We have a number of systems in place to weed out scammers. Unfortunately, these systems are not 100% effective and you still need to exercise care when doing business on DealStream. Here are our suggestions for staying safe.

Check People Out

Always check people out before you do business with them. Here are some techniques that we’ve found useful:

• Check if the person has verified their identity. People with verified identities have a green checkmark after their name on listings and a checkmark badge after their name on their profile page. It’s a very good sign if someone has verified their identity because it means they are using their real name. Most scammers do not use their real names.
• Check when they became a DealStream member. The date is shown after “Member Since” on their profile page, listing pages, and inquiry pages. If they’ve been a member for a long time, it’s a very good sign because it means they haven’t done anything to get suspended.
• Check the number of members who have blocked them. This is shown in the Member Stats box on their listing pages, inquiry pages, and profile page. If the number is low (zero or 1), that’s a good sign. It means they haven’t offended any other members. If the number is high (over 5), it’s a red flag.
• Check their member rating and reviews. These are shown in the Member Rating box on their listing pages, inquiry pages, and profile page. If they have a low rating (2 or less), it’s a red flag, especially if the rating is based on 3 or more reviews. It’s also a red flag if several people say they would not recommend the person.
• Check their DealStream plan. If they are on a paid plan (Pro Buyer or Promoted Seller), they have a valid credit card (or other payment method) and are less likely to be a scammer. 
• Search Google using the person’s name and words like “scam” and “fraud” and “criminal” and  “lawsuit.” You’re looking to see if they are mentioned on any scam-tracking websites, have been convicted of crimes, or have been a defendant in a lawsuit. If you find incriminating documents, make sure they refer to the right person. Is the location, business, and age of the person in the document consistent with what you know about the DealStream member?
• If the person has a profile photo, search for it on Google images. You’re looking to see if the photo is a stock photo or a photo of someone with a different name - a stolen photo. If the answer is yes, it’s a red flag. Scammers often use stock and stolen photos to disguise their identities.
• Search for the person on LinkedIn. If you find a match, make sure the information in their LinkedIn profile matches the information on DealStream. Some LinkedIn profiles are fakes, so you should also look at the number of connections they have. If they have a lot of connections, it’s probably not a fake profile.
• If the person has a website, visit it. Is the copy badly written? Does it have typos and spelling mistakes? Does it only have a few pages? These are all red flags. Scammers sometimes create fake web sites. If you’re suspicious, do a WHOIS lookup of the website to see who owns it and when it went online. There are many websites that provide this service. Do a Google search to find one you like.
• Do a reverse lookup of their email address. It’s a red flag if they are not listed as the owner of the address. There are many websites that provide this service. Do a Google search to find one you like.
• Do a reverse lookup of their phone number. It’s a red flag if they are not listed as the owner of the number. There are many websites that provide this service. Do a Google search to find one you like.

Additional Red Flags

Be suspicious when you encounter a person who does the following:

• Refuses to meet face-to-face to complete a transaction.
• Refuses to speak to you by phone or video conference.
• Offers to send you a cashiers check or wire you money.
• Makes an offer that is “too good to be true.”
• Asks for an up front payment. (This is okay in certain situations.)
• Refuses to provide their real name.
• Sends you something and says they will “trust” you to pay for it.
• Is located in a high risk country, such as Nigeria, Romania, UK, or Netherlands. 
• Asks you to receive payments on their behalf.
• Refuses to use an escrow service.

Good Business Practices

You’ll be much less likely to get scammed if you follow these practices:

• Meet face-to-face with people before you sign a contract with them or send them money.
• Do not accept cashier/certified checks or money orders - banks cash fakes, then hold you responsible.
• Never give out financial info (bank account, social security, PayPal account, etc).
• Always use an escrow service, such as escrow.com, to pay for items and services. 
• Check out escrow services before you use them. Some are fakes. For more info, do a Google search on "fake escrow" or "escrow fraud."
• Have a lawyer review all contracts before you sign them.
• Hire experts (accountants, lawyers, consultants, appraisers, engineers, inspectors) to assist with “due diligence.”
• Hire a broker to sell a business or real estate. Don’t try to save money by doing it yourself.
• Report all suspicious activity to DealStream. Follow this link to send us a message.