Junk Mail cautions all advertisers and readers to BE SMART! BE SAVVY! BE SAFE!

While making classified transactions, be wary and vigilant to ensure that you are not a victim of crime. If situations make you feel uncomfortable, rather be safe and avoid the deal than lament being a victim later. Follow your gut feeling and let the other party know that you will never take any risk under any circumstances.

PLEASE NOTE: 

Junk Mail is in no way involved in brokering deals or sales administration. We are simply a service for connecting the buyer and seller via Print, Online or Mobile. Junk Mail never takes any further transaction once the ad is placed and all parties stating that Junk Mail is involved should be reported immediately. There is no such thing as a “Junk Mail Verified Trader”, so please don’t be convinced otherwise. Junk Mail will not sell any advertiser’s details (email or phone numbers) on to a 3rd party marketing company. Any 3rd party claiming to have obtain your details from Junk Mail have done so without our authorization. Check out these blog posts below for more details about the kinds of scams that are out there. Feel free to comment on any of these posts. Also feel free to share these posts with your Facebook friends and Twitter.

Remember: Sharing in Caring. If you have been a victim of a scam or if you have picked up a scam that is not listed on our blog, please report the scam to our Customer Care Department. This can be done by sending an email moderation@junkmail.co.za.

Check out these posts on the Junk Mail blog featuring details about scams:

PROPERTY/ TIMESHARE / HOLIDAY ACCOMODATION SCAMS

	Watch out for these scams! Be aware of these scams encountered by Junk Mail users! Recently there have been two reports in the media about users being scammed. Read this post for full details.
	A Reminder to Watch Out for Holiday Accommodation Scams! Unfortunately one of our users was caught by a scammer in one of those holiday accommodation scams a while ago. An article about this was published in the Beeld recently. Read this article for full details.
	How To Vet Potential Tennants: There are many people out there on the hunt for a new place to rent, buy or share. As a landlord there are many things you need to know before you hand over your keys to the new stranger that will be living in your bachelor pad, house or flat. Read this post for more details.
	9 Steps to Avoid Getting Caught by a Property Rental Scam: Recently we received some interesting tips to avoid getting caught by a property rental scam. This information was provided by Mr Johan Van Niekerk from Pretoria. He has been using our services to advertise his rental properties for a long time. This concerned Junk Mail user has taken the time to outline the way that property rental scams work and has included tips to avoid being caught by one. Read this post for more details
	Property Scam Warning: Be very careful if you are looking for a property to rent. This scam involves a property to rent (placed at rate below market value for the area its in), a fake estate agent / fake property owner, etc. Read this post for more details…
	Timeshare / Holiday Accommodation Scam: Some criminals are exploiting potential tourists through falsely advertising holiday accommodation / timeshare on the internet via classifieds adverts and requesting deposits to secure bookings. Read this post for full details…

