Published: 19 Oct 2009 01:15:28 PST

Case Description:

I received an email from a supplier named Tina, who said she was a Gold Supplier on Alibaba.com. She told me she could supply mobile phones at a low price. Knowing that she's a Gold Supplier, I ordered US$1,080 worth of goods and paid via Western Union.

After payment, I lost contact with her. I also didn't receive any goods. I reported Tina and her company to the Alibaba.com Service Team. After investigation, they told me that Tina is not an employee of the Gold Supplier company she claimed to represent. She is a scammer posing as a representative of the company!

Case Analysis:

This is a Gold Supplier identity theft fraud. Scammers will pretend to be representatives of legitimate companies with the intent of cheating unsuspecting buyers. Please be aware that you can:

1. Ask the suppliers to provide you with their Company Website on Alibaba.com. You can also use the company name that they provide to do a simple search online. Once found, compare the contact info that they provide with the ones published online. If it's different, please be extra cautious.

2. Make a simple comparison of the products listed in the suppliers' website and the products the suppliers claimed to sell. If they are in totally different categories, please be extra cautious.