Advice and tips on buying and selling between private individuals
Advice and tips on buying and selling between private individuals
Leboncoin scams :
the ultimate guide to never being fooled
On Leboncoin, bargains and scammers rub shoulders daily. Hundreds of thousands of French people lodge complaints every year about this type of scam, which is why we have created Obvy, the first payment method capable of securing all transactions between individuals by protecting you against 100% of scams. It is nevertheless important to know as much as possible about the nature and types of scams on Leboncoin in order to protect yourself but also to be able to warn your friends and family about the risks and above all the techniques to avoid being taken in. Using Obvy for payment on Leboncoin allows you to turn the cave of 40 thieves into Alibaba's cave!
The information in this guide is also suitable for all the other sites for private ads, such as ParuVendu, Vivastreet, Facebook sales groups, La centrale etc.
1. The risks of being scammed on Leboncoin
Beyond the simple financial aspect, victims of this type of scam are exposed to much greater risks in terms of consequences. The various exchanges with the scammers may enable them to obtain your banking information (bank account details, bank card number, etc.), identity information (driving licence, passport, national identity card) or personal information (surname, first name, date of birth, home address, etc.). This information will be used to commit other scams, by taking money from the victims or using their identity to defraud others.
Why use Obvy in this case?
Obvy never shares personal information with buyers or sellers who use our secure peer-to-peer payment system. You can be sure that all your personal and banking information is perfectly secure thanks to our encrypted security features with the same standards as the military and banks.
2. Possible remedies in case of a scam on Leboncoin
It is important to know that there is no point in going to your bank advisor if you are being cheated. Indeed, this is a scam, not a fraud! Consequently, your bank insurance will not cover the financial loss! Moreover, you will have sent the funds without being forced to do so.
There are no legal guarantees when buying between individuals. Victims of private party scams have little recourse:
Amicable settlement
The buyer and seller will agree on a price change, a return... In short, find solutions together to resolve the dispute. This is done without the intervention of any administration or entity linked to the justice system.
Filing a complaint
A victim has the option of filing a complaint, which in itself is unlikely to lead to a satisfactory outcome. The reasons? The amount of the loss, the lack of information for a conclusive investigation, or the location of the fraudsters who are often abroad.
Legal proceedings
It is possible to take the case to court. However, as with filing a complaint, the gaping holes in the file will quickly get the better of the procedure, which, moreover, will be very expensive for the victim (lawyers' fees, very long proceedings, etc.).
Report online scam
Even if it will not help you directly, you can report the scam, or an attempted scam, to click here.
Why use Obvy in this case?
Obvy guarantees its users optimal protection and offers advanced services (video anti-fraud proof, parcel return service, amicable price modification, etc.) directly at the heart of its payment service between individuals. And in the event of a dispute, the seller can lower its price to resolve the problem amicably or the buyer can return the item for a refund.
3. Precautions to avoid scams on Leboncoin
When buying and selling on Leboncoin, you can protect yourself from scammers by adopting simple behaviours and being careful about what you declare or show.
When submitting the advertisement
When you create your ad on Leboncoin, never enter personal information in the text of your ad (name, first name, address, etc.). This information can be useful, but only when discussions with the seller or buyer are advanced and you can be sure that your contact is trustworthy and reliable.
Do not enter your exact address. On Leboncoin, this is not required. The city and postcode are sufficient at this stage.
Also avoid leaving your phone number, this will prevent you from receiving all the scam SMS messages that are sent automatically by the scammers. All you have to do, directly on the Leboncoin interface, is to check the "Hide phone number in ad" box.
Finally, the photos used should not show your face or the faces of other people. For items that need to be on a man or woman, such as clothing that is worn to show the haircut, always cut off the head.
For more details and illustrations, please read our article "Scams on Leboncoin: how to protect yourself and secure your transactions".
When responding to an ad, whether you are a buyer or a seller
When responding to an advertisement, it is important to take the time to assess the situation. First of all, pay attention to the price. You may be looking for a good deal, but you should not be naive: an incredibly low price is purely utopian and almost always a scam. Luxury goods at bargain prices, vehicles (cars, motorbikes, scooters...) that are almost given away... Individuals who sell find out the price of a property before putting it up for sale. Scammers, on the other hand, will always try to attract the customer at any cost (and they succeed). Don't fall for it.
