Confirmed Purchase: How to protect yourself from leading scam scams

Celebrating Safe Internet Day around the world, this Tuesday (the 7th), a study by OLX and AllowMe, the so-called “Confirmed purchase fraud” grew 75% year-over-year, leading the digital market fraud last year.

The research analyzed data from the Brazilian digital market between January and December 2022. a base of nearly 20 million accounts opened on online platforms.

According to the research, the damage caused by frauds applied in the digital environment In 2022 it reached almost 551 million BRL. Electronics, which is the leader in the ranking as the most targeted category, showed the order of preference of fraudsters as follows: Smartphones were in the first place with 45% (iPhones were preferred); video games are second (mostly PlayStation) with 16%; and computers are in third place with 15%.

Major scams and how to protect yourself

Confirmed Purchase

The Confirmed Purchase scam is a digital variant of the old Blank Envelope scam. With the rise of virtual banking transactions, scammers began to issue fake deposit slips. Generally, the scammer places an incomplete deposit with the victim’s data and sends it via email or WhatsApp. so the seller believes the money is already in the account.

By the time he realizes the scam, he already has the product and immediately stops responding to messages.

How to protect yourself: in this case orientation deliver the product only after you confirm that the payment has been deposited into your bank account or digital wallet. Maintain negotiations and monitor their status in the chats of the platforms, avoid chats via messaging apps, beware of emails that mimic company announcements. To do this, make sure the domain name has the correct company name after the at sign (xxx@companyname).

Fake Advertising

False advertising is self-explanatory: The scammer advertises a product for 40% to 50% cheaper than market value on trading platforms. The victim rushes to make the payment, thinking that he has bought too much, and never receives the product.

How to protect yourself: Use the guaranteed purchase methods of the platforms that allow you to recover the money paid in this type of scam. If you prefer to work directly with the seller, pay only after you receive the product. Be wary of prices well below market values ​​and report the ad to platforms if fraud is suspected.

data theft

In this mode, scammers don’t sell anything, but they take the opportunity to steal and sell personal data or use it in future scams.

How to protect yourself: never share mobile number, email, CPF and bank information with third parties. Always be wary of emailed links, only chat in chats across platforms.