Internet scams are a fact of life and scams aimed at aircraft owners are no exception. If you've recently sold an aircraft yourself, you may know what I'm talking about. Good brokers or dealers will screen out these cons before they ever make it to you.

The most common scam works like this. You receive an e-mail from a would-be buyer, usually from overseas, asking you to verify the condition and sales price of the aircraft. To legitimize their fraud they ask for detailed information including quality, condition, avionics, and in some cases, damage history.

Following this quick exchange the "buyer", who purports himself to be an agent of some sort, will want to send you a "certified" check and explains that it will be made out for more than the price of the aircraft. They will ask that, once this check is received, you mail them a check for the difference. They will then deposit your check and soon thereafter you will find out that their check was counterfeit. At this point, the deed has been done and you've lost your money.

Here's how to avoid this, or similar scams:

• Be aware of typical "Red Flags" such as international inquiries, lack of familiarity with aviation, or poor grammar and spelling.
• Never, ever sell your aircraft by e-mail alone. If you suspect fraud, respond by asking the “buyer” for their complete contact information and the bank from which the funds will be withdrawn.
• Don’t give your bank account or wiring information to anyone other than your escrow agent. Use a qualified and reputable escrow agent. The best agents are familiar with these tactics and many even have lists of common names used by the scam artists.
• Never accept payment for greater than the amount agreed upon.
• If accepting a check in person, insure the integrity of the check by copying down the buyer's driver license number, auto license tag number or aircraft "N" number, calling the bank to verify account information, and by never allowing the "buyer" to leave with the aircraft until you are completely satisfied all funds have cleared.
• Contact the FBI or Secret Service.

As the seller, you hold the goods and have complete control over how the sale is transacted. Don't allow the other party to dictate any terms you're not comfortable with. The oldest advice is probably the best -- if it doesn't look or feel right, it probably isn't.