Escaped an attempted scam on Leboncoin

A young man was almost scammed on the famous classified ad site Leboncoin. He managed to discover the deception in time, just before he had to send his swindler the money he demanded. He told us his story.

An announcement too good to be true

The transaction this young man wanted to carry out was a very popular one on the classified ad sites. The young man had come across an advertisement for the sale of a vehicle at a very attractive price, so he immediately showed his interest to the seller, albeit with some reservations. Given that the price offered by the seller was too different from those on the market, the young man sought explanations and proof that the vehicle in question actually existed.

The seller mentioned health problems that were forcing him to sell quickly, which justified the low price. He then sent further information to justify the existence of the vehicle: photos and videos of the car, the registration document, the order form... and even a copy of his identity card. Everything was done to appear as honest as possible.

The evidence seemed irrefutable

With all the information sent by the alleged scammer, our victim was able to check on the internet whether the vehicle really existed, via a government website, and whether the photos and videos sent had actually come from the seller's home, via Street View, which was the case. The evidence seemed to be genuine, so there was no longer any reason to worry.

A few messages later, in order to reserve the vehicle, the seller asked the young man to sign a promise to sell. The young man accepted without being too suspicious, and promptly sent a copy of his identity card and proof of address to prove his good faith.

The sum that aroused his suspicions

In order to block the sale, the seller demanded 30% of the purchase price from the buyer. Knowing that the rule is to claim 10% of the purchase price to block a sale, this claim aroused our victim's suspicions. He then started to look for evidence on the internet that could confirm his suspicions, and it was at this point that he came across another ad with the same information in the description, but with a different seller and a different price, but one that was already closer to the market price.

He then contacted the seller of this second ad. The seller explained that he had been a victim of identity theft for three months. Despite his complaints, the scams continued using his personal details. Our young man then tried to report his fake seller to the site, but to no avail, as the account had already been deleted.

Our victim managed to escape the attempted scam because he didn't pay his swindler, but with the documents he sent, a copy of his identity card and proof of address, he's afraid he'll soon be a victim of identity theft himself. Through his story, he wants to warn you about these scams between private individuals that are all too common on classified ad sites.

Buy your used car safely with Obvy

Unfortunately, this type of scam is very common on classified ad sites such as Vinted, Facebook and Leboncoin. It's up to you to remain vigilant and know how to recognise the "red flags", the elements that require special attention, such as prices that are too low, a request for personal documents, etc.

To buy your used car in complete security, use Obvy. Obvy is a payment method originally designed to counter 100% of scams in transactions between private individuals. Today it can also be used by professionals, but its primary aim remains the same: to prevent you from being ripped off. Discover the many advantages of Obvy by clicking here.