Do you shop from or sell products on Vinted? If yes, you need to exercise caution against scammers! Vinted Scam is the now one of the viral scams going on recently. This review uncovers the fraudulent activities of this of scammers and offers tips on how to detect scam texts and avoid them. Read till the end.
Phishing (Email scams) and Smishing (Fraud through Text messages) are on the increase these days. Scammers are now coming up with several ways to defraud people on a daily basis. One of the ways they do this is by sending text messages to people or calling them and prompting them to release vital information or even gaining access to their information without their knowledge. Receivers of such calls are therefore advised to always carry out due diligence before giving out any information about themselves.
What Is Vinted Scam All About?
Vinted Scam is a scam tactics by fraudsters disguising themselves to be genuine buyer or seller of items on Vinted, an online marketplace. These scammers try to get for your personal information with the aim of stealing from you. Do not fall for it.
How Does Vinted Scam Work?
In order to appear genuine, the cyber criminals behind the Vinted Scam employ the following strategies.
- They advertise a list of pre-owned products, pretending to sell genuine luxury goods at attractive prices only to deliver fake items to unsuspecting buyers.
- They make use of misleading photos and descriptions such as vague descriptions about the condition and size of a product to deceive buyers so that they will sell it more quickly.
- These scammers create deceptive seller profiles to convince potential buyers. They may use usernames and profile pictures that are odd (or no profile photo at all), or provide invalid email addresses to appear real.
- They might lure you into completing transactions outside the platform where there is no form of protection against fraud.
What Are The Effects Of This Phishing Scams On The Receivers?
The negative effects that vinted scam has had on people who fell victim of their tricks unknowingly is really alarming. People lost huge amount of money because these scammers gained access to their bank details and stole from them. Some even started borrowing from friends to survive while some other victims had critical health condition just because they could not bear the shock of losing all they had to these fraudsters.
These and may more stories, prompted us to start educating the public about this fast rising phishing scam known as vinted scam as well as other methods used by scammers these days.
How To Detect Vinted Scam.
Below are some of the ways you can identify a scam trick online.
- They make their profile and listings look real. This is to make gain their victim’s trust.
- They disguise to be a reputable agency, steal the agency’s official logo and address just to convince people.
- They send links to malicious sites to get your personal information and steal from you.
- There are usually errors in their email address or the content of the mail or text.
- Majority of them only make use of text messages and chats.
7 Ways To Avoid Being Scammed By These Fraudsters.
In order not to be a victim of the vinted scam or any other online fraud, follow these instructions:
- Do not click on any link or download attachment from an unknown sender: Do not be in a hurry to click on any link sent in a mail or text message from someone you do not know.
- Check the URL of the links they sent: Is there is an error in the URL or even the content of the text message like misspelling or omission, then know it is a scam.
- Carry out your investigation: Before carrying out any transaction on vinted, do a research to know if they are actually it is actually a genuine transaction. Always check the seller’s profile thoroughly for any red flags. Also, Compare the photos in the listing with the official brand images. This will save you a lot.
- Do not disclose your personal information anyhow: No genuine agency will request that you provide personal information such as bank account details, password and others.
- Follow your instinct: Whenever you come across a suspicious buyer or seller, it always safe to pay attention to the details in the message to check for any suspicious activities rather than being carried away by their deceptive offers. Also, avoid off-platform transactions.
- Report suspicious email or messages: As soon as you receive a suspicious call from an unknown number, report to your local enforcement agency so that they will take actions to stop further scam activities and block the number from calling you. If you have already shared your personal or financial information with these scammers, all you just have to do is to shut down your cards, then send a report about the incident to Vinted through the app.
- Tell others about the Vinted Scam: Enlighten your friends and family member about the ongoing scam so that they will be aware and not fall victim.
Conclusion
People should be cautious of the information they give out about themselves. There are many scammers out there targeting unsuspecting customers of Vinted. Sadly, Vinted Scam is one of the viral scams over the internet recently just like Xfinity scam email. To stay safe from these fraudsters, you have to adhere to the instructions given above. Click Here to see a list of phishing scams to avoid. Other phishing scams we have reviewed are Jrm legal group scam, Smartr Recruitment Text Scam and Vanner ship scam job calls