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Advice and tips on buying and selling between private individuals

Leboncoin scam: Lionel Tim victim of an ambush

Lionel Tim has come a long way since taking part in Popstars in 2003. The singer, a former member of the group Linkup with his former sidekicks M. Pokora and Otis, is now a casual entertainment worker. However, in a financially complicated period, Lionel Tim is struggling to make ends meet, so he decided to sell his phone on Leboncoin. In February, the singer recounted how he had been the victim of a violent attack during an ambush in the middle of Paris. Lionel decided to tell his story to share his news and to warn his subscribers of the dangers of the internet.

Singer victim of Leboncoin scam

Like many other victims of online scams between individuals, Lionel Tim has been through a real nightmare. He used to be in the Linkup group with M. Pokora and Otis, and is now a chauffeur on Cyril Hanouna's show Touche pas à mon poste. Unfortunately, Lionel Tim, revealed by Popstars, is in the news this time for a much darker story. In an emotional video on Instagram, the singer shares his misadventure.

He explains that it all started when he put his mobile phone up for sale on the classified ads website Leboncoin. A buyer responded to Lionel's ad and said he was very interested in buying his phone. The two agreed to meet in the 17th arrondissement of Paris to exchange the phone. But when the singer arrived, nothing went according to plan.

He is ambushed in the middle of Paris

Once he arrived at the appointment, Lionel thought he was selling his phone, but he was confronted by five individuals. He was then violently attacked, getting punched and kicked. He explains that he had the presence of mind to keep his scooter helmet on during the attack, otherwise it could have been much worse. After being beaten up and having his phone stolen, the singer rushed to the police station to lodge a complaint. He then learned that the gang who had attacked him had a habit of stealing phones and electric scooters in this part of Paris.

Lionel warns subscribers about Leboncoin scams

Lionel Tim has taken the opportunity to warn his followers on Instagram to be careful when posting ads on private classifieds sites such as Leboncoin, especially if the person insists that the meeting take place in a park and not in a public place as is recommended. He also explains that you should never go alone to a meeting set up with someone on Leboncoin, because you never know who you might run into. And he's absolutely right.

Secure your transactions on classified ad sites for private individuals

Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for people to be tricked into meeting someone using leboncoin or other scams. That's why it's vital to be on the lookout for the signs of a scam, but above all to ensure your transaction is carried out using a secure payment method like Obvy. With Obvy as your trusted third party for transactions between private individuals, you'll have all the information you need about the buyer or seller in the event of a problem. An ideal solution for buying and selling with complete peace of mind.