More and more people are buying products online, be it on sales platforms such as eBay Kleinanzeigen, Vinted or on shopping websites such as Amazon. Unfortunately, there are also scammers who take advantage of this situation and use a scam called “triangular fraud”.

Triangular fraud process when purchasing online

  • Step 1: Purchasing on a sales platform
    The first step of the triangle fraud begins when a buyer discovers a product online on a sales platform such as eBay Kleinanzeigen or Vinted and wants to buy it. The buyer contacts the seller and wants to purchase the item(s).
  • Step 2: The supposed seller orders the product from an online shop
    In reality, the seller (fraudster) does not have the advertised product and instead uses the buyer's data to order the product from an online shop. The fraudster provides the buyer's address and has the product delivered directly to him.
  • Step 3: The buyer pays the seller (scammer)
    The buyer pays the purchase price of the product directly to the seller (scammer). He thinks that he is getting the product directly from the seller.
  • Step 4: The product is delivered by the online shop, the buyer receives an invoice.
    The ordered product is delivered by the online shop directly to the buyer. He receives an invoice from the relevant shop. The buyer's money ended up with the supposed seller, even though the seller doesn't actually own the product. The product delivered from the shop has therefore not yet been paid for and will be invoiced at the buyer's expense or even warned because no payment has been received.
  • Step 5: The supposed seller keeps the money
    In the end, the fraudulent seller keeps the money without ever having owned the product. The buyer has lost his money and, in order to keep it, must now pay it again directly to the online shop or send it back if he does not want to make the payment. In any case, the money paid to the fraudster is lost.

Triangular fraud process in online sales

  • Step 1: Interest of a supposed buyer
    Fraudsters express interest in your advertised item and promise to pay via PayPal or bank transfer within the next few days.
  • Step 2: Scammer copies your ad
    Meanwhile, the scammer copies your ad and posts the offer on another online advertising platform. The scammer is waiting for a real buyer to contact them.
  • Step 3: Account details are transmitted
    As soon as an interested party gets in touch, the fraudster sends them the account details of the original seller so that they can send the money to the seller.
  • Step 4: Item is delivered "free"
    As soon as the seller receives the money, he sends the goods, but the fraudster has provided his own address - possibly also a PO box or a parcel box. This means he receives the item(s) that an honest customer paid for, while the one who actually paid comes away empty-handed. The money is gone, the buyer does not receive the purchased item.

How can you protect yourself from triangle fraud?

  • Be careful when purchasing on online sales platforms.
  • Check the offer and the seller carefully before purchasing anything. Look for reviews and experiences from other buyers.
  • Use secure payment methods. Avoid paying directly to the seller as this increases the risk of falling victim to fraud.
  • In case you are the seller, check the buyer as well.
  • It is also advisable not to share bank details or personal information with unknown buyers and to be wary of suspicious requests.
  • Do not buy from unknown online shops that do not offer you a secure payment method or that you do not know.
  • Avoid revealing your personal information, especially your account details and credit card information.
  • Be careful if the seller's name in the ad does not match the name in the email address or the name of the account holder to which the funds are to be transferred. The real names of advertisers are not always checked on sales platforms.
  • Also be wary if goods are offered at a price well below average or if the seller is willing to immediately accept an offer well below market price.

By following these steps, you can minimize your risk of becoming a victim of triangle scams. If you still become a victim of fraud, you should immediately contact the sales platform or payment provider and request a refund of the money.

Conclusion

Before buying anything online, check carefully who the seller is. Don't blindly trust sellers who have no reviews, poor reviews, or whose sales profile has only been established for a short time.

Be suspicious if a buyer stalls on payment or gives you explanations as to why payment won't be possible until the next few days.

Use secure payment methods such as PayPal or bank transfer. Do not get involved in any transactions outside of the sales platforms.

Source:

North Rhine-Westphalia Police

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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )