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Trading platform fraud

often misuse well-known platforms for their scams. They create a fake website or imitate an app, for example. Read all about how this form of fraud works.

 
 

Scammers’ modus operandi

Every year, millions of people use consumer-to-consumer trading platforms such as eBay, Marktplaats and Facebook Marketplace. Scammers obviously know this and strike there too.

They will often offer several popular products for sale at once, and at relatively low prices. The kinds of products they tend to offer include electronics, gadgets, shoes, and concert and event tickets.

The fake seller is generally in a hurry to sell and wants the transaction to go ahead as quickly as possible, pressurising you into making a decision fast. Or they may want to move the communication away from the trading platform and switch to email or WhatsApp, for example.

Tips to spot a fake online advert

There are several ways to reduce the chance of being scammed on a trading platform, which is also known as internet fraud.

  1. Stay critical when reading the advert
    If something seems too good to be true, it often is.
  2. Check out the seller
    Check how long the seller has been active on the advert website and whether there is any information about them, such as reviews by others.
  3. Photos
    Look at whether the seller uses real photos or marketing images. If the advert includes only generic marketing images, you can’t be sure that the seller actually has the product. That said, real photos may also have been copied from somewhere. So if you’re not sure about it, ask the seller to provide further pictures shot from a different angle, for example.
  4. Contact through the trading platform
    Communicate with the seller only through the messaging feature on the trading platform. Don’t give them your telephone number to switch the communication to WhatsApp.
  5. Pay securely
    When completing a purchase on Marktplaats or Facebook, pay as little in advance as possible and use the payment options provided by the trading platform. Or pay using your ABN AMRO app or on Internet Banking. Let the seller know that these are the only payment methods you are willing to use. The fraudster will then often back out of the deal and take no further action.

Tip: check weetwaarjekoopt.nl (in Dutch) when buying a ticket to a concert or an event.

Other forms of fraud