Internet scammers are a very creative lot. They will find so many ways, tactics and methods just so they can dupe thousands of online buyers and steal their hard earned money. The unfortunate thing is that as more and more online buyers wise up to the tactics of online scammers and swindlers, so do these shady characters think up of new and fresh ways of luring you into a trap.

The Romanian Laptop Scam has been victimizing many internet users who do buisiness in eBay.com. In fact, this type of scam has reached epidemic proportions with many people becoming prey to this unscrupulous activity. According to surveys and statistics done on online auction sites, the Romanian Laptop Scam is so prevalent that it has been said that by the time the auction being conducted by a scammer has been reported and shut down, two bogus auctions have already replaced it in the website. Of course, this scam is not just limited to Romania and not just to laptops.

The Romanian Laptop Scam follows a definite pattern that is conducted like this:

* The online scammers or swindlers set up a fake (otherwise known as a shill) auction. The site sells brand new high ticket items. Some of the items that are most commonly used for this type of scam are computers, laptops (most commonly the much sought after Macintosh laptops), digital cameras among others.

* All the sales pitches imaginable will be used by the scammer in order to entice and lure the potential buyer into making a bid. Among the claims that they will use is that the product is brand new, it is factory sealed, they will provide free shipping, the item is a real bargain, it is the lowest price possible.

* When the auction has ended the buyer will be contacted by the scammer who will then request the buyer to send payment through a number of options like Western Union, a bank transfer, or wire transfer to the scammer who is located in a foreign country. Most scammers who use this type of modus operandi usually give an address in Romania, Italy, or some other parts of the Ukraine.

* The online buyer is then usually informed that when the payment is received the scammer will then send the package tracking number for the item that they have purchased. The scammer will assure the online buyer that the purchased item will arrive in two to three business days.

* At this juncture the scam is revealed. Even though the payment has been sent online, no package tracking number is provided to the buyer and thus the bought item is never received.

Romanian Laptop Scam Red Flags

It is quite confusing and baffling why so many online users are victimized by this scam especially since this is not such a subtle tactic and is actually full of red flags that would identify it clearly as a scam. Another important thing is that this particular scam has been discussed at length in many television specials and in the news both in broadcast and in newspapers in the last two years.

Below are the so called red flags that would help online users identify the Romanian Laptop Scam:

1. The alleged deal would usually take place from the scammer’s address located in Romania – considered as one of the top countries in terms of the commission of cybercrimes. Other countries that may be used by the scammers are Nigeria, Indonesia, and the Ukraine, which are also considered as well known. cybercrime countries.

2. Romania is considered as one of the poorest countries in the whole of Europe. Because of the country’s appalling economic conditions, a piece of electronic equipment like a laptop would be very expensive and would the price would be equivalent to many times the monthly average wage of a worker. This makes laptops almost out of reach of a majority of Romanians. You would wonder how someone from the country can actually sell a brand new laptop. This is already as strong signal that there may be something dubious about the nature of the laptop because if there is a true item then it would most likely be stolen. And it is illegal to buy any stolen goods even if it comes from foreign countries.

3. Because of its geographical location Romania would have high taxes and exorbitant customs duties and this would mean that laptops in the said country will be very expensive especially when compared to prices in the United States. If the seller actually had a real unit he is more likely to earn more if he sells it locally than selling it abroad.

4. No one in his right mind will offer free express shipping from Europe. Because of its relatively far distance from countries like the United States an express shipping cost from Europe for a package that weights 15 lbs. would amount to at least $150. For a country that has a per capita income of only a few hundred dollars every month, how could one person afford to pay and shoulder $150 just for shipping costs.

5. These scammers would usually name a shipping company that they swear by. The problem is that there usually is no shipping company that exists even if the scammers point you to a website that looks very official and legitimate. Always remember that practically anyone nowadays can make a professional looking website in just a few hours. Additionally, do not ever believe that the company is combined shipping/escrow establishment because there is no such thing.

6 . There are scammers who will insist that you only use the escrow company that they recommend and not the one that you would normally use. This is a simple tactic for you to use an escrow company that is fictitious.

7. Be immediately cautious of any online seller that would only accept payments through Western Union for whatever reason. Always remember that once you have wired that money to a person you can never retrieve it again.

8. Always be wary of people who are willing to sell you an item outside of the eBay website because by doing so you are not protected by the safety measures that eBay has put in place to protect its users.