Recognizing Internet scams: Most scams involve one or more of the following:

  • An inquiry from someone far away, often in another country, or "too busy" at work
  • Paypal, Western Union, Money Gram, cashier's check, money order, shipping, escrow service, or a "guarantee"
  • Pick-up "Agent" or Inability or refusal to meet face-to-face before consumating transaction 
  • Failure, refusal, or inability to answer questions about their product 
Recommendation: Go with your gut feeling. If its seems too good to be true, it probably IS! 

Craigslist - The best tip here is just to follow the Craislist Mantra: AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY - **Avoid: Wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home **Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping** 

PayPal Scams - Yes Paypal, the trusted anonymous electronic payment site is the source of many scams!

Avoid Paypal Scams on Youtube! - Good 

Paypal scams on Craigslist! -  Craigslist should add Paypal to their advisory.  
**The Setup: Someone emails you in response to your Craigslist Ad saying that they are "too busy" or "overseas" and cannot give you cash but are willing to pay your asking price and pay by Paypal, and arrange for pick up through an agent.   
**The Scam: You give them your info, and it seems as if the payment goes through, you turn over the item and magically the payment disappears.
**What Happened? - They paid by credit card and then denied the charges, leaving you in the lurch with neither your item or your money..

REMEMBER - Theft is often an issue of Convenience - Thieves want to get in and get out quickly 

Biking in a Big City - Safety for your Cycle 

"Bike theft is a business is New York City" - NYPD Officer

Early on in my City biking career I had my bike locked to a designated bike post in a busy area with an "unbreakable" cable lock for one hour.  Needless to say when i got back it was no longer there. I was quite depressed. I learned from my mistakes though and have been riding high ever since.

TIPS: 1) If you have a nice bike, its going to be targeted.  Think about wrapping the bike so that the decals are covered, both on the fork and the frame itself.  I know it goes against your desire to show off your sweet ride, but you know what the Greeks say about Hubris!

2) Locks - U locks don't work, they can be picked with a bic pen (See my video on the home page).  They can also be popped with ease with a 2x4. Cable locks are easily cut with bolt cutters.  The best locks are either the Master Lock street cuff  with a heavy cable to secure the wheels or the New York Fahgettaboudit Kryptonite Lock with a heavy duty chain (which is a heavy combo).

3) Accessories - The rims, tires, seat and fork are targets as well.  Don't forget to secure those with a lock.  If possible switch out quick release pins on wheels with Allen bolts.  Many people secure their seat to the frame with an additional lock to deter the quick snatch and grab.

 Travel Tips - Safeguarding your Property

1) Keep your belongings within your sight at all times! We cannot overemphasize this.  

2) Men - Carry your wallet in your front rather than your rear pocket

3) Try not too open your wallet or purse on the street in a crowded area. This problem arises when giving money to street performers or the homeless.  If you want to give money keep a small sum in a separate area.

4) Taxis Tips - Only use authorized cabs ("Yellow" cabs) - Gypsy cabs (Often black sedans) can rip you off and even be dangerous!

Who should I notify about fraud or scam attempts?