General Tips to Help Protect Yourself from
Online Scams

To help mitigate your risk of potential online scams, below are some general tips to help you identify fraudulent activity:

Online Purchasing Tips

Perform Comprehensive Due Diligence
- Request multiple references from the seller.
  - Research these references to confirm their authenticity.
  - Contact each reference through independent means and obtain specific information regarding the equipment they purchased from the Seller (make, model, serial number, etc.).
- Research the company, representative, and contact details online.
  - Verify that website addresses match exactly.
  - Independently obtain contact information for the seller’s corporate office and contact the seller through those means to confirm authenticity.
- Request and confirm the machine’s serial number.
- Confirm that the offered price is reasonable for the model, age, and condition of the equipment.
  - If the price is too good to be true, it probably is.
- Review all images carefully:
  - Do seasonal conditions match the current time of year?
  - Are there foreign vehicles, buildings, or signage in the background?
  - Were all images taken on the same day?
Confirm Physical Existence
- After signing a sales agreement, physically verify the machine or hire a qualified, licensed, and reputable third-party inspector.
Validate Company Information
- Request and retain a W-9 form for your records.
Authenticate Wire Instructions
- Confirm payment details with a separate employee of the seller’s organization before initiating any transfer.