MotorcyclePit.com takes fraud very seriously, and protecting our customers is our top priority. Although we strive to prevent fraudulent activity on our website, it is very difficult to stop all fraud. Please read the following tips carefully in order to better protect yourself from being a victim of fraud. Also, please understand that MotorcyclePit.com does not offer "Payment Protection" or "Verified Seller" services of any type, and you will never see these terms on our site. If you detect any suspicious listings or receive any suspicious emails, please forward them to Fraud@MotorcyclePit.com.

Who To Do Business With

Verify that you are purchasing merchandise from a reputable seller.
Avoid sellers that have items priced too low or appear too good to be true.
Deal with local buyers and sellers whenever possible.
Take Precaution when dealing with buyers and sellers outside the country.
Be Cautious of individuals who only want to communicate via e-mail.
Be Cautious of individuals posing as a representative of a buyer or seller.
Reconsider doing business with individuals who won't answer your questions.
Be Very Cautious if an individual wants to buy your motorcycle without seeing it first.

Learn About The Seller

Verify the sellers phone number by calling to see if it is correct and working.
Obtain a physical address for anyone selling an item.
Research the seller online to verify their information.

How To Avoid Common Fraud Scenarios:

Beware when responding to special unsolicited email offers.
Never Give Out Personal Financial Information. Offering your sensitive, personal information can put you at risk for identity theft.
Be Suspicious if you are requested to handle a transaction utilizing a wire transfer.
Never accept a cashier's check that is more than the price of the item you are selling.
Consider utilizing a reputable escrow or alternate payment service when purchasing a product outside your local area. Be wary of any non-reputable escrow service.
Wait For Funds To Clear on a check before exchanging goods. Even a cashier's check can take up to thirty days to clear. Even if a bank has cashed a check, it may not be legitimate. If it turns out to be counterfeit, you will be expected to pay the funds back.
The Safest Way To Purchase Items On The Internet is by credit card because you can often dispute the charges if the transaction turns out to be fraudulent. If you feel you have been a victim of fraud, contact your credit card company immediately.

COMMON FRAUD TECHNIQUES

Phishing
Phishing is an attempt to steal your identity, and typically starts with an email that appears to come from a legitimate source (such as MotorcyclePit.com). This email may contain graphics and formatting that make it appear official. Many of these phishers provide a link and request that you update your account information. They will often suggest that your account will be closed if you do not fulfill their request. BEWARE - these emails are almost always fraudulent.

You usually receive a phisher as a random target. The sender could have gotten your email from a variety of sources, including messages you have sent in the past or even your personal or business website. Any time you receive a message where you are a Cc: recipient, your name and email is being distributed to everyone else on that list AND everyone else they forward it to as well. You should always ask your friends to put you in the Bcc: field.

IMPORTANT

1. MotorcyclePit.com will never ask for your password or other personal information via email. Do not respond to emails requesting such information.
2. Don't click on links in any unsolicited email, especially those asking for personal information.
3. Visit the company website directly by typing the address into your browser.
4. Be sure to download the latest Operating System and Security Updates.
5. If you are receive an email that appears to be fraudulent, contact us immediately.

Spoof Sites
Spoof sites are websites that are designed to look exactly like another site (eBay, MotorcyclePit, etc) but are not the actual site. Sometimes even the trained eye will have to look very closely to determine that it is a fake. The best way to recognize these sites is to look at the website address. Although it may contain the name of the company, it is NOT the actual company address. These sites are typically reached by clicking on a link from a Phisher email. If you reach one of these sites, NEVER provide any personal or financial information.

Fraudulent Listings
While we try our best to eliminate fraudulent listings, some invariably get through the system. Often, these listings contain a bike that is priced unreasonably low and contain typographical errors, poor grammar, and descriptions that contain very little detail. Upon being contacted, the sellers often claim to be out of the country and try and get you to pay for a portion of the bike, or at least the shipping, by sending a cashiers check or using a third party payment service. Once they have received the funds, they disappear and there is no way to reclaim the lost money.

