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UNDER THE HAMMER
Online shopping from virtual stores is not the only way of buying diving gear using the Internet. The past decade has seen the emergence of the global online auction, with sites such as eBay taking the lead. These allow you to bid against other potential buyers for goods being sold by an individual in any part of the world.
It won't surprise you to hear that many of the UK and European laws that protect you from online fraud do not apply to private sales, and where the consumer is not protected, the criminals soon step in. The difficulties experienced by law-enforcement agencies in investigating cross-border fraud have only compounded the likelihood of becoming a victim.
One of our readers, Chris Bishop from London, fell foul of an American online auction fraudster, and I'd like to thank him for being willing to put his name to an explanation of how subtle the techniques used can be.
With any kind of deception it's not as simple as going straight from initial contact to losing your money. The criminal knows how to build up a rapport before fleecing you. By the time this happens, most victims are still in denial, refusing to believe how such a nice person could have run off with their money.
Chris, a diver of three years, wanted to buy a Draeger Dolphin rebreather. As he had previously had good experiences on eBay, he decided to start there. He found a unit advertised in New York for an opening bid of $700 and, following advice on eBay's site, contacted the seller to find out more.
This is the point at which the criminal lures the potential victim into the deception with what seems like a great offer. The criminal in this case, going by the name of Adrian Nelson, e-mailed Chris back to indicate that he had another rebreather for sale that was brand new and in its manufacturer's packaging for $890.
At this point Chris started to ask himself all the right questions. Was this guy for real? How could he be sure it was new? How could he be sure it wasn't stolen? He asked "Adrian" for details about the condition of the rebreather.
The reply answered Chris's questions. Then, in the body of the same e-mail, he used a classic fraudster's trick - the "I know you are concerned about... so I will explain how secure this is" technique.
This is tagged on to the end of an answer to a question from the buyer. The fraudster goes on to answer the next set of likely questions with the sort of accuracy that can only persuade you that he is being desperately honest, that he "understands" your concerns and is only too happy to allay them.
So Adrian provided lots of information on how the price included shipping, how he would use UPS as he had used it before as it had been fast and secure, and how he had had some bad experiences with Paypal (a common and secure method of paying for goods using eBay) so would rather use Western Union to transfer money from one country to another.
The e-mail looked very professional, as if Adrian had done this on numerous occasions and it had all worked out (which indeed he had!). Several more e-mails bounced back and forth covering shipping addresses, what the price included in terms of UPS charges and how the money transfer would take place.
Chris still had his suspicions and, after discussing how the sale seemed too good to be true with a friend, asked Adrian how he could be assured that he was genuine.
The fraudster is always ready for this one. "Send me half now and half when you receive the goods," came the reply. This trick is designed to mess with your head. After all, the seller is prepared to trust you to send the money, even though once you have received the goods you could just as easily fail to send him the balance.
The heart wants to believe and by now you desire what he has to sell so much that the brain doesn't get a look in. The fraudster is just as happy to get half the money for the sake of a few more e-mails - after all, it's all profit!
And so Chris sent the money, even after a last-minute decision by Adrian that it should be sent to his partner. Adrian was so good at what he did that he even sent an e-mail in return to say that he had the money and to confirm the shipping address.
As Chris says: "I broke my own rule of 'If you don't talk to my credit card, then I don't talk to you'. I sent cash via Western Union and that's the last I saw of my money."
He wasn't the only one. He contacted everyone else who had bid for the rebreather to find out there wasn't one. It transpired that there had been several other victims across the world. One had even sent the full amount.
All victims of fraud believe that they will never become a victim, and law-enforcement agencies have a hard time of piecing together the cross-border jigsaw puzzle to ascertain who the fraudster is. Even if they are apprehended and convicted, chances are you will not get your money back.
So how can you avoid fraud on this level? Simple, follow Chris's advice: use a credit card; follow to the letter the advice on sites such as eBay; and remember, if that little voice in the back of your mind tells you it's too good to be true, then it probably is.
And if you are thinking of buying from an online store, you would be wise to follow the advice Tim from Timunasea sent me in his e-mail reply:
"There is no guarantee on the level of service you get from an online or
local store, but I would suggest basing your purchase on the level of information given to you and not just the cheapest price...
"Of course, there is nothing to stop you researching the product at one store and purchasing it cheaper from another, but this gives an indication of how much effort and service stores are willing to provide customers. In addition, you should be able to easily contact the customer services whether by phone or e-mail with any question you may have."
Online shopping is here to stay, it is the future and many established stores are now offering both methods for purchasing diving equipment. Don't be one of the thousands who get caught every year, listen to your mind not your heart, and remember that sometimes you must pay a little more for personal service and efficiency.
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