Safe or scam? Purchase Scams
Purchase scams happen when you buy goods but never receive them. Online shopping has made our lives more convenient, but it has given scammers a new platform to trick unsuspecting buyers.
These scams cover a wide range of goods, from buying from Facebook Marketplace to flights, holidays or even paying deposits for pets or a home. It is categorised by any payment made knowingly to someone under the belief that you are purchasing genuine goods or services.
Scammers commonly use pictures of genuine items and list them for sale at a ‘reasonable’ price to attract as many buyers as possible. Usually these items do not exist for sale and the scammers have taken the photos from other genuine sellers or they have just found the pictures online.
Typically, the items for sale are priced lower than others of similar condition and type. The scammers often explain this lower price as they are looking for ‘a quick sale’. They sometimes make up other excuses like they are selling the items on behalf of someone else, so have priced it reasonably (or sometimes considerably cheaper).
The sellers may make you feel under pressure to purchase the item as quickly as possible as other people are interested, or the price may change if you do not purchase the item within a certain time frame.
When making the payment for any online purchase, using a credit or debit card can offer more protection. If a seller is asking you to make a payment in cryptocurrency, do not continue with the purchase as it is much higher risk.
It is a good idea that you keep all communications with the seller until the item has been received and ensure that you keep the receipts of the purchase. If you do not receive a physical receipt, you could ask for written confirmation that the seller has received the payment for the goods.
It is also important to carry out checks on the individual and the goods before proceeding with the sale, as this may determine if you are able to get a refund from the bank, if you do run into any trouble further down the line.
So, how do you check if it is SAFE or a SCAM?
Here is a summary of the red flags to look out for if you are buying something online:
🚩The price is too good to be true
🚩You have not seen the item in person
🚩The seller wants a ‘quick sale’ and makes excuses for why
🚩The seller will not let you view the item before selling or makes excuses, like the item is far away or they are abroad
🚩They may offer delivery at a very low price or included in the price
🚩 You are in the UK but they are requesting cryptocurrency or other payment methods
🚩They are putting pressure on you to purchase the item
🚩They ask you to make a payment outside of a legitimate site like Ebay, which you lose protections
🚩A very basic website, which may be pixelated or hard to navigate
Checks you can do if you are unsure if what you are buying is genuine:
Reverse image search the item for sale using this link - reverse image search
Research other items of the same age and condition online for the price. Does it match?
If you can, view the item you wish to purchase before you make any payments
Double check the delivery/shipping company to ensure it is genuine
If you are purchasing from a website, check it is genuine and look at reviews
Check TrustPilot
Do the sellers have good contact information?
If purchasing on Social Media, look at their profile - When was it set up? Does it look real?
Check any emails they have sent you - does the email address match the company?
If you are ever unsure whether or not what you are purchasing is genuine, or want to check how to pay for the best protection, call the number on the back of your bank card and speak to your bank’s fraud team.
If you have lost money to this type of scam, Refundee can help you get your money back from your bank and you can fill in our fraud refund claim form for a free consultation. Our fee is 15% plus VAT on anything that we get back, and we don't charge anything if we are not successful. For larger cases, the fee is subject to a maximum of £10k plus VAT per case.
Remember, you don’t need to use a company like Refundee - you could work your case yourself for free! If you’d like to get a refund yourself. You can do this by following the ‘Claim Yourself’ guide here: https://www.refundee.com/claim-yourself.
