This is the scam that can steal your credit card information if you are not very careful

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Second-hand buying and selling takes years increasing its popularity in Spain. Platforms like Wallapop have been quite a shock when it comes to finding a way out of products that are no longer used. Applications have facilitated this trend, which in Spain is more important every year.

This causes prices to risebut still Many people prefer to buy used items rather than new ones., due to the difference in cost. One has to take many things into account when buying a second-hand mobile To avoid problems, it is advisable to check from the battery to the buttons.

But, as always happens, the popularization of a digital platform implies an increase in its use to try to scam their users. There are many cases that are being seen of different types of scams, but there is one that is gaining relevance in recent weeks and that It is especially important because it affects the credit card.

The shipping problem

When the purchase and sale of a product is agreed on a platform, it may be the case that both people live nearby and the deal is made in person or that live far away and it is necessary to send the product. It is in the second case where a new technique of phishing with which scammers manage to get hold of the seller’s bank card.

The detected case began with the buyer inviting the seller to continue talking outside the shopping application, in this case Wallapop. This is already a warning that something may happen, because the platforms are not responsible for what happens outside of them, as is normal. It is in that conversation when the buyer hints to the seller that he has not booked the product correctly on the platform, and that perhaps the fault is that he has not entered the email correctly.

Credit card

When the seller tells him what email address he used to register, the cybercriminal takes the opportunity to send him an email impersonating the platform’s identity. The seller receives an email that he believes is from Wallapopbecause of the aesthetics, the texts and the sender, but in reality it is the buyer trying to get them to click on the link in it.

(The Civil Guard warns: never say this word when answering the phone)

If the buyer does this, what happens is that A web page very similar to that of Wallapop opens in which bank details are requested to be entered in order to receive payment. This page, created by the buyer, is designed to extract the data provided by the seller. In this case, data was requested such as the bank card number, the user’s name or the CVV code, used in online purchases to verify that the buyer physically has the card.

How to avoid scams

This is a case textbook of social engineering, where the scammer tries to deceive the victim using techniques that do not focus on the technical, but rather on the doubts and problems that can arise normally in a transaction. It is impossible to guarantee that you will not be scammed, but yes there are things that can be done to minimize the risk.

Buyer or seller profile: If the platform has a rating system, it is a good idea to review it and check if the previous transactions of the person you are dealing with have been rated positively.
Communication: Talking to the buyer or seller is always a good idea, especially if we have questions about the product or want to ask something about how the transaction would be carried out. Direct treatment can give us clues as to whether there is a problem.
Always talk within the app: When someone invites you to leave the platform to talk on WhatsApp, you should be suspicious. Many times, as in the case narrated, they are attempts to carry out a scam.
Ask for photographs: If you are going to buy a product, it is a good idea to ask for photographs taken at the time. If in doubt, you can go to the Google search engine and upload the photos to check if they are real photos or downloaded from somewhere else.
Secure payment methods: Payment for a product must be made within the platform, or through a transfer from our bank’s app, never by clicking on an email that has just arrived, even if it seems official.
Check the urls and domains of the emails: If we have to enter a web page in the payment process, we must check that the domain is the official one. The same thing happens with emails; We must check that its domain, the part after the @, is what we expect, and not something very similar.
Do not put data in an email: Neither banks nor payment platforms send emails inviting you to click a link to enter payment information. And they don’t do it because they know that it is very easy for someone to impersonate them and try to scam their users.
Too good offers: If the price of a product is very low, it is much more likely that it is a scam than that a bargain has been found. The maxim “If it’s too good to be true, it’s not true” usually works.

Finally, If at any time the buyer or seller is in a hurry, you should be wary. It may not be something criminal, but urgency is often used to try to show that a unique opportunity will be lost. It is something that is best decided with a cool head.