How Do You Know if a Buyer Is Fake on Ebay
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Staying safe online
Online marketplaces can be a treasure trove of forgotten wonders, inexpensive finds, and mutually beneficial trades. However, not everyone on these sites is necessarily planning to savor the wonders of the platform fairly. Every bit many opportunities for buyers and sellers that eBay provides, it as well provides as many avenues for tricks, traps, and swindling. Avoiding online scams should always be your priority, simply scammers are getting trickier every day.
When it comes to eBay in particular, scammers, hackers, and con artists abound. Unfortunately for the average user, there's an fine art to the eBay con that has been mastered over fourth dimension. Thankfully, while eBay scams can sometimes be very difficult to spot, in that location are some ways to go on yourself safe and avoid pitfalls on one of the largest global marketplaces in the globe.
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Empty box scam
This buyer scam is 1 of the oldest (nevertheless almost constructive) tricks in the book. This scam unremarkably focuses on smaller, loftier-value items like smartphones or handbags. Start, the buyer volition pay for the items and the seller will ship it. The problem begins when the buyer receives the items, yet files a claim that they received an empty box. Worst case scenario? The seller keeps the item and receives a refund.
Reuben Yonatan, founder and CEO of GetVoIp, outlines the procedure: "The buyer and then opens a ticket claiming you shipped an empty box. According to eBay policy, if a buyer opens an Item Non as Discussed (INAD) ticket, then you must take the return and refund the money. The heir-apparent keeps the items and sends an empty box back."
How to avert it: "Document everything."
"Take pictures and videos of your detail, the packaging, and whatsoever other pertinent information. Upload the pictures and videos to eBay as proof that you did not transport an empty box," says Yonatan.
Ty Stewart, CEO and President of Uncomplicated Life Insurance, reminds buyers to "store your items using UPS whenever possible so you can crave a signature confirmation. UPS also tends to manage more diligent shipping histories that'll help combat buyers who claim they never received their item and at present demand a refund." Check out these new phone and electronic mail scams to stay one stride ahead.
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Alternative payment method scam
Ownership online always comes with a sure chemical element of risk—credit card fraud, stolen numbers, identity theft, overcharging, etc. Nonetheless, PayPal and similar platforms guarantee both financial protections and legal recourses and safeguards for buyers and sellers alike. Unfortunately, that often means that sellers who are, in fact, scammers, are more likely to recommend alternative/less monitored methods of payment. Therefore, in one case the transaction is consummate on their terminate, in that location is fiddling recourse for the burned buyer.
How to avoid it: Stick to payment methods you know
"Likewise a debit or credit card transaction on the site itself, PayPal continues to be a popularly accepted form of payment on eBay. It'due south absolutely a cherry flag if the seller is doggedly opposed to on-site or PayPal transactions," notes Ty Stewart. "Or worse, pushing to apply an unfamiliar platform birthday."
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Fraudulent email scam
Some scammers are understandably PayPal agin. However, there is besides a subset that takes advantage of the security that PayPal is meant to provide. Users often trust an email that seems legitimate and doesn't immediately take the mark of a imitation (i.due east. bad grammar/spelling, incorrect images, weird email address, etc.)
"I received an incredibly authentic-looking email from 'PayPal.' The email stated that the funds take been locked abroad and will release simply when the buyer receives a tracking ID for the product…the email looked genuine, and it came from a real-looking e-mail address," remembers Mark Hayes, Head of Marketing at Kintell, when he himself nearly savage victim to a pop fake electronic mail scam after he listed a product on eBay.
"At that place were no spelling errors, and images inside the e-mail rendered correctly. These are the lengths that scammers are now taking to convince you…I contacted [PayPal], I was told that this was not a practice they followed and that the email was fraudulent. I blocked the scammer and thankfully that was the end of that."
"PayPal in itself is a relatively safe way to deport transactions, yet scammers have started to capitalize on public trust in the company by generating phishing and fraudulent emails," warns Kimberly Smith, Marketing Manager at Clarify Capital. "These tend to come in the grade of fake confirmation emails, to play a trick on the seller into believing someone has paid for a production they haven't, and emails that request personal information."
