The consumer advice centers are warning of a bad scam: In triangular fraud, criminals rip off unsuspecting buyers. That’s what lies behind it.
Item paid for and still warned: The Lower Saxony Consumer Center warns of a particularly perfidious scam on sales portals such as classifieds and Vinted. In the so-called triangular fraud, buyers paid for their goods but still received payment reminders and warnings.
The reason: The money did not go to the shop that shipped the product, but to criminals. This confusing tactic exploits the identity of the unsuspecting buyer, write consumer advocates.
How do the perpetrators proceed?
This is how the fraudsters do it: They post an item on sales portals such as classified ads. A user is interested in it and buys the product. He unsuspectingly pays the money to an account provided by the fraudsters, such as a Paypal address.
The buyer provides the supposed seller with his private address details for shipping the item – also his email address in order to continue to stay in touch.
The fraudster orders the product from an online shop in the buyer’s name and has the goods sent to the buyer’s address. The fraudster keeps the money and orders the goods on account.
At the latest when a payment reminder comes from the shop, buyers suspect that something is wrong, according to the Lower Saxony Consumer Center. After all, the money has long since been paid to the seller.
The fraudsters misuse other people’s identities
“This is clearly a case of identity abuse,” says Kathrin Bartsch, legal expert at the Lower Saxony Consumer Center. “By ordering via the online shop, fraudsters are taking a perfidious approach – after all, they could just collect the money without ordering the goods.”
However, according to Bartsch, the scam buys time and enables further fraud. “For example, the package can be intercepted and the product re-offered in order to collect twice.” Further misuse is also possible with the buyers’ personal data.
For example, the fraudster could use the buyer’s personal data to open another account in classified ads and post goods there for which he collects money again.
What can those affected do?
Those affected should file a criminal complaint with the police, says Bartsch. The sales portal should also be informed about the fraud with reference to the criminal complaint. The same applies to the online shop.
It also needs to be clarified what happens to the goods. “Basically, those affected can return them and then don’t have to pay the bill,” says Bartsch. “Depending on the payment method, buyers are left with the damage,” she adds.
