Beware! More than 30 sellers were defrauded of goods, and the amount involved in one area of ​​the UK exceeded 1.53 million

According to foreign media reports, there have been a number of fraud cases abroad recently, all targeting sellers selling goods on Facebook, Gumtree and eBay. The amount involved in the case in the UK alone has exceeded 171,000 pounds (about 1.53 million yuan).

It is reported that the fraudsters usually target people who sell watches, mobile phones or other high-value goods. They pretend to be buyers and agree to pay through bank transfer after meeting with the seller. Once the seller hands over the goods to them, the fraudsters will leave and then the seller will receive a message that the "transfer failed".

According to UK police, the money may show up as "pending" in the seller's account , or it may even show as cleared in the mobile app. West Midlands Police warned sellers to check their online banking via computer or phone to confirm payment has gone through before handing over the item. "Anyone selling items online should check with their bank to see if any money has cleared their account before handing over the item. Funds showing as pending in an account does not necessarily mean payment has gone through."

Since February this year , the police are investigating 33 "Action Fraud" reports in the West Midlands, which show that these frauds have caused losses of £171,000 to the local area. DC Edward Spokes of the UK Economic Crime Unit said: "The closure of non-essential stores has meant that more and more people are buying and selling goods online. Unfortunately, even in this difficult time, fraudsters are finding ways to take advantage of people's interests."

In fact, with the rapid development of e-commerce, the number of fraud cases relying on the Internet and e-commerce has also increased year by year. Especially among those who have lost their stable income due to unemployment during the epidemic, there will be some people with ulterior motives who will target others with evil intentions.

In particular, this kind of online-to-offline transaction is one of the most popular methods for fraudsters because it is outside the scope of platform supervision. In this case, not only are consumers increasingly vigilant, but even sellers have to keep their eyes open and beware of scams that may appear at any time.

E-commerce platform

eBay Platform

Cross-border e-commerce fraud