Whenever you win a bid on eBay or what have you, a sense of accomplishment is felt. One can make the argument that auctions are sports, in their own right, when given the level of competition seen amongst bidders who all want the same item. Little do many people know, though, that auction fraud is rising and Whistleblowers Against Fraud will not tell you any differently. What exactly does auction fraud entail, you may wonder, and why should we be mindful of it?
Auction fraud has become especially prevalent in the past couple of years. For those who do not know, this type of fraud is seen when an item is won and it is not shipped out to the winner of said item. To say that this can create something of a conflict would be an understatement but you have to consider the fact that there are a couple of ways that this type of fraud can come about. In fact, I am sure that Whistleblowers Against Fraud can tell you the same.
One of the ways in which this can occur, as Whistleblowers Against Fraud can tell you, is when an item simply does not arrive. Of course, shipping can become something of an issue as well but this shouldn\'t be the case, on the whole, when given the prevalence of tracking numbers. Even if your item does not arrive on time, it should still be easy enough to locate where it is in the world. Items like these can reach standstills and this is where the help of companies such as W.A.F. is that much more preferred.
What if an item is delivered, though, but it isn\'t the same as the one showcased earlier? A year or so back, I placed a bid on a lightly-used external hard drive because it seemed like a sound investment compared to what retail would offer. However, when I received the package in the mail, it turned out that I was given an entirely different external hard drive with less space on it. Auction fraud can come in different forms, apart from the simple neglect of sending an item.
Of course, you may be curious about what can be done to minimize the risk of auction fraud on your end. One of the best solutions, to this matter, is to be mindful of whose your items you place bids on. Make it a point to check out their ratings, in addition to any reviews you might be able to sink your teeth into. It\'s also in your best interest to use a payment method that you know will be secure; this is one of the reasons why PayPal is recommended for purchases made over the Internet.
