Spoof emails are fake emails sent by spammers. These emails appear to be from a popular website or company and ask customers to disclose personal information­including the kind that can lead to identity theft. Senders of spoof emails often:

• Include a well-known company′s logo and email greeting.
• Use a fake email address that includes the company′s name.
• Provide links inside the email to a bogus website that appears to be legitimate.
• Request sensitive personal information, such as financial account information.
• Urge recipients to wire money or send payment.

Spoof emails are a common problem for online services. Unfortunately, Riding Arts, LLC is not immune from this type of fraud. Some of our customers have reported receiving spoof emails from senders posing as SportbikeClassified.com representatives. These spoof emails urge our sellers and buyers to:

• Complete the sale or purchase of a vehicle listed on our site.
• Wire money for some type of bogus deposit.
• Reveal financial account information to the sender.
• Pay money to claim a bogus sweepstakes prize.

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Rule number one­use common sense. And keep in mind:

• If the email describes a deal that is too good to be true, it probably is.
• If an email that appears to come from SportBikeClassifieds.com solicits a payment or financial account information, it′s a scam. We only ask for such info when you′re placing an ad on our website.
• If an email refers to some program or service that is not clearly described on our website, it′s probably a spoof.

You′ll be more likely to spot a spoof email if you know what we do and don′t do on our website:

We don′t get involved in transactions between buyers and sellers. We′ll never send you email urging you to complete the sale or purchase of a vehicle listed on our site. We won′t ask you for a deposit or for information about how you intend to pay for a vehicle.

We don′t verify information about buyers or sellers. We won′t send email assuring you that a transaction is secure or that we've verified information about a particular buyer, seller or listing. Watch out for spoof emails that describe so-called "preferred" or "pre-approved" buyer or seller programs. We don′t offer such programs.

We don′t offer escrow services. We′re not affiliated with nor do we endorse any escrow services. Avoid any escrow website that states or implies that it′s affiliated with us.

We don′t warehouse or ship vehicles for sellers. We′ll never ask you for a deposit or payment for the purchase or shipment of a vehicle supposedly stored in a SportBikeClassifieds.com warehouse­it doesn′t exist!

We don′t require payment to enter a sweepstakes or claim a prize. From time to time, we may offer promotional contests. But we′ll never require you to pay any money or reveal financial account information to enter a contest or receive a prize.

If you receive a suspicious email that appears to come from SportBikeClassifieds.com:

• Don′t just delete it! Report it to us first.
• Forward any suspicious email message you receive to customersupport@SportBikeClassifieds.com.
• Don′t change the subject line or send it as an attachment­doing so could hamper our investigation.

If you′ve been targeted by a spoof email or other form of online fraud you can also bring it to the attention of federal and state law enforcement agencies by filing a complaint with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center.

We′ve included additional resources below:

http://onguardonline.gov/index.html

Selling a motorcycle online is a lot like advertising through a classified ad in the newspaper. Use the same good judgment on SportBikeClassifieds.com . Whether you're communicating with a buyer over the phone or via the Internet, the following tips can help you protect yourself against fraud so you can sell with confidence.

Confirm contact information. Before you turn over the keys, verify the buyer's address and phone number. An email address is not enough. Be particularly wary if the buyer is located overseas.

Secure payment first. Do not transfer the title until you have the equivalent of cash at the agreed upon purchase price. Use caution if the buyer proposes a complicated payment arrangement, such as a payment process that involves multiple steps; receiving payment through a friend or agent of the actual buyer; or receiving a check for more than the purchase price and writing the buyer a check for the difference.

Beware of counterfeit cashiers and certified checks. Before you deposit a check into your account, ask the issuing bank to verify that the check is genuine and that the account contains sufficient funds to cover the check amount. Wait until the check clears before transferring the title.

Consider reliable escrow services. For additional security, you may choose to use a dependable escrow service. Shop carefully­there are an increasing number of fake escrow services. Don't turn your money over until you've fully checked the service out. And be sure you understand all terms of the escrow arrangement. As previously mentioned, SportBikeClassifieds.com does not endorse any escrow services.

6 Practices for Safer Online Business

1. Protect your personal information. It's valuable.
2. Know who you're dealing with.
3. Use anti-virus software and a firewall, and update both regularly.
4. Be sure to set up your operating system and Web browser software properly, and update them regularly.
5. Protect your passwords.
6. Back up important files.