GENERAL WARNINGS ABOUT SCAMS

	More Scam Prevention Tips from a Junk Mail User: We have received another report from a Junk Mail user who has been scammed recently. Sadly this user (Duwayne) lost R9,000 in this fake vehicle scam, but he has some useful scam prevention advice to offer fellow classifieds users. Read more about this
	Watch Out for Scammers Who Are Targeting Wantd Adverts! Be Aware Junk Mail users! Scammers are targeting wanted adverts. They’re not just doing this on our website, they’re targeting all major classifieds sites in South Africa. Read all about this in this article.
	Beware of Fraudulent Advert Responses! Many of you reading this article are probably aware of the fraudulent advert responses. Scammers tend to target electronics or other high priced items for sale on Junk Mail and other classifieds websites. Read more about this in this article.
	Watch out for Scammers targeting Small Business Owners! It has come to our attention that scammers are targeting small business owners. They operate via SMS. A Junk Mail user (who runs a catering company) recently made us aware of this. Read all about this in this article.
	Watch out for AFCON 2013 Scams! The 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament starts on the 19th of January 2013. There are scams doing their rounds. Read this post for full details.
	Don’t Get Caught By Scams This Festive Season! The festive season is around the corner which means many scammers are sharpening their efforts to try and catch or defraud unsuspecting buyers and sellers in the online market place who are using classifieds websites. Read this post for full details.
	The Top 10 Scam Types in South Africa: Today I want to inform you about the Top 10 Scam Types in South Africa. Unfortunately scammers don’t rest in this day and age and it’s important that Junk Mail users and the South African public be aware of this. Read this post for full details.
	The Top 10 Worst Scams on the Internet:The Internet has been public since 1995. There are currently more than 2.2 billion internet users globally. It’s amazing how far this technological wonder has come since its introduction. Unfortunately many scams have been surfacing online since then as well. The Junk Mail team is continuing the trend to inform you about scams that are out there. This post contains a list of 10 of the worst scams on the internet. Read this post for full details.
	Junk Mail and other SA Companies that are Fighting Scams on Facebook: No-one likes scams. The reality is, we all need to know about the recent cons so that we don’t end up getting caught. South African businesses as a whole seem to be trying their best to combat scams. Companies like Vodacom and Organisations such as SARS as well as SABRIC (South Africa Banking Risk Information Center) issue warnings on a weekly basis to make sure the public is aware of the scams that are lurking in cyberspace. As you already know Junk Mail has a weekly Scam Awareness Day on Facebook to make sure that all our fans are in the know. Read this post for full details.
	What Junk Is Doing to Curb Scams: You probably all know what a scam is, but do you all know how to protect yourselves from con artists that are trying to trick you into handing over your goods and hard-earned money? We would all love to have an online guardian that glides through the Internet with us daily to ensure that we are browsing safely 24/7. The reality is we need to learn how to protect ourselves to be safe at all times. Read this post for full details
	Vodacom Warns Users of New SMS Scams: Earlier today South African Cellular Network Provider Vodacom posted a warning on their Facebook page about a new SMS scam that has been doing the rounds lately. Read this post for full details..
	New Scam Spotted by Junk Mail User: A Junk Mail user recently sent us a message to inform us about a new scam that has been circulating during the festive season. We would like to take this time to bring this fake computer maintenance scam to your attention. Read this post for full details..
	Some Key Indicators That An Advert is a Scam: Internet Scams are everywhere nowadays. Scammers are making use of almost every classifieds website out there. It gets more difficult to tell which ads are “for real” and which are not. Professional scammers are getting sharper at refining their schemes and ways as fast as their ways and schemes are being discovered. Read this post for full details..
	Avoiding Scams: There is an advertiser who submits adverts with the sole purpose of scamming our users. He is using the transactions@junkmail.co.za and junkmail@representative.com to run this scam. Read this post for full details…
	Danger Signs that you might be dealing with a fraudster: Junk Mail is concerned about the safety and security of our users. Check out the list of things that might hint that you are dealing with a scammer / fraudster. Read this post for full details.
	Scam Prevention Tips: Concerned that you might be getting pulled into a scam? Be Smart, Savvy and Safe and check out this list of Scam Prevention tips. Read this post for full details.
	The 10 Biggest Lies on the Internet: At the heart of most scams is the Hoax, the great lie at the center of the scheme to make money or spread chaos. It’s the easiest thing in the world for a con artist to send an e-mail that looks legitimate and plays upon victims greatest hopes and fears doesn’t mean it’s true. Bottom line, some people lie. Read this post for full details.
	Scam Warning for Junk Mail Users: Spammers have targeted the Junk Mail site over the past few months. With the help of some of our users, we quickly spot these and remove them immediately from the Junk Mail website. Take note of these tips to spot a spammer on the Junk Mail website. Read this post for full details.
	Top Scams on the Web: Global IT vendor Panda Security has drawn up a list of 10 of the most widely used scams over the last few years. These circulating tricks all have the same objective: to defraud users of amounts ranging from R5000 and upwards. Read this post for full details.
	Be Wary of Scammers: SMS and email scamsters, ever on the lookout for new gullible victims, have taken to luring people to part with money or their personal details with false promises that they have won a fabulous prize. Read this post for full details.
	Scam tip from a concerned Junk Mail user: A scam that targets eBay, Junk Mail, and other classifieds sellers. The scammers try to trick the sellers into shipping goods to Lagos, Nigeria (or other foreign destinations) without any payment. Read this post for full details.
	The 10 biggest scams to watch out for: A list of the biggest scams out there by Tony Levene (Author of “How To Avoid Scams”). Some interesting information. Read this post for full details.
	5 Top Tips to Identify Scams: Scams are now targeting specific groups in our society. The vulnerable cross-section of the society is threatened with a death-threat scam. Loan defaulters are enticed with foreclosure scams. The student community is duped by phishing frauds. Read this post for full details
	3 Scams To Avoid This Festive Season: Con artists are known for cooking up ingenious ploys over the festive season period as this is when most unsuspecting victims will be eager to spend their hard-earned cash and bonuses on gifts, travel and other luxuries. If you are using a Classifieds website over the festive season you should be on the lookout for these scams. Read this post for full details

