Milanuncios, like Vibbo and Wallapop, is not without scams, bogus offers, and undercover scams. Although those responsible for the web work to detect these types of ads, the truth is that today the number of cases of scams is still quite high. A piece of information: Milanuncios eliminates about 500,000 suspicious ads every three months , which is only 0.00015% of the total count of ads published on the platform.
The portal itself has confirmed that close collaboration is maintained with the Civil Guard and Seprona to eradicate this type of practice. The methods used, in any case, do not usually vary over time: all tend to be similar to previously hatched scams . Others, however, are more difficult to detect, as we will see below.
The cheap iPhone that does not present any flaws (but is locked by iCloud)
An iPhone X for 300 euros without any apparent flaw? As a general rule, this type of device comes from large-scale robberies by organized gangs against private users. For this same reason, most iPhones are locked through iCloud to prevent their use by unauthorized people.
Identifying these types of scams is as simple as using the images published in the original ad. If these are limited to showing the apple logo or the lock screen , it is most likely a stolen (and locked) iPhone. It is advisable in any case to request a video from the advertiser showing the actual operation of the phone.
The fake rental apartment scam
One of the most recurrent and frequent scams in Milanuncios. These types of scams often use low prices and stolen images from other real ads to attract visitors, as I personally saw a couple of years ago.
Once contact is established with the alleged person responsible, we will be urged from the first moment to deposit a certain amount of money as a reserve and deposit in an account number, often foreign. We will be urged before even visiting the apartment in person.
Before making the deposit, the scammer will argue that he is not in Spain , and that after depositing the deposit in the indicated account number, a family member, friend or acquaintance will contact the interested party to give the keys to the apartment or house rented.
Fake job offers: be careful if you are a woman
“Looking for a babysitter. Good looking and young. High remuneration ”. Like this one, dozens of fake job offers. The OSI (Internet Security Office) has already ruled on the matter, and has given a series of recommendations to avoid falling into this type of offers. As a general rule, most of these scams hide trafficking in women, prostitution or sexual favors out of a certain amount of money . It is advisable to always opt for portals such as Infojobs, Domestika or LinkedIn.
Pay me by Western Union, DHL, PayPal Friend or [insert payment method]
If there is a common payment method that all scams use to buy or sell a second-hand item in Milanuncios, it is Western Union, along with PayPal Amigo and sending cash via DHL .
Always run away from the PayPal Friend option. It does not offer refunds in case of scam or scam.
From the seller's side, the scammer will urge us to pay the amount of the product through the aforementioned methods. Also through foreign bank accounts or through the PayPal Friend option , an option that does not have insurance in case of problems with the product or the seller.
The same happens if we are trying to sell a product in Milanuncios. The buyer will send us a series of false emails from DHL or Western Union where we will be forced to pay an amount to unblock the alleged transfer that the scammer has made on our behalf.
The Nigerian scam, a classic among classics
What to say about the most traditional type of scam on the Internet. A person from Nigeria, France, United Kingdom or Italy will be interested in our product to send it to an address outside of Spain as a gift for their husband / father / daughter / mother . She will do it with a Spanish the less deficient and an interest so high that she will reward us with 50 euros or more for the inconvenience caused.
Real scam. Image taken from Club Tech.
The process from this point on is the same as the one we have described in previous scams: we will be sent a series of false emails that will urge us to pay a certain amount of money to unblock a transfer.
I make you a false income and you send me the product
Another fairly common case, not only in Milanuncios, but also in Vibbo and Wallapop, has to do with the wave of false payments on account that have been reported for some time. The way to proceed may vary, although in general it usually meets two patterns.
The first one is based on making a deposit through a cashier with an empty envelope. Generally, the cash deposit is usually made on a Friday for the simple fact that the amount entered will not be verified until the next business day. The trick is that the amount of money will be reflected in our bank account until its confirmation .
Another variant of this same scam consists of creating a fake transfer receipt with the victim's data. Since transfers take 2-4 business days , there is no way to verify their authenticity. During this period the scammer will try to expedite the shipment.
Beware of counterfeit bills
In 2015, the well-known youtuber El Camionero Geek denounced a scam based on counterfeit bills on his YouTube channel. This type of scams are forged in face-to-face transactions, and the trick consists precisely in making use of counterfeit bills, generally 20, 50 or 100 euros .
In the video itself published by Tolo, the real name of the aforementioned youtuber , a series of techniques are mentioned to verify the authenticity of the banknotes, such as special markers, UV machines or even an ATM .