In a world where the cost of living is seemingly always on the increase, many are taking to selling unwanted items around their homes to free up some extra cash. While that is a great way to beat any possible cash flow shortage, you must also be very careful. Why? There are unscrupulous characters prowling the online classifieds to rip buyers off that are none the wiser.
It's an unfortunate part of the online trading experience, but the possibility exists where you can be scammed and left empty-handed without your goods and cash.
According to the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC), South Africans lost more than R1.5-billion just to banking and card fraud in 2020. Those figures show that the practice is still prevalent and continues to serve as a lucrative 'source of income' for fraudsters.
Even worse, a scammer's approach during online communication is as typical as can be because they are calculative and know precisely the type of seller to target and the process(es) to follow because they already know the plan of action. Many have already fell victim to it. Perhaps also worryingly, many other people got scammed but didn't want to say anything about it due to feeling ashamed.
Besides relatively small-scale buying and selling scams, there is also larger-scale advance fee fraud, also known as 419 scams. According to the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), the perpetrator's initial approach is normally via letter, email, mobile phone text message (SMS), a social networking site, or faxed document, advising the potential victim that, for their assistance, they will receive a large percentage of a large amount of funds, usually dollars (and usually millions) that have been obtained as a result of some occurrence, for example, inheritance, over-budgeted contract payment or lottery winnings.
Know how they operate
Louis Bosman, Head of Customer Service at Gumtree, says that scammers primarily target mobile users that have their numbers visible on the ad. Scammers do this to circumvent Gumtree's safety measures and have a direct conversation with the seller on an independent communication platform, other than Gumtree.
Bosman also adds that home, garden, and electronics are the most targeted items, and scammers will rarely meet face-to-face, usually sending a driver to pick the item up. Scammers do ask which bank the seller is with so that they can send a POP that looks like it is from their bank and to ensure it isn't an instant transfer. In this case, the buyer is the scammer.
The rules of meeting in a public place, taking someone along with you to conclude the deal, and dealing in cash are some of the safest ways to protect yourself and your goods. When it involves stolen goods being advertised on Gumtree, unfortunately, there is no way it can be identified when sold on the online classifieds unless an alert is sent out from an individual basically saying 'that is my stuff'.
It's an unfortunate part of the online trading experience, but the possibility exists where you can be scammed and left empty-handed without your goods and cash.
According to the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC), South Africans lost more than R1.5-billion just to banking and card fraud in 2020. Those figures show that the practice is still prevalent and continues to serve as a lucrative 'source of income' for fraudsters.
Even worse, a scammer's approach during online communication is as typical as can be because they are calculative and know precisely the type of seller to target and the process(es) to follow because they already know the plan of action. Many have already fell victim to it. Perhaps also worryingly, many other people got scammed but didn't want to say anything about it due to feeling ashamed.
Besides relatively small-scale buying and selling scams, there is also larger-scale advance fee fraud, also known as 419 scams. According to the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), the perpetrator's initial approach is normally via letter, email, mobile phone text message (SMS), a social networking site, or faxed document, advising the potential victim that, for their assistance, they will receive a large percentage of a large amount of funds, usually dollars (and usually millions) that have been obtained as a result of some occurrence, for example, inheritance, over-budgeted contract payment or lottery winnings.
Know how they operate
Louis Bosman, Head of Customer Service at Gumtree, says that scammers primarily target mobile users that have their numbers visible on the ad. Scammers do this to circumvent Gumtree's safety measures and have a direct conversation with the seller on an independent communication platform, other than Gumtree.
Bosman also adds that home, garden, and electronics are the most targeted items, and scammers will rarely meet face-to-face, usually sending a driver to pick the item up. Scammers do ask which bank the seller is with so that they can send a POP that looks like it is from their bank and to ensure it isn't an instant transfer. In this case, the buyer is the scammer.
The rules of meeting in a public place, taking someone along with you to conclude the deal, and dealing in cash are some of the safest ways to protect yourself and your goods. When it involves stolen goods being advertised on Gumtree, unfortunately, there is no way it can be identified when sold on the online classifieds unless an alert is sent out from an individual basically saying 'that is my stuff'.
It's virtually impossible to tell if someone is a scammer right from the off, but there are 'key' signs to look out for. Gumtree lists five tips for protecting yourself against possible buyer scams:
- The golden rule is: don't hand over the item(s) unless you see the money reflect in your account. This can be verified by contacting your financial institution.
- Use the Gumtree communication platform on the app where you (as the seller) can see if the buyer and seller are ID verified and know who you are dealing with. Scammers move to where people are, so social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are also becoming targets.
- If you see an item (like a TV set, for example) being sold for a ridiculously low price, that should definitely serve as a significant red flag to the buyer.
- Stay away from transacting via alternate payment services like E-Wallet, PayPal, MoneyGram, or Western Union.
- Scammers will create a sense of urgency and will generally use phrases like 'I don't live where you are' or 'I need it for a birthday' - basically any excuse not to pick the item up themselves.
Now that you’ve got the knowledge, it’s time to shop! Head to gumtree.co.za or your Gumtree app (click for Apple & Android) and don’t forget to use your location settings to find local automotive vehicle information close to home.