SCAMS INVOLVING VEHICLES

	An example of a fake vehicle scam response: A classifieds user recently reported a scam involving a fake 2008 Ford Focus Titanium TDi on the Report a Crime website. Chances are that this vehicle was advertised for way below the market value. Read more about this in this article.
	Vereeniging Vehicle Scam Warning: A Junk Mail user has informed us a Vereeniging Vehicle Scam. It works in similar ways as the Klerksdorp Vehicle Scam we warned you about a few years ago. Please take note of the similar way that these scammers operate. Read more about this in this article.
	Fake Vehicle Scam Update: Sad news it that scammers have repackaged Fake Vehicle Scams. They are still placing adverts for vehicles which are priced below market value to lure potential victims. Read more about this in this article.
	A Reminder about Holding Deposit Scams:A while ago the Junk Mail team told you all about a fake vehicle scam that has been doing its rounds. It seems that scammers are renewing their efforts in an attempt to steal money from many Junk Mail users and this has prompted us to remind you about holding deposit scams. Read this post for full details.
	Watch Out for the Latest Online Scams: Scams are a universal concern for all traders, especially leading up to the festive season when new scams enter the market. Is it not time you learn how to safeguard yourself from being a victim? Junk Mail not only offers free advertising, we also offer all our Junk Mailers valuable advice on how to buy and sell safely online. Read this post for full details
	Urgent Vehicle Scam Warning: Over the last few years the Junk Mail Scam Busting Team has gone to great lengths to inform Junk Mail users about the variations of scams in the market place. Scammers are getting more crafty in the way they try to lure unsuspected victims. Read this post for full details
	Fake Vehicle Scam Warning: A scammer places a fake advert for a vehicle for sale. In 99% of cases this advert is placed with a photo. The scammer sets the price for the vehicle to a value that is below market value for it (in order to get maximum response from honest prospective buyers). Read this post for full details
	Klerksdorp Vehicle Scam Warning: Some of our users have come across a scam which seems to be originating in the city of Klerksdorp in the North West Province. Read this post for full details

ADVANCE FEE / FALSE PAYMENT / PHISHING SCAMS:

