Protecting Yourself Against Online Fraud

by Tyson Wanlass, Manager of Fraud Protection - Doba

Although Doba, online marketplaces (such as eBay), and your payment processors (such as PayPal or MoneyGram) have systems in place to protect you from falling victim of online fraud, you need to learn some basic self defense. The following top 10 tips for avoiding fraud can provide you with most of the protection you need:

• Understand as much as possible about your buyer. The more you know about your buyer, the better! Compare your buyer's contact information to his or her buyer account, payment account, and the shipping address associated with the transaction platform. This information should almost always match, and when it doesn't, it can mean big trouble for you - the seller.

• If your gut is telling you that something's wrong with the transaction, contact the buyer by any means necessary, including phone, to confirm or alleviate your suspicions. If the buyer will not give out his or her telephone number or refuses to answer even the most basic of questions, you may be dealing with a fraudulent order/buyer.

• Avoid buyers who ask you to ship an item to a country other than the one in which their payment originates. Buyers who ask you to ship to a country other than the one from which their payment originate, are usually trying to pull a fast one! Do not participate in these sorts of transactions unless you are absolutely certain you are NOT dealing with a scammer.

• Before selling anything online...