Over the past year, hundreds of you have asked Whistleblower for help. While we can't investigate each tip, we want to share more of what you tell us. In 2009, we started publishing a few tips each week to stimulate online discussion and create ways for our readers to help each other. If you have a tip, send it to whistleblower@startribune.com.

After responding to a Star Tribune classified ad for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in April, an Edina woman said she paid $9,000 and never got anything.

The "seller" sent her an e-mail with instructions for paying through eBay. When she received an e-mail purportedly from eBay, she sent her payment to the listed bank. The motorcycle never arrived. When she saw the same ad last month, she alerted Whistleblower.

Star Tribune classified staff said they try to verify the identity of people placing ads, but that sometimes suspicious offers slip through. The ad, which had been placed in newspapers across the country, is no longer running in the Star Tribune.
How do you protect yourself when you answer classifieds?