The internet unfortunately allows some people to act in a criminal or unethical fashion. At Osler's Node we treat every case of fraud, abuse or spam seriously and will make every effort to protect users while ensuring your visit is safe, convenient and fun. But please be your guard. To help you with this, we have pulled together some key advice on things to watch out for.
When buying or selling, you should meet face-to-face to see the item and exchange funds. One purpose of Osler's Node is to encourage face-to-face, low cost trading among the medical community. This may involve items such as educational materials, property transactions or selling second hand medical equipment. We advise that you ideally take someone with you when meeting a prospective buyer or seller. Never send your item prior to receiving payment. Never bank transfer or wire money by other means to sellers or buyers. This includes cheques or other payment portals like Bidpay, Western Union or Money Gram. There is significant evidence that these payment methods are favoured by fraudsters. Osler's Node does not offer any sort of buyer protection or third party payment payment facility. Any emails you receive that talk about such systems are scams, even if they have a recognisable Osler's Node logo. If you receive any correspondence promoting these services, please report it immediately. Take particular care when buying expensive items.
Never provide sensitive personal data such as banking account details or credit card numbers over the Internet unless transaction through a secure payment processing portal. Inform yourself of common scams and fraud. Do not be seduced by the promise of large sums of money in exchange for minimal effort. If it looks to good to be true, then it probably is. Please inform us of any attempted fraud or suspicious emails, dubious or offensive ads, or other disrespectful activity by community members. We also recommend informing the Police in the case of criminal activity.
Abuse and harassment We take reports of this nature very seriously. If you experience abuse or harassment in connection to an ad, or receive threatening, defamatory or offensive correspondence, then please report it to us. If you receive an abusive email you may wish to forward the details to the details to the internet service provider eg Hotmail, yahoo etc.
Accommodation View properties in person. Osler's Node is a professional community site and we encourage face-to-face trading. We carefully scrutinise property vendors and agents. If you come across evidence of an abuse of trust or have witnessed unethical sales practices, please inform us to help us keep the Osler's Node community safe. People willing to rent a property without viewing it or meeting the prospective tenant first are unlikely to be legitimate. If you are inviting someone to look round your home, please ask for ID first. It is illegal for property agencies in the UK to charge for viewing properties. Please report to us any agencies advertising on Osler's Node that ask for fees upfront. Never send or wire money to landlords.
Courses/Voluntary organisations Find out as much as you can about the organisation from independent sources before embarking on a position. Look at the website and find the details of the owners, and seek corroboration from friends and colleagues. Meet your prospective employers/employees face to face. You should never provide your bank account details when applying for a job. If anyone ask you for them, please report the ads to us.
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