If you have something to sell, you often use the classifieds portals on the Internet. Used goods in particular often find a new owner here. But sellers beware: credit card fraudsters could be behind buyers.
Sellers on classified ads are currently facing increased risk of credit card fraud. In the case of a current scam, which the Lower Saxony State Criminal Police Office (LKA) warns about, the supposed buyer of an item reports and claims that the payment process has failed.
Shortly thereafter, the seller also receives a message that supposedly comes from the classifieds portal. In it, the fraudsters ask you to open a link and enter your credit card details including the control number – supposedly to solve the payment problem. In fact, the sensitive data is of course tapped by the scammers.
Chats are designed to distract from credit card fraud on classifieds
As a distraction, the criminals sometimes even start a chat at the same time, in which they sometimes ask their victims to enter their credit card details, warns the LKA. The scammers also pretend to be employees of the classifieds portal in the chat. In fact, they end up shopping in foreign currencies with the stolen credit card details.
Anyone who has become a victim of this credit card fraud on classified ads should contact their bank immediately and try to stop the payments. It may also make sense to block the card. If you have also given the scammers access data for the classifieds portal, you should change them as soon as possible, advises the LKA. In addition, you inform the support of the portal and preferably also file a report with the local police.
Also Read: The Best Alternatives to Ebay Classifieds
Also scam with “Pay Safely” on Ebay Classifieds
The IT specialist portal “Heise.de” reports another scam. According to this, an apparent buyer pretends to want to use the “Secure payment” function on Ebay classifieds. Here, too, the fraudsters elicit credit card data or account balance information from the sellers. In the end, they then debit money from the seller’s account instead of transferring the purchase price.
The Berlin police point out that sellers on platforms such as eBay classifieds are never asked to enter credit card details or bank or account details. “Pay securely” is only processed on the website of the classifieds market.
Also read: Fraudsters are lurking for people looking for an apartment on Ebay classifieds!
How secure payment works
If buyers choose the fiduciary payment function “Pay securely”, they must transfer the purchase price to the online payment platform (OPP) service provider cooperating with Ebay classifieds. He keeps the money until the buyer has received the goods and confirmed this. Only then does the seller receive the money.
Buyers pay a small fee for this service. If the goods do not arrive or if the item differs from the description, OPP will refund the purchase price to the buyer. The fee then lapses.