This is a common scenario and tends to happen more frequently when sites offer free listings during a promotional period. If you notice what appears to be a fraudulent listing or receive what appears to be a fraudulent email, please forward any and all links or information to Fraud@MotorcyclePit.com immediately.

Escrow Service
An escrow service is a third party that essentially collects, holds and distributes funds for a business transaction according to a buyer and sellers instructions. While such a service can reduce the risk of fraud, it is important that you choose a reputable company when conducting this type of transaction. Those engaging in Internet commerce should also be aware of fraudulent phisher emails and spoof websites that will solicit your business. NOTE: MotorcyclePit.com does not endorse or recommend any escrow service. Do not respond to any service that has the MotorcyclePit.com name attached to it.

The escrow process is actually quite simple. Once a buyer and seller agree to terms, the buyer pays the escrow service using a variety of payment options. Once the escrow service verifies the payment, the seller is then authorized to ship the product and submit tracking information. Once the item has been verified as received, the buyer has an opportunity to inspect and then accept or reject the item. Upon accepting, the process of transferring the title begins, including the paying of the seller by the escrow service. Escrow services typically charge either the buyer or seller a percentage of the transaction.

Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when key pieces of your personal or financial information have been obtained as a result of fraud. This information may include your name, credit card information, home address and phone number, social security number, date of birth, etc. Once this valuable information is in the wrong hands, it can be used to make purchases in your name on the Internet. Victims can often be taken for thousands of dollars and the perpetrator typically disappears without a trace. This can cause great personal distress, damage your credit rating, and take years to rectify.

Take all measures necessary to protect your personal information from getting into the hands of fraudulent individuals. It is always better to err on the side of caution, and this is particularly true when it comes to doing business on the Internet. Be especially cautious of phisher emails and spoof websites.

Reporting Identity Theft
If you think you are the victim of Identity Theft, here are some resources that may be useful for reporting the offenses and repairing your credit. Be sure to file a local police report and immediately close all compromised credit cards and related accounts. For more information on identity theft, visit the FTC's Identity Theft website.

Federal Trade Commission
Identity Theft Clearinghouse
Hotline: 1-877-438-4338
TDD: 1-202-326-2502
Website: www.consumer.gov/idtheft/

United States Department of Justice
Hotline: (800) 869-4499
Fax Line: (202) 616-9898
Website: www.usdio.gov/fraud.htm

Social Security Administration Fraud Hotline
1-800-269-0271 (10 a.m.-4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time)

Credit Reporting Agencies
Trans Union 1-800-888-4213 www.transunion.com   
Trans Union Fraud Hotline 1-800-680-7289
Equifax, Inc 1-800-269-0271 www.equifax.com  
Experian 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com

GENERAL ONLINE SAFETY TIPS

Usernames, Passwords, and PINs
Keep your usernames, passwords and PINs confidential. Change them frequently and try to not use the same password or PIN for different accounts.

Anti-Virus Software, Anti-Spyware and Firewalls
Keep your computer updated with the most current version of anti-virus software and be sure to regularly update your virus definitions. This will help protect your system from both system and email viruses. Use anti-spyware or Adware programs to remove programs that track your internet activity. Use a firewall to prevent outside attackers from infiltrating your system. This is critical if you have a cable or DSL "always on" connection to the Internet.

Email Attachments
Be very careful when opening email attachments, especially those that appear suspect or may have come to you from an unknown source. Be sure to scan all attachments with anti-virus software first. Also, do not click on links within an email that do not appear to be legitimate, even if that email came from someone you know. Viruses are often hidden in seemingly harmless programs that people share for fun and because many viruses use people's address books, you might receive a virus from someone who didn't send it to you deliberately.

System and Security Updates
Be sure to check for, download and install any operating system upgrades or security updates for your computer. It is critical that your system remain current to effectively combat many of the potential risks associated with the Internet and e-commerce.