The Guardia Civil warns of online scams when buying second-hand goods

The @rroba Team of the Guardia Civil in Las Palmas have detected a significant number of scams when people are buying second-hand goods on the internet, according to an official police press release. These types of scams have in common that the scammer always provides their victim with an international account number, so that tracking the accounts and the person who has committed the crime, or recovering the money, is more complicated depending on the legal compatibility of each country.

Since the @rroba Teams began operating last October, they have been investigating numerous types of scams, but have concentrated their police work on clarifying 49 scams where the money has been paid into an account in another country, focusing on these because almost half of them are foreigners who reside in the islands but make purchases in their countries of origin.

Faced with this type of transaction, the Guardia Civil advises to always distrust the seller if their contact telephone number does not begin with the Spanish code +34; if the bank account has a BIC or SWIFT code, instead of an IBAN; and if the conversation seems to be taking place with an automatic translator.

They also warn to be careful if the seller claims to be in the mainland or a country that is different to the place of transaction, and if the price of the object is well below its market value, as it if it looks too good to be true, it usually is.

When you don’t have experience in buying second-hand products online, it is recommended to seek advice from a trusted person familiar with this type of task, as even if the product is in a well known second-hand portal, either a website or social media site, and the seller ensures that the payment method is secure, it does not guarantee that the purchase is real.

If you do decide to make the purchase, they advise to use a payment method that guarantees money back in case of a scam; capture a screenshot of where the ad is located, and above all, the reference of the offer. They also urge anyone who believes they are the victims of a scam, to come forward and report it.