	Scam Alert: Beware of Pastor JacobsA Junk Mail user has notified us about a person who is attempting to defraud users who are advertising using our service. The person calls himself Pastor Jacobs. Read all about this in this article.
	Danger signs prompts Junk Mail user to avoid scam: A Junk Mail user (Renee) recently avoided being scammed by spotting four danger signs. Today I’m sharing her story with you. I’m pretty sure that many of you will find this information useful. Read all about this in this article.
	Urgent Junk Mail Scam Warning!We’ve just received word of another scam doing its rounds on Junk Mail. The scammer is replying on users’ adverts and claiming to be an employee of Junk Mail that users need to pay money into an account for their adverts. Read all about in this article.
	Be Warned! SIM Swop Fraud is on the rise!The Junk Mail team has warned you about the “Switch Off Cell Phone” scam before. It seems that the scammers have intensified their efforts with this in recent times. South African Cellphone provider, Vodacom has noted that SIM swop fraud attempts are on the rise in the country. Read this post for full details.
	Securing Yourself Against Fake Deposit Scams: Most of you reading this post are probably familiar with the workings of a Fake Deposit Scam. There are many variations of this scam. Some scammers make use of false cheque payments, other con artists prefer fake SMS payments while the rest of the fraudsters still opt to use the old school method of faking banking deposit slips. Read this post for full details.
	Advance-Fee Fraud / “419″ scams – An Explanation: An advance-fee fraud is a confidence trick in which the target is persuaded to advance sums of money in the hope of realizing a significantly larger gain. Among the variations on this type of scam, are the Nigerian Letter (also called the 419 fraud, Nigerian scam, Nigerian bank scam, or Nigerian money offer), the Spanish Prisoner, the black money scam as well as Russian / Ukrainian scam (also extremely widespread, though far less popular than the former). Read this post for full details.
	Phishing Scams in Plain English: An evil called phishing has been sticking out it’s ugly head in South Africa in the past few years. There are still South African internet users who are not aware of this particular crime. According to Sabric (the South African Banking Risk Information Centre) the number of schemes to fraudulently obtain confidential information from internet banking users has grown in the last 4 months. Read this post for full details.
	7 ways to spot a Paypal Scam E-mail: PayPal is a great site and is used by many to send and receive money. Unfortunately some dishonest people are using the Popularity of PayPal to line their own pockets with gold at the expense of unsuspecting PayPal members. Read this post for full details.
	SMS Phishing Scam / 419 Scam Warning: South Africa has one of the highest mobile penetration rates in the world. Local businesses are increasingly using SMS as a means of communication with their clients. Both businesses and the consumer benefit from this. Unfortunately there is also a dark side to this communication medium. Read this post for full details.
	SMS Payment Confirmation Scam Warning: Scammers will offer to buy goods from second-hand sellers. They’ll use a commercial SMS messaging service to send sellers an apparent legitimate confirmation that they have deposited money for the goods into the sellers’ bank accounts. Read this post for full details.
	SARS Phishing Scam Warning: With the launch of the 2010 Tax Season, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) expects an increase in phishing scams using bogus emails purportedly from SARS which falsely promises taxpayers a refund or ask them to make electronic payments into a fraudulent bank account. Read this post for full details.
	The Oldest Scam in the Book: A classifieds users share his experience with a scammer. This is quite interesting. Read this post for full details.
	Scam Warning: Fake Deposit / Proof of Payment Scam: Fraudulent buyers usually operate by depositing fake or stolen cheques into the seller’s account or sending through fake proof of payment / EFT to the seller’s e-mail account or via fax. Read this post for full details.

PET SCAM WARNINGS / BUYING & SELLING TIPS:

	Info about Pet Transport Scams: You’ll find the adverts in a newspaper or on the internet. A valuable, pedigreed or exotic pet, it announces, needs a home so desperately that its available to you, free of charge. Whether a rare breed of dog, a monkey or macaw, it would be a tragedy to put down such a magnificent creature. The pet is yours as long as you pay for delivery; the pet transport company airfreight costs. Read this post for full details.
	Parrot Scam featured on Carte Blanche: Useful Info: Junk Mail is glad that Carte Blanche has highlighted this issue in their Consumer Watch program. Junk Mail believes that knowledge is the key in the fight against scammers. Our motto is “Be Smart! Be Savvy! Be Safe!”. This post contains useful information about the Parrot Scam. You can use the following post as a guideline to check if you are dealing with a parrot scam. Read this post for full details.
	Pet Scam Warning: We have received reports of scammers who are claiming to use Famous Pacific Shipping (A Durban based import / export company) as a courier service for shipping pets from abroad to South Africa. Please note that this company is NOT a pet transportation company and that Famous Pacific shipping is NOT associated with these individuals. Read this post for full details.
	Pets Scam Report on American Television: It seems that fraudsters are targeting users of online classifieds websites worldwide with the so-called “Puppy Scam” or “Pets for Adoption” scam. This report was on US Television a while ago. Read this post for full details.
	Hints when buying / selling pets via Junk Mail: When selling or giving away your family pet, try to consider the a few things in order to ensure a good home for the animal. Read this post for full details.
	Useful Tips for Pet Buyers & Sellers Using Classifieds: The Pets section is one of the most popular ones on the Junk Mail website and in the Junk Mail publications. Check out these tips on what to do when buying / selling pets via classifieds. Read this post for full details.

