Everyone likes a bargain. I certainly do and search Ebay every chance I get for that great something I might have a need for at super savings. Unfortunately we bargain hunters are just the type of people that the scum sucking fraudulent scam artists like to target. These Shysters have only one intent on their mind, to steal as much money from we hard working honest bargain hunters as possible and not get caught. About once a week I run across ads from these crooks and report them to ebay with the hope that they can shut them down before they steal some poor persons life savings. Here are some pointers in fereting out the scams so that you may not be taken by one of these crooks: 1. You always heard it; If it sounds to good to be true, it isn't. One of the ways they try to lure you in is to offer an item like a $10,000.00 tractor for $4900.00 buy it now. That doesn't happen in the real world only a crooked one. 2. Another scheme they often use is Free Shipping World Wide. Get Real folks......... Now who expects us to actually believe that they can actually ship a heavy piece of equipment such as a backhoe around the world for free, especially when they are selling it at much less than the going rate. Its another scam to separate you from your hard earned dollars. 3. The line where they claim they are at work or their 'in box' at ebay is full so they cannot answer if you click on the 'ask the seller a question' is a DEAD Giveaway!. This is a scam folks. If you email them at the address they give for you to contact them , you are losing every chance you have for ebay buyer protection. I've have never heard of an ebay mailbox getting too full. 4. Sometimes these guys mess up. It always pays to read an entire ad carefully and look at all the pictures. These scam artists steal other advertisers pictures and use them as their own. Several times I have found that after close inspection of the pictures in the ad, the pictures are not of the same piece of equipment or in the same location. They have just bunched pictures of similar machines in the same ad. When one picture has sand and tropical trees in it and the next has snow and rocks in it, then something isn't right. 5. Look at the location. It is interesting how these shyster thieves will put a location like Chicago or Pennsylvania down as the location but the dollar amount is listed in euros or some other currency. Euros don't spend well in Chicago and I am sure if you go up there this type of seller won't be anywhere to be found. He/she is off in some foreign country waiting to take you money and give you nothing in return. 6. Doesn't take Paypal. Not all venders take pay pal. Some perfectly legitimate ones don't, But I have never seen a crook that did. They want wire transfers, money orders and travelers checks or don't say till you email them. I made the mistake of sending a money order to a seller that I didn't notice did not accept paypal. I never received the item I purchased and lost my money. Buyer protection does not cover you if you wire, send money orders or checks. 7. Check the guys Feedback and other items for sale. These crooks like to steal a legitimate persons identity so they can take advantage of their high possitive feedback. If the crook is selling all construction equipment, then it would be odd that all his feed back is for puzzles or antique furniture wouldn't it? This would be suspicious. 8. A great way to find these guys are crooked is to go to the Ebay search box at the top of the page and type in the name he uses for the email address to contact him. Select all catergories and click the box to include descriptions . Most of the time it will bring up all the scam auctions this scum of the earth has going at one time. If you look through the ads you will find they are selling horse trailers, cars, skids steer loaders,tractors, anything that is hot. When you look at his ads, most of the time you will find this jerk is selling under 3 or 4 differnt seller names. Definately NOT GOOD. This guy is a crook. I ran across one last week using 4 different seller names with over 80 ads. If some poor soul bought every item he had to offer at the cents on the dollar bargain prices he claimed he would accept, he would have managed to steal over $250,000.00 on these 80 ads. 9. Scam artists don't sell junk. Every ad I've ever seen is for almost new, never used and so extremely low milage or hours that it is almost unreal. Then on top of that they offer to let you buy it for only pennies on the dollar. It just doesn't work that way. Be careful of low hour , low miles , almost new that is too cheap. Most of the time it is a combination of the above 9 items that sets off a scam. Many times all nine of the above are present in one scam ad. Be sure and read every ad for an item you are intested for several days or weeks before you buy so you are familiar with the product you are looking for and what the average selling and shipping costs are. This will help make the scam or "too good to be true" ads pop out . You might miss a couple of good deals while you are learning but more will come by and most importantly, you won't get ripped off by a crook!!! Be sure to report fraudulent ads to ebay security. The more we help out, the fewer people get ripped off!