Bob:
It was about three years ago. A friend wanted to buy a used car and regularly looked through the ads for sale on the websites. And then he came across one offer - an almost brand new Volkswagen for a third of the market price. The ad said that the owner of the car urgently needed money, which is why the price was so low.
A friend called the number from the ad and said that he was ready to pick up the car tomorrow. The seller replied that the car was in some city and the dealers were already going after it, as they were close. A friend immediately offered to pay $ 150 for one day of waiting. The seller refused, said that it was more important for him to guarantee that the deal would not fail - an advance transferred to the card. With an advance, he is willing to wait, even without $ 150 on top.
The friend wanted to transfer the advance payment, but then he remembered that in some city he had an acquaintance who could give the advance payment to the owner of the car in his hands. This friend contacted the seller and said that he was interested in the car, he was in some city and was ready to drive up and inspect the goods in person. At the same time, he did not say that he was acting at the request of my friend and that he was not going to inspect the car for himself - it looked like he was just another customer. The seller immediately informed him that the car was not in some city itself, but two dozen kilometers from it and, again, “outbid” was already coming after it.
The whole situation was kept within twenty minutes. There was not much time for checks, and the friend was on emotions because of the anticipation of a successful deal. Fortunately, the situation with a some city acquaintance made it clear that they were trying to cheat us. Then, for the sake of interest, we decided to check the information on the Internet and found several more ads with a photo of the same car and indicating different cities.
Financial Culture Expert:
Bob's friend succumbed to emotions and therefore did not immediately notice the catch. However, a car is a serious purchase, and people usually try to pre-inspect a future purchase, ask for advice from friends, and Anton did just that. Nevertheless, this common scheme - a false seller's demand for prepayment for a non-existent product - works for a less valuable product, since there are fewer risks, which means there is less vigilance on the part of the buyer.
It is better to never buy a car alone - a person who is not directly interested in the transaction will be able to take a critical view of the situation and feel that something was wrong. If you are considering the purchase of equipment and other expensive goods, take care of the security of the transaction in advance:
And yet, if you have doubts, you are not sure about the honesty of the seller or the quality of the goods, the calculation scheme is not clear to you - it is better to refuse a risky deal. You will be able to purchase a similar product, but it is unlikely to return your money in case of deception.
It was about three years ago. A friend wanted to buy a used car and regularly looked through the ads for sale on the websites. And then he came across one offer - an almost brand new Volkswagen for a third of the market price. The ad said that the owner of the car urgently needed money, which is why the price was so low.
A friend called the number from the ad and said that he was ready to pick up the car tomorrow. The seller replied that the car was in some city and the dealers were already going after it, as they were close. A friend immediately offered to pay $ 150 for one day of waiting. The seller refused, said that it was more important for him to guarantee that the deal would not fail - an advance transferred to the card. With an advance, he is willing to wait, even without $ 150 on top.
The friend wanted to transfer the advance payment, but then he remembered that in some city he had an acquaintance who could give the advance payment to the owner of the car in his hands. This friend contacted the seller and said that he was interested in the car, he was in some city and was ready to drive up and inspect the goods in person. At the same time, he did not say that he was acting at the request of my friend and that he was not going to inspect the car for himself - it looked like he was just another customer. The seller immediately informed him that the car was not in some city itself, but two dozen kilometers from it and, again, “outbid” was already coming after it.
The whole situation was kept within twenty minutes. There was not much time for checks, and the friend was on emotions because of the anticipation of a successful deal. Fortunately, the situation with a some city acquaintance made it clear that they were trying to cheat us. Then, for the sake of interest, we decided to check the information on the Internet and found several more ads with a photo of the same car and indicating different cities.
Financial Culture Expert:
Bob's friend succumbed to emotions and therefore did not immediately notice the catch. However, a car is a serious purchase, and people usually try to pre-inspect a future purchase, ask for advice from friends, and Anton did just that. Nevertheless, this common scheme - a false seller's demand for prepayment for a non-existent product - works for a less valuable product, since there are fewer risks, which means there is less vigilance on the part of the buyer.
It is better to never buy a car alone - a person who is not directly interested in the transaction will be able to take a critical view of the situation and feel that something was wrong. If you are considering the purchase of equipment and other expensive goods, take care of the security of the transaction in advance:
- Go for the trick if you buy an item located in another city. Call the seller from a different number and introduce yourself as a nearby buyer. The ad usually indicates the location of the goods up to the district. A real seller who has displayed good quality goods is likely to agree to an appointment for a deal, while a fraudster will try to avoid it in every way.
- Carefully review the photos in the ad. Ask the seller to send additional pictures, or even better - make a video call to demonstrate the product. If the seller is a fraud, it is easier for him not to waste time on this and start looking for another victim who will not be a hassle with checks.
- Search the seller's phone number in search engines. Fraudsters often change SIM cards, but it also happens that the number has already been "lit up" and users have posted it on the forum to warn others.
- Review the rest of the seller's ads, including closed deals. If there are none, this is a reason for doubt.
- Don't settle for prepayment. Choose cash on delivery - if not the most convenient, but a reliable way not to pay for air. If you are in the same city as the seller, it is better to make a personal meeting and take someone close to it with you.
And yet, if you have doubts, you are not sure about the honesty of the seller or the quality of the goods, the calculation scheme is not clear to you - it is better to refuse a risky deal. You will be able to purchase a similar product, but it is unlikely to return your money in case of deception.
