Even the most informed are easily fooled by this scam which is spreading on the internet.
Internet and scams, a great love story (or almost). Every day, people get scammed online and lose money. Sometimes just a few euros, while others can be cheated out of thousands. Setbacks which, despite all the prevention messages, continue to flourish. On platforms or directly on social networks, sales of all kinds abound. Decorative objects, clothing, telephones, High-Tech equipment… The French are fond of second-hand purchases. But by going directly between individuals, the risk of fraud increases. Even more so from a distance.
If scams often target people who are not comfortable with digital technology, the one currently in vogue affects even the most sophisticated since it is committed on a widely used payment platform: Paypal. This is a solution allowing the direct transfer of money between two people without going through the traditional transfer between two banks which requires adding and waiting for a RIB to be validated. With this solution, only the recipient’s telephone number is enough and the sender only has to enter his bank card number.
Very often, when a person wishes to buy a product on Leboncoin, Gens de confidant or even on the Facebook marketplace, sellers ask that payment be made via Paypal. If the transfer is secure, there is a subtlety to know to avoid being defrauded.
When paying with Paypal, the seller may ask you to choose the “For your loved ones” option. By making this choice, you avoid having some additional transaction costs. The catch? You are not protected if a dispute arises with the seller. Except that very often, the buyer does not know this and finds himself wronged.
The 60 million consumers association recounted the misadventures of several French people, cheated by this system. The story is the same for everyone: online exchanges with a seller, a payment requested by Paypal with the “For your loved ones” option, money sent and an order never received. Without the possibility of turning against the scammer, nor against Paypal, in accordance with the rules in force when this option is chosen.
If complaints have been filed and an investigation is underway, it is therefore good to know to refuse transactions of this type to avoid being scammed. Once again.