🎮 How to spot an online scam #TonyTries #OnlineSafety #TH2

7 min readJun 11, 2022

How to not get scammed in the new world of online convenience

Today’s looks at how we can protect ourselves from nefarious individuals online who act with no remorse. It’s up to us to keep informed of their ever-evolving strategies and tools to scam us.

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Today we are looking at developing an eye for catching online scammers. Gone are the days of the Nigerian Prince email scam, scammers these days have gotten savvier with the ways in which they scam us. It is up to us to get acquainted with their new ways of scamming and learn warning signs so that we can protect ourselves from these scams.

Thanks to this person, we are all hearing about how Facebook Marketplace scams work

The Story

I recently got scammed by a Facebook marketplace seller who pretended to sell a gaming console. I’ve used Facebook Marketplace successfully many times in the past. I have purchased about 5 items saving quite some money in the process. I wanted a gaming console to play some games with my family. Buying second-hand seemed like a good way to save a little bit of money and reduce the amount of e-waste generated. I started looking online at Facebook Marketplace for someone selling a Nintendo Switch OLED.

If you aren’t familiar, Facebook Marketplace is a site where local sellers advertise products for sale. Facebook allows you to sell anything and everything except illegal substances. It also combines the ease of finding people who are close by therefore reducing the need for shipping.

I stumbled across a listing that was created by a mom of two who was looking to sell their Nintendo Switch as her kids weren’t interested and they were expecting a newborn very soon. We quickly settled on a very competitive price (just over 50% price of a new console). I asked if she can deliver to my address and was met with a problem. The listing had a typo and so the person was almost 4 hours away from where I lived. She said that she was willing to post the item but I refused as I wanted to inspect the item before I purchased it.

Weeks pass by and the seller gets back in touch offering an even better price. I insisted on inspecting the item before buying and so didn’t agree to get it through the post. I felt quite bad as I thought that this person needed the money for their newborn.

After some time, I realised that I would be travelling near where she lived and so I asked if they were willing to meet me halfway in a city that was about an hour away from where she lived. She immediately agreed to do so stating that they had been meaning to see a tourist attraction in the area. She asked for a deposit of half the amount with the rest to be paid when the goods were exchanged. I agreed to send 25% instead as half the amount was quite substantial. This way if the transaction were to be botched, I would lose a lot less. She provided details for her ‘husband’s’ bank account and I transferred the agreed amount. We exchanged phone numbers and decided on when and where we were to meet.

On the morning of the day that we agreed to meet and exchange the goods, I was very excited. I had been meaning to keep the console and give my family my old one. The new one supported games that I wasn’t able to play on my old one. Later that day I planned to play one of those games. So I called the number to check if she was getting ready …

Automatic message: This phone number does not exist

I sent a text in the morning before leaving for the agreed place. An hour passes by, and two hours later still no response. Three hours later, alarm bells start going off in my head. Up until this point, I was still sort of hopeful that this was a real person with an intention to sell their console to me. The more time passed, the farther I went from this belief.

I reached the location where we agreed to meet. At this point, it had been over three hours since I first sent a text message. I waited and waited for a response or a phone call from them. No response. I sent a message saying that I would wait until two and a half hours after the agreed-upon time. Finally a full 2 and a half hours after the time that we agreed to meet, I finally realised that I had been scammed.

Key Takeaways

Here are five key takeaways that I hope will help you identify scams

Takeaway 1: If it looks too good to be true, it probably is

The sentence says it all. Remember this sentence anytime you decide to buy something online.

In my case, this was particularly true. This particular person was also selling three extra games and some other accessories for just over half the price of the console. There were many moments when I thought that the offer was too good to be true. But I ignored all the warning signs simply because I wanted it too much.

Takeaway 2: Ask a lot of questions

You might feel hesitant to ask questions as you may feel that your questions might offend the other person. But on the internet, it’s best if you trust no one, especially when there is money involved. If they are legit they’ll have no problem answering them. Ask them for photos and ensure that you are getting what’s advertised.

I barely asked for any proof to check whether they had the item. I didn’t ask for pictures or any other sort of evidence. Had I probed a little, I may have avoided this ordeal.

Takeaway 3: Look for grammatical and other errors in their conversation

Scammers are very often in a hurry and do not have time to type well-thought-out responses. Especially since they are most likely talking to more than just one person at a time, you may find that they have grammatical errors and other errors due to their deceit.

In my case, I found a lot of errors in what they were saying. The location that they quoted in the ad was not accurate. Despite pointing it out, they didn’t change it on the listing. Many grammatical errors were also made. They kept using the word ‘ye’ which was a bit annoying but I just assumed it was their way of talking. The presence of these signs is a good time to keep your guard up.

Takeaway 4: There’s a sense of urgency

Be wary when the person you are dealing with, be it a phone caller or an online seller instils a sense of urgency. This is especially true for call scams such as the IRS and refund scams where you are forced to take action immediately. Most legit organisations and people give you some time to take action. Most scammers on the other hand force a decision at the moment.

In my case, the seller was really hoping to ‘sell’ their product quickly. They were really pushing for me to send them the full amount so that they can ship the product over to me.

Takeaway 5: Don’t go to an obscure location to collect the item or send payment through a bank transfer

Scammers are usually not pushing for payment methods such as PayPal that offer protection to buyers and sellers. Scammers are usually after bank transfers or vouchers that can’t be tracked and have no assurances. Also, be mindful of the time and location that you decide on. Open public places or dedicated areas for online purchases in police stations are a better fit.

In my case, the person wanted cash and a bank transfer. They agreed to meet me in a public space but since they didn’t intend on showing up, I don’t think it mattered.

In the internet age, it is important to equip ourselves with knowledge about scammers so that we can avoid unnecessary headache.

Remember, when you feel most confident is when you need to stop, take a step back, and critically evaluate the situation. We are most likely to be scammed when we are highly emotional (AARP, 2021). The way to combat this is to get a second opinion from someone you trust to authenticate what you are looking at.

That’s all for this week. I hope you enjoyed reading about how to spot an online scam (TH2). I hope this helps in preventing future scams. Do leave a comment and subscribe if you want to be inspired to learn new skills on a week-ish basis.

Until next time,

Tony

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