We all know scamming on the internet is common... we've all received those emails about helping a desperate person in Nigeria funnel money out of the country. But i think with just a little common sense, we can all avoid being scammed on the internet.

I'm trying to sell my video camera, the panasonic ag-hmc150. I put the listing on craigslist (shameless self-advertising here) and within a few hours, the scammers were all over it. I received an email from a Jessica Walcourt asking if "your item is still available." I replied with a simple yet it is. The next day, I receive another email from a different person (female again). See below.

Obviously, this is a scam. First, two emails from two different people...RED FLAG. Second, they refer to the camera as "the item" instead of actually naming the item...RED FLAG. Third, they offer to pay me more than I ask...RED FLAG. Fourth, they can't spell...RED FLAG (you would think these scammers would be bright enough at least do a spell check). Fifth, they are asking me to ship the item overseas...RED FLAG. So how are they scamming me if they are saying they'll send me the funds via paypal first? Probably a stolen credit card. They use it to pay you. You get the funds. You ship the equipment. 3 months later, the cc company discovers the fraud and takes back the money from your paypal account. BAM..you've been scammed.

Just a little thought and common sense may spare you from falling for an internet scam. Trust your instincts. If it's too good to be true, then well, you know the rest. And if in doubt, just google it.