Leboncoin scam: he travels 500 km in France to find his swindler
Like many other people, a man was ripped off on the Leboncoin classified ads site. He had bought a computer via the platform, but never saw a penny of it. Instead of filing a complaint and waiting for justice to be done, as he is advised to do, this Tours resident decided to cross half of France to get his property back. The man bought his computer for €1,000 and intended to get it back by breaking into the home of his swindler in Haute-Saône. Here's a look back at this unusual case.
A common scam on Leboncoin and other classified ad sites for individuals
On the Leboncoin site for classified ads between private individuals, it's not uncommon to find fake ads and dishonest buyers/sellers. It's the ideal platform for criminals looking to make a quick buck, and it's rife with scams such as SMS text message scams, phishing, fake adverts and fake hand-delivery appointments. Scammers use a variety of methods to empty victims' bank accounts. What's more, technological devices such as computers or telephones seem to be the preferred category of objects used by criminals to lure victims into their traps.
This case involves a 46-year-old man who fell victim to a scam that consists of selling a property to a private individual on Leboncoin, without ever sending it to him. The victim, who lives in Tours, bought a computer from the fake seller on Leboncoin, for the total sum of €1,015. Although the man paid the 41-year-old so-called seller, the latter never received the goods due to him, as agreed at the time of the transaction.
He realises the scam and decides to pull out all the stops
Nobody likes to be taken advantage of on the Internet. However, some take it better than others, who don't accept the situation and go overboard. This is the case of the victim of this scam, a civil servant with no criminal record, who couldn't stand being scammed on Leboncoin by this inhabitant of Haut-Saône. When the man realised that the computer was taking longer to arrive than expected, he first asked the supposed seller why. The seller then claimed that during this period of confinement, the French Post Office was imposing a restriction on parcel sizes. He then informed the buyer that the computer had broken and needed repairing. However, the Tours resident quickly realised the scam when he discovered that the computer was once again for sale on the classified ads site Leboncoin.
Annoyed, the buyer decided first to contact consumer associations and lawyers to plead his case. In the end, unable to get what he wanted, he decided to take the law into his own hands. So, on 25 May 2020, he decided to get behind the wheel and drive 500 km to Haute-Saône to visit the man who had dared to run the scam. According to his lawyer, his primary aim in going to the man's house was to find an amicable solution. But that's not really what happened. In fact, he tried to get the address of the fraudster from the mayor of the town with 200 inhabitants. He set out to find the fake seller's home and eventually tracked him down. He decided to break into the home by smashing a window. He finally found the long-awaited computer, in very good condition, and took it. But that wasn't all. Annoyed by the situation, the man took with him a chequebook and a tablet that he found in the house, and finally left for Tours.
They are both pressing charges against each other
Obviously, the story ended at the police station. The two men decided to lodge a complaint against each other, the bogus salesman lodging a complaint for breaking and entering, while the scammed man lodged a complaint for fraud. The swindler, who, according to the prosecutor, was no novice, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and ordered to pay 149 euros to the victim. The buyer, who was conned and decided to take revenge, received a four-month suspended prison sentence. To add insult to injury, when he broke into the seller's home, he forgot to take the computer charger with him...
Secure your transactions between individuals on Leboncoin with Obvy
Although Leboncoin, the classified ads site for private individuals, is a great place to find a bargain, you still need to be very vigilant, as there are many scams out there. To be on the safe side, it's advisable to use a secure payment method like Obvy, which allows you to avoid scams between private individuals. Thanks to Obvy, the secure payment method for private individuals and professionals, you can turn around in the event of a scam or attempted scam. You'll get a full refund and have all the information you need about the seller to lodge a complaint.