ANYONE that asks for your bank details online is a fraudster, and you should report them to the relevant authorities.
There are so many secure ways to make payments through banks these days, only scam artists ask for bank details or request transfers through Western Union and similar services.
Just do a quick search online and I guarantee you will find plenty of stories about people being ripped off.
And these scammers are getting more and more sophisticated.
Once, I was looking to rent a flat in London and discovered a property being advertised for an amazing price in a great location.
I got in touch as quick as I could, and was sent an email reply from the landlord telling me he was a doctor, and had to travel for his work, but he's happy to let us take the flat as long as we can prove we have the money. And to do this, he wanted us to send over screenshots of bank statements and bank details etc...
That's when alarm bells started ringing, this IS NOT standard procedure, and when your money is involved, it's always better to be safe than sorry.
Instead of sending him an email back with my bank details, I forwarded it to the police and the site admin.
Chances are, it was a scam based in another country and is probably quite successful (otherwise they probably wouldn't bother), but it's always good to do the right thing and report scum like that anyway, as it may help someone else avoid being conned.
