing on the fake check
• deal often seems too good to be true
5. distant person suggests use of an online escrow service.
• most online escrow sites are FRAUDULENT, operated by scammers
• for more info, do a google search on "fake escrow" or "escrow fraud"
• if you must do business with a distant seller, insist on a legitimate service, such as www.escrow.com
6. distant seller asks for a partial payment upfront, after which he will ship goods
• he says he trusts you with the partial payment
• he may say he has already shipped the goods
• deal often sounds too good to be true