Along with Vibbo and Milanuncios, Wallapop is the most popular second-hand trading app of all time. As in any platform of this type, there are organized groups and people with dubious intentions whose sole purpose is to scam other users to obtain an economic benefit or a certain good in the form of a product. The techniques used in these types of Wallapop scams can be diverse. Fake profiles, fake buyers, fraudulent PayPal payments and a long etcetera.
Beware of the Wallapop scam and DHL shipping
Weeks ago we reviewed several tips to avoid scams in Vibbo and Wallapop. This time we have compiled the most common types of scam in Wallapop and how to avoid them through a series of previous considerations.
The Nigerian Wallapop Scam: A Classic Among Classics
Nigerian, Londoner or even Italian. Since the Internet has become the Internet, the so-called “Nigerian scam” has become one of the preferred methods of the big mafias.
Images taken from Forocoches.
In essence, these types of scams are modeled on a known assumption that you reside in Nigeria, London, the Netherlands or any other location outside of Spain and whose interest in a certain product causes you to pay a premium to "avoid the hassles" and "correct shipping costs . " The message is usually similar to this:
“I am Anna, I saw your ad and I am interested in buying the phone as a gift for my husband and his in Nigeria and I would also pay an additional fee. Please send me your WhatsApp number and we'll talk. "
The process once the scammer is contacted is very simple. A real transfer is simulated that reaches our mail in the form of an email from a supposed Nigerian bank and the scammer demands that the product be sent immediately. Obviously, the bank transfer never reaches our bank, and we will most likely never hear from Anna again.
The best way to avoid this type of scam is to flee from users who use an artificial Spanish or ask for another means of contact to follow the conversation (WhatsApp, Telegram, email ...) and formalize the transaction.
The PayPal and Wallapop scam
Although PayPal is the safest online payment website in the world, the page loses all its charm when we make payments to third parties through the "Payment to friends and family" route . It is precisely in these types of payments where thieves tend to make a cut by selling products that do not exist.
The way to proceed is very simple. We are interested in a certain product and then we get in touch with the seller. Next, the seller proposes an online payment method based on what is known as "PayPal Friend" as it does not have commissions of any kind.
Once we have made the payment, the seller disappears and the money transferred to the account provided by the user in question is no longer reclaimable after having made the payment through the method mentioned above. For this reason, the best thing to do to avoid scams of this type in Wallapop is to discard all those products whose sellers make use of practices such as PayPal friend, bank transfers without receipt or money transfers without insurance involved.
Counterfeit cash on delivery shipments
We have closed the sale and purchase operation and the seller has already sent the product to our address. What can go wrong?
Although cash on delivery may seem like the safest way to buy and sell at Wallapop, the truth is that today they still carry risk. The scam in this case is perpetuated when we have signed the receipt of the product and we see that the product does not correspond to what is described , either because it is in poor condition or because it is a totally different product.
The only way to protect ourselves against this type of scam is to open the package before signing the receipt . In case the dealer refuses, we can request a full refund.
The Wallapop administrators scam
For some time now, a new type of Wallapop scam has been reported that impersonates the Wallapop technical service to, among other things, get hold of our account password .
The message that the so-called "Wallapop administrators" send is usually similar to this:
“Hi, I am one of the Wallapop administrators, we have detected several fraudulent complaints, that means that we have had to penalize your ad, please contact Wallapop customer service to manage your account.
You can contact us via WhatsApp or email. Telephone XXX XXX XXX Email [email protected] "
The scam in this case is forged in such a way that the supposed Wallapop manager claims our email address to effect a fraudulent password change . Next, it will ask us for a code that will complete the password change.
The best thing about this type of message is to block the user in question , since Wallapop does not contact its users through chat, but through official channels.
Fake banknotes and account deposits
A somewhat more sophisticated type of scam than the previous ones. In this case, the way of proceeding is based on the use of counterfeit banknotes and making false payments on account when carrying out a transaction in person.
Avoiding the first fraud is as simple as making the appointment near an ATM where we can check the authenticity of the banknotes by depositing the money in our account. In the case of false payments on account, the method is somewhat more sophisticated even than the previous one.
In short, the buyer makes a real transfer to our bank account or an envelope deposit through an ATM on Friday or during the weekend. Since banks do not open their doors until Monday, the transfer is canceled before the first working day of the week .
In the case of envelopes, the fraud lies in that its content is empty despite the amount being reflected in our bank account . Once it is confirmed that there is no money in it, the amount will disappear from our account.
Avoiding this type of fraud is as simple as not sending or assigning the product until the amount reaches our account and is withdrawable .