A man shopping online. Image by Tim Sandle
As the cost of living crisis continues to bite, demand has skyrocketed for second hand shopping sites. This where used goods are resold at a lower costs than the same good would have cost if it was new. An indication of this level of interest arises with 3.3 million people searching for ‘vinted’ in the last month.
However, experts at VPNOverview have warned people to watch out for scammers when second hand shopping after reports have revealed that scams whilst shopping on sites like Facebook Marketplace, Vinted and Depop are on the rise.
Cybersecurity expert Christopher Bluvshtein has revealed what to look out for when using second hand shopping sites and he has explained the key issues to Digital Journal.
Bluvshtein says: “Social marketplaces like Facebook, Vinted, and Depop are great for saving money, but their lack of regulation poses dangers. When it comes to buying second-hand from the Internet, here are some red flags to look out for.”
In outlining these, Bluvshtein presents:
Buyers asking to pay you by bank transfer
Bluvshtein states: “The funds can be charged back after they’ve taken your item. Similarly, don’t accept cheques.”
Sellers asking you to send money with PayPal’s ‘Friends & Family’ transfer
Bluvshtein adds: “It’s unlikely you’ll ever get your item, and worse, PayPal will not support buyers if they’ve bought an item using this form of transfer.”
A buyer offering more than you…