Another point to emphasise is the text of the ad! Pay attention to the information left by the seller. Scammers like to give fantastic reasons for their sales. These reasons change depending on the goods and/or services, but are always rather far-fetched:
- Death of a relative
- Disability or illness
- Inability to care for an animal
Beware, however, that scammers are now increasingly waiting until they are in direct contact with a potential victim to use these excuses and no longer mention them directly in the ad text. In addition, we invite you to read our article "Recognising a fake ad on Leboncoin and other sites between individuals".
During your exchanges by message or telephone
Again, it is not necessary to give too much information to the other party. The discussion should continue to revolve around the purpose of the sale and the terms of the discount. Do not send photos of yourself, your identity papers or your means of payment.
Why use Obvy in this case?
On Obvy, a phone number, an email address or a user's Obvy nickname is all that is needed to send a purchase proposal. In addition, Obvy includes a secure instant messaging system that allows buyers and sellers to exchange information about their property in the simplest way possible. Each conversation corresponds to a transaction, and is automatically closed and archived as soon as the transaction is completed.
4. Approach techniques of Leboncoin scammers
Scammers use quite similar approaches on Leboncoin and other classified ad sites in general. In the vast majority of cases, this is done by SMS, email or directly via the site's messaging system. Scammers want to avoid having their targets on the phone at all costs. One of the reasons is quite simple: a large number of scams are carried out from abroad, and their command of the language is sometimes questionable, and their accent can give them away! In most cases, they use the excuse of a disability, illness or the fact that they are travelling abroad to justify the fact that they only talk in writing.
The message is almost always structured in the same way: it marks a strong interest on the part of the buyer, who will ask if the property is still available, and to be contacted again by SMS or email. We have already written an article on the specific subject of SMS scams with additional information and examples that you can read here.
The final objective is of course to trap you by communicating freely with the potential victim in order to set up payment and/or delivery scams.
5. Payment scams on Leboncoin
There are an impressive number of payment scam techniques on Leboncoin. These are always based on a simple principle: the impossibility for the victim to trace the transaction and therefore to be able to turn around once the scam has been carried out.
The PayPal scam
A known scam but one that continues to wreak havoc. In short, the scammer will send a fake PayPal email to the seller saying that the funds are blocked now that he has proceeded to send the item he is selling. The victim will then be asked to proceed with the international activation of their PayPal account or the validation of their account. In all cases, the victim is asked to send funds that will supposedly be reimbursed in the near future with anonymous coupons or payment cards, or by means of money orders. This is obviously not true, and the victim will have lost their property as well as their money.
Learn more about the PayPal scam
The PCS Mastercard scam (or Transcash, Toneo...)
These cards or payment vouchers are available in tobacconists' shops, anonymous and impossible to trace! The scammer will invite the victim to go to a tobacconist's shop, buy a refill, and then give him the code written on it. With this information, the scammer can anonymously withdraw the money, in a few seconds, and no refund is possible. This scam is very often used in addition to other scams (PayPal, fake mailings...) and can be very effective.
Learn more about the PCS Mastercard scam (or Transcash, Toneo...)
The fake bank cheque scam
Simple and effective, this technique, often used for vehicles (cars, motorbikes, boats, scooters, etc.), consists of giving the victim a forged bank cheque that looks perfectly real. The scammer will conclude the meeting as quickly as possible and exchange the fake bank cheque for the object. When the victim goes to deposit the cheque, they will not immediately know that they have been defrauded. A bank has 8 days to realise that it is a fake! During this time, the swindler will have covered his tracks and the item sold for cash will have vanished.
In addition to bank cheques, traditional stolen or forged bank cheques are also used by fraudsters.
Learn more about the fake bank cheque scam
Learn more about the cheque scam
Money order scams (Cash Money Order, Western Union...)
The scammer, claiming to be a seller, will offer a property at a low price in order to attract as many potential buyers as possible. He will then put pressure on his victims in order to scare them into missing out on the deal of the century and ask for a payment mandate. The principle of a money order is extremely simple: the victim goes to the agency, deposits funds in cash or by bank card, and then receives a money order number to give to the fake seller so that he can withdraw the money. But the scammers open accounts with false information and once the money is lost it will be impossible for the victim to turn around, trace the transaction, or get a refund.
Learn more about the Money Order scam
Learn more about the Western Union scam
The money transfer scam
This scam consists of using bank delays to carry out the scam. In effect, the scammer will proceed with the payment of a good by bank transfer, the amount of which has been credited through a stolen, forged or wooden cheque. The funds are then credited to the victim's bank account, which will then proceed with the transaction. Afterwards, the bank will realise the origin of the transfer amount and will simply withdraw the money from the victim's account, leaving him or her with no option!
