Leboncoin scam: Buyer tricked when trying to purchase an iPhone for 800 euros

On Saturday 28 November, a buyer was tricked on the online ad site Leboncoin. Even though scams are unfortunately commonplace on Leboncoin, it's fair to say that this man had a misadventure that he won't soon forget. The man only wanted to buy an iPhone and thought he had got a bargain because it was sold for 800 euros on the online ad site. To enable the transaction to take place in person, the seller arranged to meet him in Pessac. But it was when he arrived that the buyer found himself trapped, confronted by two individuals. Here's a look back at his misadventure.

A new scam on Leboncoin

This is not the first time that the Leboncoin website has been the scene of large-scale scams between private individuals. The ad site is regularly used by scammers, particularly during this second period of confinement. They take advantage of the fact that they can trap buyers who come to the site, by publishing ads anonymously without verifying their identity.

But let's look back at the misadventure of this 47-year-old man. He was scouring the classified ads site in the hope of finding a good deal on an iPhone. When he came across an advert announcing the "sale of an iPhone for 800 euros", the buyer decided to contact the person behind the advert, thinking he was getting a great deal. After a few brief exchanges via the messaging system on the buy/sell website, the seller arranged to meet the buyer in Pessac to make the exchange in person. However, once they arrived at the meeting place, things didn't go quite as the 47-year-old had hoped.

Hand delivery does not go as planned

Once there, at the meeting point agreed between the seller and the buyer, the man found himself in a situation he never thought he'd find himself in when he got up that morning. Once in Pessac, the buyer was confronted by two individuals, rather than one as had been agreed. The buyer then realised that he was dealing with crooks, as they had no iPhone to exchange for the sum of 800 euros specified in the website advert. The two men threatened him with a plastic gun and told him to give them the money for the transaction. He then realised that he was trapped in an ambush, alone with the two men, and that he was going to have a hard time getting out of the situation.

However, even with a plastic gun pointed at him, the buyer didn't give up and tried to defend himself as best he could. But that was not enough, as one of the men hit him on the head and stole the 800 euros in the process. The two men then made off with the victim's money. They didn't have long to run, however, as the first swindler was arrested by police officers just a few minutes after the event. This enabled investigators to trace the second thief, who was soon arrested. Both men immediately admitted to the offences, including a minor who was brought before a juvenile court judge.

Beware of scams on Leboncoin

While the 47-year-old buyer was lucky enough to escape virtually unscathed, this is unfortunately not the case for everyone. Sometimes it can be much worse, where you never see your money again, in transactions that seemed harmless at the time. So you need to be on your guard at all times, whether you're on the buyer's or the seller's side.

But there is a solution that can guarantee total security, no matter who you're doing business with. It'sObvy, the secure payment solution for private individuals and professionals. Thanks to the fact that your funds are kept in a digital safe throughout the transaction, you can recover the full amount if the person tries to rip you off. And there are no fees. It also means you no longer have to carry cash or cheques with you. So you can rest easy!