It’s the sellers who are being targeted, warn UFC – Que Choisir.
Car, apartment, computer, consoles, … The popularity of the Leboncoin site is so popular with individuals that the site is a favorite target for many online scams that then continue to improve. The association UFC-What to choose has just drawn attention to a new scam: the fake payment confirmation email. explanation.
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It is not about buyers but about sellers who place advertisements on the platform. The scammers therefore want to obtain the goods posted online… but without actually paying for them. To do this, they use two main channels: the site’s secure payment system and fake payment confirmation emails that are nearly identical to the emails Leboncoin might send.
The need to use the site’s secure messaging system
Elie, seller on Leboncoin, therefore, in the first place, places an advertisement for his property, describing UF Que Choisir. A “fake” buyer notices her and decides to contact his potential “victim”. He tries to gain his trust, most notably by telling him that he intends to pay through the site’s secure payment system and that the seller should receive a confirmation email directly from the boncoin proving that the money has indeed been sent.
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However, if you are faced with this situation, then you should have your doubts because the payment confirmation should have appeared automatically on the secure messaging system of the site and not by email. The boncoin messaging service guarantees that the site has officially taken the payment into account, while a simple email is absolutely no proof of that, according to the platform’s site. The email may very well have been written, not by the site, but by your “BuyerThe scammers take advantage of their victims’ lack of vigilance and trust, allowing them to obtain their property without leaving a single cent.
The Recommendations of the Que-Choisir Association
In order to stop falling victim to scams that could exist on the boncoin site, UFC-Que Choisir advises users to be vigilant and check six basic parameters:
- ‘s email address boncoin: the platform only sends emails to its users with the following addresses: @leboncoin.fr, @news.leboncoin.fr and @messagerie.leboncoin.fr
- Spelling mistakes and certain expressions used †on the part of your buyer» found in the email sent to Elie or «delivery chargeare two formulas commonly used in scams.
- The price : If the buyer doesn’t try to negotiate the price and even offer to pay the shipping cost, this can alert the buyer to a possible scam attempt.
- The address : If the potential buyer does not communicate his precise personal address or indicates a relay point that is not in his city, he can also interlocate.
- Shipping Methods: : it is imperative that the terms of delivery (by Chronopost) are discussed between the buyer and the seller and are not imposed unilaterally by one of the parties.
- Always communicate via platform messages : this is the most important element. All exchanges and confirmations of shipment or payment are made through the site’s secure messaging system.
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