MoneyGram scam on classified ad sites: how can you avoid it?

MoneyGram is a recognised player in the money transfer industry. So it's only natural that crooks have decided to use the service to set up scams aimed at usurping their victims' money. Fortunately, it is possible to detect this scam and protect yourself against it, so as not to fall into the trap set by the crooks who operate on classified ad sites such as Leboncoin, ParuVendu, Facebook, etc.

A scam similar to others

The principle is basic. Just like the WesternUnion scam, the crooks will try to get their victims to make a money transfer, which of course has nothing to do with the sale or purchase of an item.

It's effectively a scam!

MoneyGram is not at all a payment method designed for transactions between private individuals, and is therefore unable to help you in the event of a problem. And for good reason: any money transferred to MoneyGram cannot be recovered. It is a pure and simple transfer of money, with no possibility of retraction.

So start from the simple principle that anyone asking you to make a payment via MoneyGram that you don't know is a potential scammer.

Low prices to attract victims

As in the case of many fake ads for sale on personal ads websites, the scammers will put particularly attractive ads online in order to lure as many people as possible into the scam. Under the pressure of a good deal, potential victims may lose their cool and act in haste, transferring the money. So the scammers gamble on the fear of losing the deal of the century to speed up the scam and easily steal from Internet users.

Misleading emails

Scammers may also send their targets emails which capitalise on the fact that the victim does not know or has never used the MoneyGram money transfer service. These emails then state that making a payment on MoneyGram is simply a secure deposit of funds (they may also say that it is a cash-on-delivery deposit in order to check the buyer's actual solvency), and not a payment. This is, of course, not true and, as a reminder, any transfer to MoneyGram is irrevocable. The scammers are therefore posing as distrustful sellers who want to make the transaction as secure as possible, and are making Internet users lower their guard.

MoneyGram does not allow secure deposits of funds

So the crooks have invented a MoneyGram feature that simply does not exist. A payment on MoneyGram is direct and instantaneous, and it is not possible to make cash-on-delivery deposits on this money transfer service.

For purchases between private individuals, use the Obvy payment solution

If you need to buy or sell a property between private individuals, don't take any risks and use Obvy, guaranteeing you protection against all payment scams, in person and on delivery, from €1 up to €200,000. Obvy keeps the money safe for the duration of the transaction, guaranteeing the solvency of the transaction, the identity of the users, and optimum security.