As a result of the article about the Wallapop scams that we published back in June, many users have reported a new type of scam based on DHL shipping services . As detailed by some affected, the way to proceed is not very different from the famous Nigerian scam, where generally a certain amount of money has to be paid to unlock the initial transfer.
The way the scam is carried out, however, is somewhat more sophisticated, and therefore more difficult to detect. Let's see some of the keys that characterize this new type of scam.
index of contents
- Beware the DHL scam at Wallapop - it's a scam
- Tricks to detect scams and scams in Wallapop
- If the user suggests following the conversation on WhatsApp or email, distrust
- Automatic responses or artificial Spanish? Scam
- Forget about international shipping
- Are you sure that the emails from DHL, Seur or BBVA are real?
- PayPal? Always as a product or service
Beware the DHL scam on Wallapop - it's a scam
During the last month there have not been exactly a few people who have reported an attempted scam through the Wallapop application. With the arrival of Christmas, the number of cases is higher compared to the rest of the year, and the methods are more and more elaborate .
The latest type of scam reported by users takes advantage of the service of DHL , a well-known money order, money transfer and parcel delivery company. The roadmap followed by the robbers, as detailed by several of those affected, is very similar to that of the Nigerian scam.
Catch of a real scam. Image taken from Forocoches.
Apparently, a user from the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Nigeria or Portugal is interested in our Wallapop ad using a rather artificial Spanish. Next, the same user suggests following the conversation by email, or failing that, WhatsApp . As the conversation develops, the thief usually always sends the same message. Its body reads the following:
Thanks for your reply. I confess the interest I have in your ad that I would like to see made in Clean Hands but since I live in France I could make a money order in cash, that is, I send you the DHL money in cash in an envelope, and once I have received the money, the service will charge you to collect the package from your home.
If my payment method is convenient for you, I ask that you provide me with the following information so that I can proceed with the mandate as soon as possible: name, postal address, item price and telephone number.
Other variations of this same email read the following:
Hello, I would like to know if your item is still available since I am interested in purchasing it, so if so, please contact me only at my EMAIL address below:
At this point we might think that there is no possible way to lose money or the item itself in the buying and selling process. The scam begins precisely when we provide the requested information to the scammer.
From a supposed email from DHL we will be prompted to make a payment of 100 euros as "shipping insurance" to send the money in cash to the indicated address. The reality is that none of DHL's services have the characteristics that are cited in the alleged company emails. The most likely , in fact, is that we will not get a response once we have made the transfer to the indicated bank account number. Most people claim that users disappear from Wallapop within a few days.
Tricks to detect scams and scams in Wallapop
There are a series of methods that we can carry out to protect ourselves against scams in Wallapop, Vibbo and other online sales portals. Let's see some tricks to avoid scams in these types of applications.
If the user suggests following the conversation on WhatsApp or email, distrust
In Wallapop any conversation can be reviewed by the support service in case of scam or scam . For this reason, most thieves will try to guide us through other means of contact, such as email, WhatsApp or Telegram. Be suspicious if the user urges to change support.
Automatic responses or artificial Spanish? Scam
The use of informal language in applications such as Vibbo or Wallapop is well known. A good part of the scams are made precisely around online translators or people with a limited level of Spanish .
Detecting formal expressions, artificial sentences or automatic responses is essential to identify these types of scams.
Forget about international shipping
"I am María Teresa and I wanted to give a Playstation 4 to my husband who is in London", "I am from France and I am willing to pay 50 euros more for shipping" ... Most scams usually resort to destinations such as France, United Kingdom, Italy and Nigeria to forge their scams. All these places have something in common: they are outside the Spanish legislation.
From tuexperto.com we always recommend using face-to-face sales in crowded places or Wallapop Protect , the application's delivery service that ensures both the shipment of the item and the receipt of the money.
Are you sure that the emails from DHL, Seur or BBVA are real?
A very common practice to provide credibility to the scam is precisely to send emails from companies such as DHL, Banco Santander, BBVA or Seur , among others, to demonstrate that the payment of cash or the shipment of the product has been made.
The simplest way to identify the origin of the mail is to take a look at the domain that accompanies the original address . "Electronic [email protected]" instead of "electronic [email protected]" or "[email protected]" instead of "[email protected]" can give us a clue that we are facing a false email.
PayPal? Always as a product or service
If we are interested in a product and we have chosen to use PayPal as a payment method, it is best to carry out the transaction as a product or service instead of friends, family and acquaintances to have purchase insurance.
The page will charge us a small commission that will serve to protect us in case the thief decides not to send us the product or to disappear from the different applications.