Want to help? Just take care to avoid online donation scams

Most auction transactions go smoothly, but auction fraud does occur.

You might never receive the item that you paid for, or the item that you receive might not be what the seller promised.

You might even discover that a seller has stolen your personal information.

Fortunately, you can follow these tips to help avoid auction fraud.

1. Research the auction site. If you've never used an online auction site, read the site's Help file before you place a bid. Make sure you understand the site's privacy statement and its user agreement.
   
   For example, after you place a bid, most auction sites require you to pay for the item if you win, even if you no longer want the item or decide your bid was a mistake.
   
   Check for insurance and guarantees. Some sites reimburse your money if you've been scammed.
2. Research the seller. Ask for a telephone number and verify it. Be wary of sellers who ask that you send payment to a post office box instead of a physical address.
   
   Many auction sites track a seller's history and encourage feedback from buyers about sellers. Ask questions before you deal with sellers who have no feedback or no sales history.
3. Research the item. Learn about an item before you bid on it. Find an expert on that particular item and ask if she can authenticate it.
   
   Compare prices on other auctions or online stores for similar items. Ask questions if the auction price is considerably lower than what you can find elsewhere.
4. Watch for items with shipping dates that exceed 20 days after receipt of payment. A delayed shipping date could be a sign of fraud.
   
   Many auction sites require that sellers ship items within a certain number of days after payment. Check the site's user agreement to find out if the seller is compliance with the site policy. If the auction doesn't specify an estimated shipping time, contact the seller. If the seller doesn't give you a straight answer, you'd be wise to bid elsewhere.
   
   Hint: Before you bid, ask sellers if they plan to ship the item using a parcel tracking service. If your shipment is delayed you can contact the seller, who can tell you exactly when the item is due to arrive or give you the tracking information.
5. Be wary of deals that sound too good to be true, especially around the holidays. An auction with a starting price much lower than other auctions of similar items might indicate a lower quality product, or it could mean the item was stolen.
6. Never be lured from the auction site with the promise of a better deal. You might receive e-mail messages from strangers offering items similar to those which you've recently bid on, but at a lower price. Some scammers use this technique to entice people away from trusted auction sites. Know that when you leave the site, you are no longer protected by the site's privacy and security policies.
7. Never pay with cash or a money order. Be wary of requests for bank or wire transfers and sellers who want to be paid in foreign currencies.
8. Question sellers who ask you to send payment to an address that is different from the one in the auction. Some fraudulent sellers change the payment address or other details after you've won the auction. Always question these changes, and if the sellers won't budge, report them to the auction service.
9. Consider using a third-party payment service. With third-party payment services you can transfer money into an online account and make payments from that account without exposing your credit card or bank account information to the seller.
   
   For big ticket items, consider using an online escrow service to act as a go-between, holding your money until you receive and approve of the seller's item. The terms of escrow should be agreed upon by both the buyer and the seller.
   
   Hint: Be cautious of sellers who are inflexible about payment options.
10. Never respond to unsolicited requests to update your account information. These e-mail messages might be scams used to steal your identity.
    
    Most legitimate companies never send unsolicited e-mail or instant message requests for your passwords or other personal information. If you receive a request like this that you think might be legitimate, contact the company directly (not through the message you received) and ask for confirmation.