avoid scams & protect your data

for sellers

• Never send the full data before you're paid or have a signed agreement. Offer a small, redacted sample instead.
• Get it in writing. A simple license agreement should say what the buyer may do with the data, whether they can resell it, and when you get paid.
• Sign an NDA before sharing anything detailed.
• Remove personal information — customer names, emails, phone numbers, addresses, account and social security numbers — before anything leaves your hands.
• Check the buyer. Look up the company, call their main number, and confirm the person works there. Be wary of personal Gmail addresses claiming to represent big companies.
• Be careful with health, financial and children's records. Laws such as HIPAA, GLBA and state privacy laws may apply. Talk to a lawyer.
• Watch out for anyone asking you to pay a "verification fee," "listing upgrade," or "escrow deposit" up front.

for buyers

• Confirm the seller actually owns the data and has the right to sell it.
• Ask how it was collected and what was removed.
• Never buy anything that looks stolen, hacked, or scraped from someone else's system — and please flag it.

Spotted a scam? Warn others in the scam warnings forum and flag the posting.