One of the main places where different types of con artists look for potential victims is classified advertisements. On such a forum, con artists can be found as both buyers and sellers. To conceal their genuine identity, they can go to a variety of lengths. They frequently pose as members of the Indian Army in order to dupe unsuspecting victims. Both of these fraudulent subtypes need to be on our radar.
Scammers register on OLX and other classified ads websites as dealers. They acquire confidence by repurposing content from real merchants and simply lowering the quoted price. With these pricing, they hope to entice future victims.
They frequently distribute phony courier company receipts that claim the item has been dispatched. Once a victim is identified, the con artists manipulate them into divulging personal information. Or, as is more often the case, the con artists want a down payment. finding a plethora of justifications to avoid displaying the thing, place, or car you want to purchase.
These advertisements may be for used bikes, vehicles, or other items. These advertisements may contain images and other information, and they frequently mimic those of real purchasers.
Woman lost 95,000 in a QR code scam
A woman who wanted to sell her secondhand furniture placed an ad on the international online marketplace OLX and lost Rs 95,000 in an internet scam.
Brinda Desari (30), a resident of GM Palya, claimed in her police complaint that she submitted images of her furniture on January 7 along with her phone number. On the same day that she placed the advertisement, at 7:45 p.m., a guy who identified himself as Deepak Kapoor and was in charge of a military canteen contacted and indicated interest in purchasing the furnishings.
When Brinda questioned how he would pay, Kapoor replied that he would use Google Pay and sent her a QR code to scan. After scanning and entering her pin, Brinda was given Rs 2. Kapoor claimed he was checking to see if the payment was processed. As soon as she did, Rs 10,000 vanished from her account. Kapoor explained that this was due to technical difficulties and promised to reimburse the money.
She transferred Rs 95,000 by repeatedly clicking on the QR codes he supplied her. The police have taken up and are looking into a case of cheating.
How to identify if a Buyer/Seller is fake?
- When a buyer pretends to have transferred you money via Google-Pe, Phone-Pe, etc., but the money is really taken from your account.
- The buyer requests that you ship the item before they pay for it or offers phony payment documentation.
- The buyer will request the item without first checking it and will deceive by giving fake payment confirmations, messages, etc.
- Demand non-cash payment methods: Usually, the buyer is adamant about utilizing a cheque. Note that banks are not liable if note cheques bounce.
- The buyer requests personal data such as your ID, bank account information, email address, and debit or credit card number.
How to avoid getting scammed?
1. Verify details of buyer/seller before proceeding to payment.
2. Any individual showing urgency or not waiting for a reasonable amount of time is likely to be a scammer.
3. You should never scan a QR code, share an OTP, or visit a link given by anyone on the internet.
4. Your One Time Password (OTP), UPI pin, and other secret information should not be shared on WhatsApp. Never provide banking information if anyone asks you to and always contact your bank. There is a possibility of fraud here.
5. It is recommended that digital escrow platforms be used for payment. When making an online payment with Escrow, you do not share your financial information with anyone. There is a platform for escrow called Vouch.
Digital Escrow Service In India.
Digital escrow services are offered by many companies in India. Among the most trusted is Vouch.
Vouch’s Digital Escrow service is a transparent way for buyers and sellers to build trust and secure a clean transfer of product and payment. Sellers can feel assured that they will be fairly compensated promptly, and buyers will feel confident that their order will be delivered as expected and on schedule. Vouch Digital Escrow keeps you updated and informed at every step of the transaction process till the end. Vouch’s professionals are always available to assist you with all queries that you may have during the entire transaction process.
There is no scope for deceit or fraud since the payments, shipping, delivery, and execution are carried out under the honest and watchful eyes of the Vouch’s professionals. With Vouch, any business transaction becomes transparent, uncomplicated, and hassle-free.
Check back here to learn more about Escrow and how to protect yourself from fraud.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Safety is not just about protecting your credit, debit card number, and UPI accounts. It's about having control of your money till you've received the product or service you bought online!
As you're now aware of the importance of online safety, let's get your transactions secure on Vouch. It's just a click away.
