Horse Deals is Australia’s leading equestrian trading magazine and online platform that brings buyers and sellers together.

Generally transactions are seamless. However there is the need for sellers and buyers to be alert to online scammers.

Horse Deals monitor advertising closely, however scammers can strike at any time day or night and continue to become more sophisticated with their schemes which change frequently.

TIPS TO AVOID SCAMMERS

THE BUYER

• 1. Use common sense, if the purchase price is too good to be true then it probably is.
  
• 2. Insist on a face to face meeting to inspect the horse, float, saddle to confirm the integrity of the item.
• 3. Do not be encouraged to place a deposit or part payment on a horse or item unless you have inspected it. The old sales speel ‘there are other people wanting to purchase the horse to secure it you must pay a deposit’ is frequently used by online scammers.
• 4. Do not respond to adverts with the contact of WHATSAPP. This is a common way of contact in ads by scammers
• 5. Scammers often use the excuse they are working overseas or have lost their phone therefore can only communicate with potential buyers by text or email.
• 6. Scammers frequently appeal to the beginners market with horses advertised as beginners mounts at a low sales price. Speak to the seller and inspect the horse in person before any deposit or purchase is made.
• 7. Avoid any transaction where the seller requests payment via wire transfer, PAYID, pre loaded card or electronic currency like Bitcoin.
• 8. Whilst Horse Deals recommends meeting a potential seller in person, be alert if conversations over the telephone, on text or email do not fit with the usual descriptive horse terms.
• 9. Ensure a receipt and registration papers are provided at the time of transaction.

THE SELLER

• 1. Horse Deals encourages all transactions to be made in person.
• 2. Scammers frequently use the tactic of overpaying for an item and or transport of the item and request the seller to refund the overpayment into a bank account.
• 3. Do not allow the horse or item for sale to leave your possession unless a full payment has been made and cleared by your bank.
• 4. Avoid any transaction where the seller requests payment via wire transfer, PAYID, pre loaded card or electronic currency like Bitcoin.
• 5. Whilst Horse Deals recommends meeting a potential buyer face to face, be alert if conversations over the telephone do not fit with the usual descriptive horse terms.
• 6. Horse Deals will not txt you, asking you to click an email and asking you to reply 'YES'. See example below.