Fraud Advice

  • Never share card details or personal information, including passwords, by the phone or email.

    Smart Syndicate will never ask you to provide the following information over the phone:

    • Mother's maiden name

    • Full/long card number

    • Card expiry date

    • Card CVV code

    If you get an unsolicited or suspicious phone call from someone claiming to be from Smart Syndicate, just hang up. You can report scam phone calls to Action Fraud (UK only) at https://reporting.actionfraud.police.uk or to your local law enforcement agency.

  • If possible, you should view a horse before purchasing. If this isn't possible, consider asking someone you know and trust to view it for you, or arranging for a specialist to view the vehicle on your behalf. Alternatively, you could ask for a walkaround of the horse via video call.

    Be wary of a seller preventing a viewing from being arranged for any reason, or if they seem hesitant for you to view a horse. If you would like proof that the seller has the horse in their possession, consider asking for specific photos that haven't already been provided. In these photos, check the background and time of day to look for consistency. What time of year was the picture taken? What country was the picture taken in?

  • Be wary of any unexpected calls, emails and text messages. Even if the reason they give for contacting you seems reasonable, always double check who it is you're speaking to. No one should ever ask you to share personal information via a phone call, email or text message.

    You may get a call or email from someone pretending to be from a company you know and trust to get you to hand over important information. If you suspect this is the case, always reach out to the company via their official channels.

    Smart Syndicate will only send you messages from email addresses that match the URL on this website: hello@smartsyndicate.co.

    Smart Syndicate will never ask you to provide the following information over email or text message:

    • Mother's maiden name

    • Full/long card number

    • Card expiry date

    • Card CVV code

    If you get an unsolicited or suspicious message from someone claiming to be from Smart Syndicate, just hang up. You can report scam phone calls to Action Fraud (UK only) at https://reporting.actionfraud.police.uk or to your local law enforcement agency.

  • Don't allow yourself to feel pressured for example, if you are told there is lots of interest in a horse and plenty of potential buyers. Trust your instinct, if you feel rushed or uneasy at any point you are well within your rights to slow down a deal or stop a transaction. There should be no rush.

  • Be wary of email addresses that are easy to get or that are close to an official email address with added characters or different spelling. A typical address might be a name which is followed by several numbers for example: 2545@gmail.com.

    If you're called, check the number by doing a Google search. If they're claiming to be from a company or bank, including Smart Syndicate, you can hang up and call them back via the company or bank's published number.

    Even if the seller uses a legitimate home address and name that can be verified, they could still belong to an innocent third party. If you have any doubts, ask for more verification.

    If you receive a suspicious email, message or call that looks like it's supposed to be from Smart Syndicate, please forward it to hello@smartsyndicate.co. To report a suspicious SMS text message that looks like it's supposed to be from Smart Syndicate, take a screenshot of the message and email the screenshot to hello@smartsyndicate.co. Report scam phone calls to Action Fraud (UK only) at https://reporting.actionfraud.police.uk or to your local law enforcement agency.

  • If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Always do your research and look for horses of the same breeding, age and sex to see if the price is comparative. If the price is too low, the seller may not be genuine or may not have the horse in their possession.

  • Always be suspicious of cheques, bankers drafts or large amounts of cash. They can be fraudulent. If a buyer insists on paying by cash, it's a good idea to meet them in their bank branch where the withdrawal can be authorised in front of you, or meet them at your bank branch so the money can be counted and verified before being paid into your account.

    It's better to use a third-party escrow service or direct bank transfer for payments. There is normally a delay when using direct bank transfer but a genuine buyer or seller shouldn't be put off by this.

  • Never be worried about asking questions, a legitimate buyer or seller won't have a problem with this. If you feel uneasy, stop what you are doing and get help.

    If you receive a suspicious email, message or call that looks like it's supposed to be from Smart Syndicate, please forward it to hello@smartsyndicate.co. To report a suspicious SMS text message that looks like it's supposed to be from Smart Syndicate, take a screenshot of the message and email the screenshot to hello@smartsyndicate.co. Report scam phone calls to Action Fraud (UK only) at https://reporting.actionfraud.police.uk or to your local law enforcement agency.