More about the money transfer scam
The RIB (Relevé d'Identité Bancaire) scam
Many people think that a private individual can only send them money with a GNI. This is not true. The scammer will pretend to want to pay by bank transfer and ask for the victim's bank account number. The scammer will then either not contact the victim again or say that they do not want to proceed with the transaction. The victim is not yet worried, she has just lost a sale. But a bank account number will allow the fraudster to set up direct debit mandates for services or subscriptions, and even to make payments on the Internet!
The counterfeit money scam
Although not widely feared by individuals, this scam technique is very real. The buyer will simply use counterfeit money in the sale. These counterfeit notes are extremely well made, and only the traders' machines will make the victims realise that they have been duped. The money can be seized and sent to the Bank of France. The Bank of France removed more than one million euros worth of counterfeit money from circulation in 2015.
More about the counterfeit money scam
Why use Obvy in this case?
Our secure private-to-private payment method protects you from 100% payment scams, for all transactions from €1 to €200,000. Obvy holds the funds in a virtual safe until the transaction is completed and both buyer and seller are satisfied. This means that the buyer does not pay in advance and the seller's creditworthiness is guaranteed. And if there is a change of mind or a problem, both buyer and seller can cancel the transaction, at no cost.
6. Delivery scams on Leboncoin
Delivery systems also stimulate the imagination of scammers. Fake features, fake parcels or receipt or dispatch notices... There are many potential scams. The aim? To get your money and why not your personal information.
The DHL scam or the FedEx scam
The scammers send out fake emails claiming that a money order has been sent to them. In short, the scam relies on the fact that a money order or cash will be delivered against the property directly via DHL or FedEx. Firstly, none of the carriers are cash couriers, and secondly, these companies never deal with money orders. The victim will therefore be asked to pay insurance to recover money that simply does not exist! Another technique is to ask the victim to pay a very small fee, in the order of a few euros, via a false interface for entering bank card information in order to steal the victim's bank card information.
Learn more about the FedEX scam
The Chronopost or Colissimo scam
Chronopost and Colissimo scams are quite similar. The victim will receive a fake SMS or email attesting to the imminent arrival or pending collection of a package. These messages can be used to set up the theft of banking information by paying a false fee to recover card codes, to recover your commercial information, or to incite you to call premium rate numbers to supposedly obtain more information on the parcel.
More about the Chronopost scam
Learn more about the Colissimo scam
Why use Obvy in this case?
All your transactions from £1 to £200,000 are secure with Obvy. Our integrated delivery system ensures that the package is tracked, its status is known, and that it is delivered to the buyer. And if the buyer does not declare by himself that he has actually collected the package, the seller is automatically paid after 72 hours. If the goods are not suitable, Obvy also has a return system.
7. Counterfeit scams on Leboncoin
Whether intentional or not, many ads on Leboncoin are actually sales of counterfeit items. We have written many articles on counterfeit goods that we invite you to read:
Beauty
Perfume, make-up... Avoid counterfeits and save yourself the pimples and other redness that go with them by reading our tips and advice!
Discover the Beauty sectionLeisure & Culture
Did you know that 9 out of 10 tickets for shows sold on the internet are fake? Can you recognise a fake train ticket? The answers to these questions and many more are here.
Discover the Leisure & Culture sectionMode
Polo shirts, shoes, sunglasses, watches, luxury bags... Fashion and counterfeits, an old story that you don't have to fall victim to by following our advice!
Discover the Fashion sectionTechnology
Smartphones and other high-tech accessories are enjoying phenomenal success, and this has fuelled the desire of counterfeiters to put into circulation imitations that can be both disappointing and dangerous. We're here to help you avoid them.
Discover the Technology section8. Stolen goods scams on Leboncoin
Telling you that it is okay to buy a stolen item is really not advisable. The consequences may vary, but will not be to your advantage.
Seizing or blocking the object
Yes, buying a stolen item does not mean you can keep it! Let's take two concrete examples:
Buying a leased phone: Today, operators offer their customers to lease their smartphones. Also, some scammers take their phones this way and then find a way to close their accounts without returning the phones, which they will resell on sites like Leboncoin. Even if the phone is functional at the time of sale, the operator will end up blocking it remotely, rendering it completely unusable! We have also written about this kind of scam in our article on Free's blocking.
Buying a stolen vehicle: In addition to the risk of being accused of concealment, which we will discuss below, the vehicle will be seized by the authorities, and your seller will have disappeared into thin air. You will have lost your money and your purchase in a few minutes. This is a very unpleasant surprise and a distressing situation for the victim who was wronged by the purchase.
