Wholesale List Scams

In this scam the scammer is targeting new auction buyers or buyers who do not read English well.

The listing will typically be for a popular electronic item at a very low price. The title, photo, and description will all match the product and the seller may include spec sheets, etc. The listings themselves are usually fairly loud with a lot of different colors, fonts, and photos. In other words, somewhat distracting.

Unobtrusively in the finer print of the ad the scammer will indicate the the auction is actually for a wholesale list of where to buy the product - and not the product itself.

These scams tend to be more common for new products such as cameras or gaming systems that are just hitting the market. Technically the ads are legal as they do somewhere indicate the actual product for sale. The seller counts on buyer excitement over the product to induce a fast (though somewhat deceptive) sale.