COMPETITION SCAMS

	New scam targets Junk Mail users: We have received reports about a scam doing its rounds. It’s not the first time that this scammer (Mr Keith Ho) claims to be an employee at Junk Mail, but this time around he’s claiming that there’s a new trade advertiser payment policy Read all about this in this article.
	Beware of the Samsung Fake Car Give-Away Scam! A new scam that has been doing it rounds recently. Scammers claim that the SMS recipients are the lucky winners of a 2012 Ford Fiesta vehicle in a competition sponsored my electronics giant Samsung. Read all about this in this article.
	Junk Mail is NOT Giving Away an Audi A4!: A new scam has made it appearance. Junk Mail users are receiving SMS messages on their cell phones informing that they’ve won an Audi A4. Read this post for full details.
	Junk Mail is NOT giving away a Polo Vivo! Junk Mail is continuing its mission to inform the public about scams that aim to defraud South Africans. A new version of a fake competition scam has stuck out its ugly head over the last few days. This time Junk Mail users are being targeted via SMS. Read this post for full details.
	Junk Mail is NOT Giving Away a Jeep Cherokee: There are many fake competition scams out there, so don’t be fooled by SMS promotions saying that you are the lucky winner of a luxury holiday to the Maldives or e-mails stating that you have won the Lotto. You could be the winner to these magnificent prizes if you have entered one or other competition giving away these types of prizes. If you have not entered a competition, then you have to ask the question: “Is this competition REAL?” If have not entered a competition the chances are very high that you have just received a Fake Competition message. Read this post for full details.
	How To Spot A Fake Junk Mail Competition: False Competition scams have been around for quite some time. South Africans have been subjected to all forms of competition scams over the years. By now, most of you are experts at picking out the real competitions from the false competitions. Read This Post for full details.
	False Competition Scam Reported by Junk Mail Users: Are you ready to become scam savvy? The scam busting class has just began, so get ready to be informed about this latest False Competition scam. Read This Post for full details
	New Scam Alert: A new scam system being used by the ill-intentioned scammers, is sending users an email of Congratulations. This informs the receiver that they have won a motor vehicle to commemorate an anniversary of operation. The scammers then instruct the receivers to call a number to redeem their dispatched prize. Read this post for full details.
	Watch Out For False Competition Scams: A new scam has stuck out its ugly head. False Competition scams like these have been making their appearance online in recent times. Read this post for full details.