How to avoid it: Don't trust every email—always double-cheque.
"The best way to avoid falling prey to this kind of scheme is to go along tabs on your own PayPal account directly and exercise circumspection and a healthy amount of skepticism when 1 of these messages state in your inbox," says Smith.
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Hidden link scam
This scam is specially tricky as it capitalizes on a distant understanding of the Cyberspace and how hyperlinks operate within an online market. This scam begins innocently, with a real product folio to involvement the heir-apparent. One time they click on the purchasing or direct website link, all the same, they are discreetly taken to a dissimilar product page.
"Counterfeiters set up marketplace listings which wait similar unbranded products, but so distribute details of counterfeits through social media and encrypted networks. The descriptions of their products are to branded appurtenances, but the link goes to a blank looking item," says David Bennett, President of Branded Protect for Corsearch. "For unwary buyers, this can hateful they unwittingly receive a apocryphal."
How to avert it: Never blindly trust or click a link.
In this case, it's another case of needing to double-check all the information at every step in the process. Reading descriptions carefully and seeing the market price for similar items tin can aid someone spot a counterfeit from a mile away.
"The images used can be revealing, and if you lot're in doubt almost whether a product is genuine, endeavor comparing it for color and other details with official images," notes Bennett. "Details of the company selling tin exist besides be revealing in terms of their location and their sales history." The FBI has issued a warning about this new online shopping scam—don't be a victim.
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Photo scam
Archetype, yet devious, this scam tin leave buyers will no recourse and an astounding amount of regret. This scam works by offering a production for an unusually low (but possible) rate. Often, these listings are accompanied by quality pictures and a decent description. Everything usually looks on the up-and-up. Until you don't receive the item at all. Soon enough, yous'll go back and find the tiny fine impress. Examples of such print include the mockingly simple: "Photo of detail," "detail box only," "item sold separately." It's a photograph, box, or other accessory for the item itself.
"The seller lists the detail, but deep in the clarification buries the statement that you are buying a photo of the particular, not the actual item. Equally a buyer, you will buy the detail, for case, an iPhone, expecting to receive the phone but receive a photo of an iPhone instead," notes Reuben Yonatan. "It's a brutal scam because yous have no recourse equally a buyer. The description conspicuously states you are buying the photograph. There is no one to arraign."
How to avert information technology: Read everything twice.
"To avoid this scam, become through the clarification with a fine-toothed rummage. If in doubt, ask the seller a question and certificate that answer." All in all, check every description twice.
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Bouncing cheque/overpay/wire payment scam
Many buyers will offering to pay over the amount in order to become the item delivered sooner. While this may initially seem similar a good thought, information technology is probable a scam. In all likelihood, you'll receive the check to accept it bounce or the wire payment itself won't get through.
Wire payments are difficult to trace, track, and recover, making them the preferred transaction method of scammers. Whenever sellers merely accept wire transfers every bit payment, that is a huge red flag," according to Kimberly Smith.
How to avoid information technology: Simply accept/transport money through payment methods you trust.
When in doubt, turn to PayPal or a credit bill of fare. This way, should the worst happen, yous accept both recourse and peace of mind. Speaking of, don't fall for these popular work-from-home scams that are gaining popularity correct at present.
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The collection/pick up scam
This scam is so proficient it almost seems like a style to avert a scam, but beware. If a heir-apparent asks you if they tin collect the item in person, be wary, regardless of their story. This opens the door to a painful he said, she said that volition leave you lot loftier and dry.
"The buyer purchases the items and then pays by PayPal and the buyer then contacts the seller and requests to collect the items. Common reasons for the collection range from going on holiday/vacation, needed as a present, items previously lost in the post, etc. The buyer then collects the items and files a PayPal claim for items not received," warns Jay Lee, eBay seller and founder of uAcademy. "The seller is unable to provide any proof of stamp as the detail was collected and the buyer denies collecting it. PayPal will also rule in favor of the buyer and they receive a full refund."
How to avoid information technology: Document all interactions and do not rely on trust.