The collection
When a private individual buys a good from another private individual without asking for the various documents and associated invoices, he or she is exposed to the purchase of a stolen object, and will be unable to prove his or her good faith. Buying stolen goods is a crime punishable by law, with penalties of up to five years in prison and a huge fine of €375,000.
Why use Obvy in this case?
On Obvy, all your sales and purchases are available in your personal transaction history. So you always have a record of what you bought, at what price, and from whom. What's more, on Obvy, buyers and sellers can have their identities verified upon registration and get a trust badge attesting to the verification of the profile. Don't hesitate to ask your seller to do this, it only takes them a minute and reassures you that they are honest.
9. Theft and ambush on Leboncoin
A quick search on Google will reveal a frightening number of cases of theft or aggression originating from transactions between private individuals. For example, a gold bullion sale that went wrong, a man who was robbed when he wanted to buy a scooter on Leboncoin, or a young girl who bought a broken phone and exchanged it for a perfectly good one at the last minute.
It is common to think that hand-delivered transactions are safe, but this is not the case. There are many pitfalls, and the transactions, mostly in cash in these cases, expose buyers to real risks in carrying large sums of money.
Why use Obvy in this case?
Obvy is able to secure both delivery and hand-delivered transactions. In this case, the money is locked until the buyer and seller exchange an encrypted code or scan a QR CODE. Since access to Obvy requires a secret code, a scammer cannot complete the transaction alone. In addition, Obvy systematically verifies the identities of all users for payment volumes greater than or equal to €2500 and withdrawals greater than or equal to €1000. However, a buyer or seller can request identity verification upon registration. The transaction is thus perfectly traced and secured.
10. Secure payment on Leboncoin
For your payments on Leboncoin, Obvy is without a doubt the most advanced and secure payment solution on the market. Today, our payment service is the only one to offer complete protection against all scams for all transactions of goods and services between individuals up to €200,000. Obvy's operation is extremely simple: we hold the money until your Leboncoin transaction closes and ensure complete satisfaction for both buyer and seller. Learn more by clicking on the following buttons:
I am a buyer I am a salesmanIn a Leboncoin transaction, the buyer simply sends a purchase proposal to the seller via Obvy, so that it is secure from start to finish. If the seller accepts, the money is secured until the sale is completed. If they change their mind, cancellation is free until the last moment, free of charge, and the buyer can get their money back in full.
Obvy also offers many innovative features (integrated tracking of parcels between individuals, real-time negotiation, video evidence, rating and reviews, etc.) that we invite you to discover:
Discover the featuresRequiring Obvy allows you to avoid all the scams on Leboncoin while keeping forever the history of the transactions made from our service. Moreover, Obvy is a universal payment method that can be used for all transactions, regardless of the platform (Leboncoin, Facebook, Paruvendu, La centrale...) and allows you to have only one payment solution for all your transactions between individuals without having to juggle payment methods.
So don't wait any longer, take advantage of the bargain basement in complete security and simplicity, with a light mind with Obvy.
Why use Obvy in this case?
On Obvy, all your sales and purchases are available in your personal transaction history. So you always have a record of what you bought, at what price, and from whom. What's more, on Obvy, buyers and sellers can have their identities verified upon registration and get a trust badge attesting to the verification of the profile. Don't hesitate to ask your seller to do this, it only takes them a minute and reassures you that they are honest.
11. Get discounts on your Leboncoin purchases
Every time you make a transaction on Leboncoin with a new seller or buyer, you can refer them to Obvy to earn €2 for each new active user who uses your referral code. The person you refer will earn €2 as soon as they register!
Once your referral is active, your next purchases will automatically use the discounts you have earned. For example, if you refer 2 people and you want to buy an item for €20 from another individual, you will only pay €16. It's simple, fast and cheap!
We also regularly give away vouchers for your transactions on Leboncoin or any other listing site on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
12. How Obvy works for your Leboncoin transactions
Buyer
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1
I send a purchase proposal to the seller
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2
My money is safe in a tamper-proof account
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3
I meet the seller or wait for my package to arrive
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4
I validate the transaction and enjoy my new property!
Salesman
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1
I receive a purchase proposal from the buyer
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2
My buyer's creditworthiness is guaranteed
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3
I meet the buyer or send the property to him/her
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4
I get paid as soon as the goods are handed over or delivered!
Secure all your transactions of goods and services between individuals with Obvy
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100% secure deposit of funds
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Solvency of the buyer guaranteed
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No payment in advance