OTHER SCAMS

	Watch out for Transport Scams! A new scam has been sticking out it’s ugly head on Junk Mail and other classifieds websites over the last few weeks. This transport scam requires users to pay a deposit for transport services that they never receive. Read this article for more details about this.
	Take Note of this SIM Swop Scam! The festive season is around the corner, but scammers are not stopping their attempts to defraud people. Scammers are trying to steal unsuspecting people’s banking identities in a new variation of the SIM Swop Scam. Read this post for full details.
	Watch out for this Scam! We have been alerted by a user about a new scam that is doing its rounds on the Junk Mail Xchange platform on Mxit. These persons advertise electronic goods on the Junk Mail website and other items below market value to attract the attention of unsuspecting potential buyers. Read this post for full details.
	A Request for Help From Junk Mail Users: Scammers are not giving up in this day and age, but the SAPS and the public are doing their bit to erridicate this disease. One of Junk Mail’s Users have been scammed. The user paid for livestock that did not exist. Read this post for full details.
	New SMS Scam Alert: A new SMS scam has popped out its ugly head in recent times. It seems that scammers are not giving up in this day and age. Please take note of this SMS scam and avoid being caught by it. Read this post for full details.
	Beware! New Scam Targeting Job Seekers! The Junk Mail team are doing their bit for scam awareness today. We’re continuing our quest to inform Junk Mail users about the latest scams that are doing their rounds. This latest scam targets Job Seekers. It’s the Junk Mail team’s duty to inform all of you reading this about this scam. Read his post for full details
	New Phone Scam Warning: The Junk Mail team would like to let you know about a new scam that has been targeting South Africans in recent times. We’re continuing our quest to inform South Africans about the scams that are out there. Read this post for full details.
	Watch Out For This Fake Car Buyer Scam: A recent news article reported that a man who advertised his VW Golf was hijacked by two men who posed as potential car buyers. The Daily News interviewed that the 31-year-old man from Chatsworth (who did not want to be identified), after he placed an advert on one of our competitor’s websites a week ago. Read this post for full details.
	“Switched Off Cellphone” Scam Warning: Did you know that switching off your cellphone could result in you being robbed by a hacker who claims to be from your cellphone service provider? This is the new cellphone banking scam that has swept the airwaves this past week. Read this post for more full details.
	Warning: SIM Swops Being Used to Access Bank Accounts: The scammers out there are launching another assault on the South African public. The Junk Mail team feels that its our duty to inform you of this malicious scam that could leave you with an empty bank account and a non-working cell phone. Read this post for full details>.
	New Cell Phone scam targets rugby fans: The South African Rugby Union (SARU) has asked media to assist in alerting all South Africans about a Rugby SMS scam that is make it rounds. This SMS scam is targeting rugby supporters with messages saying they have won large amounts of money in the IRB and SARU promotion. Read this post for full details.
	Vodacom Durban July Ticket Scam: Counterfeit Vodacom Durban July grandstand tickets, which cost R170, are selling on the streets for as little as R30, but Gold Circle has vowed to put a stop to the race-day racket. Read this post for full details.
	Fake Electronics Scam Warning: The Junk Mail team has become aware of a scam that usually involves Electronic goods and is therefor referred to as the “Fake Electronics scam” Read this post for full details..

ADVERTS NOT ALLOWED

List of Advert Types Not Allowed on Junk Mail: Ever seen or heard of this advert Spit Braai, Big and Long on Junk Mail? Well chances are… you probably haven’t. What you  probably also didn’t guess is this is the most viewed advert on Junk Mail at the moment. Read this post for full details.

BUYING / SELLING TIPS FOR USERS:

	3 Questions to ask yourself when you receive an advert response: Since we don’t want our users to be caught by criminals, we’re covering 3 questions that you should ask when you receive a Junk Mail advert response. We’re pretty sure that you’ll appreciate these guidelines. Read More About This
	5 Questions to ask yourself when responding to a Junk Mail advert: We don’t want our users (and all classifieds users in South Africa) to become scam victims. For this reason we have posted and are posting regular scam warnings on our help site, we work closely with the SAPS to assist users that have been scammed and we’re featuring 5 questions to ask yourself when you’re responding to a Junk Mail advert today. Read More About This
	12 Basic Online Classifieds Safety Tips: Shopping via online classifieds can be intimidating, especially if you’re have a more paranoid composition. Buyers and Sellers alike probably regularly ask themselves questions like “How can you trust that the person behind an ad or responding to one is sincere?” or “How can you stay safe online?” Read this post for full details
	Safety Guidelines for Buying on Junk Mail: Junk Mail mission is to offer a whole new way to shop using online classifieds. An important part of achieving that is making the experience as safe as possible for all parties. Most listings are perfectly legitimate, but as with any financial transaction, you should always protect yourself. Read this post for full details
	Safety Guidelines for Selling on Junk Mail: Junk Mail is a great way to hunt for bargains and sell your stuff. Following these simple tips can help protect yourself and ensure a safe and successful transaction. Read this post for full details