[BaiLong11]

Dear Members of Our Humble Forum…

Although it is still summer to many, some of our eyes are fixed on the approaching Christmas season. As always it will creep up on us… Yet we need to step back, even this early in the year and remember what a wonderful time of the year it is. A time for us to enjoy our families, friends and for some to remember the religious ties to this holiday… oh, and it’s every scammer’s favorite time of the year (I can just hear a Christmas Jingle about Scammers…)

Perhaps some of you do not remember Christmas of 2005... Herein referred to as the “360 Fiasco”. Yes, many, many people were promised Xbox 360’s and never saw them. Fortunes were lost, life savings sucked dry by scammers looking to line their pockets.

This year will be no different. With the debut of the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii this fall, sell-outs are inevitable and these will be the hot item for Christmas this year. It will be difficult to find them in stores or anywhere for that matter. And yes, many people will make a killing selling them on eBay right before Christmas. But there are a few warnings I want to send you before you start prematurely spending all that extra cash you plan to make this year.

Number one: No wire transfers please (or Western Union payments... as pointed out to me by Saajan, thanks). Unless you know the person (and I mean know them like a brother or sister), then do not trust wire transfers. They are impossible to trace and a scammer’s dream.

Secondly: If you find a hopeful supplier, do a whois search and confirm their contact details and how long their website has been around. If you have any questions on how to do a whois search or what exactly it is, ask one of our members and we will help you confirm the legitimacy of this company. Even then, proceed with extreme caution.

And Third: Fly and buys are preferable… We are talking about huge amounts of cash here. Even if you just buy 10 PS3’s, we are looking at probably around $4000-$5000 (depending on prices and such). That is a big chink of cash for many people… Checking out the source with your own eyes, and not just depending on phone conversations and reassuring emails is a must.

Fourth: If you can, buy from big name companies, such as gaming outlets. Actual physical stores often allow you to pay for a pre-release and will ship when the item is available. Remember, even if you have to pay retail for these items, you will still make a hefty profit selling them online, or anywhere for that matter. Christmas just has that sort of effect.

Lastly: Please, please be careful. This never has been, nor will it be a get rich quick business. Search the forum for Xbox 360 to see the endless number of people who got scammed last year. A good portion of people in the Name and Shame Section are scammers who did exactly that. Let this holiday be a fun and a stress free one… ok, stress-free is asking a little too much, but don’t let this be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.