"If the buyer has already paid for the particular by PayPal, then stick with the PayPal rules and advise the heir-apparent that the item can be posted as per PayPal/eBay regulations," notes Lee. eBay has some great used finds, make sure you know which items y'all should be buying used.
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Broken/imitation/counterfeit scam
You lot don't e'er get what you lot pay for. Perhaps the largest scam on eBay is the scam of shipping a falsely advertised item. Examples include fake, counterfeit, broken, or damaged items.
"As with most things, if it'southward besides good to be true, information technology probably is. There'southward been an uptick in sellers mark proper noun-brand items downward past upwards to 80 percentage. These scammers are common but relatively amateur, and the blood-red flags tend to be fairly evident to well-nigh people," remarks Kimberly Smith. "If you're one of the optimistic people who practise purchase 1 of these heavily discounted items, you tin wait to either receive a counterfeit or never receive a product at all."
"Is the toll substantially lower than y'all've ever seen it on official websites or authorized resellers? You should inquire why—and and so use of words such as 'replica' or 'mill second' is frequently merely a cloak for counterfeits," according to Bennett.
How to avoid it: "Exercise caution and exercise some investigation."
"Checking seller reviews for mentions of counterfeits or fakes is a good tip, but buyers should be wary about the rising trend for fake reviews which can exist used to hibernate counterfeit goods. In these scams, apocryphal either accept dummy accounts through which they post positive reviews, or they can purchase positive reviews through social media…" says Bennett."Keys to look out for with faux reviews include very poor grammar, repeated phrasing, and sentences which are totally generic—the product may exist described in glowing terms, but they rarely what the product actually is." If y'all pick up the telephone and hear these four words—hang upwardly immediately.
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The under $500 scam
This scam is less of a predictable con and more than of a sign to be wary. As far as PayPal and scammers are concerned, 500 is the magic number.
According to Ty Stewart, "Vendors [on eBay] must verify their PayPal accounts in order to deport whatsoever transactions netting them over $500. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see a fraudulent seller capping high-ticket items correct at or under $500 to brim verification. Or, to sell multiple items in a flash, 1-day sale that together even so only total $500."
How to avoid it: Do the math.
"A fiddling known and weird tip for fugitive eBay scams is to look at how much the retailer's total inventory adds up to. If it is $500 or less, they are likely scammers," warns John Cho, Project Founder for My Pet Kid. "eBay makes any account with withdrawals more than than $500 per calendar month go through a rigorous credit and banking confirmation process, which a scammer apparently can't do without releasing their identity. There will be very few legitimate exceptions to this rule, so don't risk it." Check out these priceless items that were once sold on eBay.
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The strange vehicle scam
Yet once more, if it seems too good to be true, information technology probably is. When it comes to this scam, a seller will offer an amazing deal on a car with a relatively conceivable reason for needing a quick sale (i.e. the cause for the astonishing discount).
"It will immediately draw thousands of people to information technology due to the cheap price. The seller normally states that the car is out of state (or in a different land)…they volition so offering to allow viewing of the vehicle but request a pocket-sized fully refundable deposit by a bank transfer…[with an] offering to refund the deposit in full (by cash) if the buyer doesn't similar the vehicle when viewing," recalls Lee. "The seller could accept deposits from hundreds of potential buyers so remove the listing. The buyers cannot do much as they paid by banking concern transfer and the seller is costless to run the scam again on another account."
How to avoid it: Never ship coin on trust.
"This scam is quite easy to spot. Be wary of vehicles that are significantly cheaper than other like models. When contacting the seller, be wary if they state that the vehicle is not bachelor for viewing and if the seller requests a deposit by depository financial institution transfer—walk away." Next, set up yourself for these new Facebook messenger scams.
Sources:
- Kimberly Smith, Marketing Manager at Analyze Capital.
- Ty Steward, CEO and President of Simple Life Insure.
- Reuben Yonatan, Founder and CEO of GetVoIp.
- Mark Hayes, Head of Marketing at Kintell
- John Cho, Projection Founder of My Pet Child.
- David Bennett, President of Branded Protect for Corsearch.
Originally Published: September 18, 2020
Source: https://www.rd.com/list/most-common-ebay-scams-to-look-out-for/
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