Online traders warned about banking scam

A potential online seller was almost stung by fraudsters who got in touch over a mobile phone they had listed for sale on Facebook.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions, said the prospective buyer had seemed “very keen” to collect the phone and offered to pay by bank transfer.

But she became suspicious after the man came to her home to seal the deal, adding: “He passed me his phone to put in my bank details but the app he was using didn’t seem right.

“The balance amount kept changing — one minute it was £5,000, then it was £3,000 and then it jumped up to £10,000.

“He then claimed to have sent the amount but I never received anything.

“I told him: ‘You might want to phone your bank to get that sorted.’ He wasn’t interested.”

The woman claimed she had given him the “benefit of the doubt” so they had tried it again.

The result was the same, with no money landing in the seller’s bank account.

She said: “He said he was banking with Metro Bank.

“I phoned my bank but they confirmed they have received nothing.

“He was then pretending to phone his bank.

“He then said he would come back in two hours.

“I told him to come back with cash.

“After he left, I said to my partner that I didn’t trust him and I did a Google Image search on the transaction screenshot.

“It brought up multiple articles of people that have been scammed.

“They claimed they transferred the money and left with the goods, and they later realised they hadn’t received any money.

“The police told me the man who had come to my home was the subject of multiple enquiries at the moment.”

Det Sgt Gary Henshaw, from South Yorkshire Police’s Fraud Hub, said: “We have recently been made aware of a scam in which buyers who are purchasing goods via social media are using a replica banking app to confirm they have sent payment to a seller, which turns out to be fake.

“Unfortunately, not everyone buying or selling products via social media is genuine, and therefore I would encourage anyone purchasing or selling goods to remain vigilant.

“If you purchase any goods via social media, never post the item until you’ve received payment into your own account.

“Be aware of fake payment apps and fake notifications from companies such as PayPal — scammers can make confirmation emails, texts and webpages look really convincing.

“I’d really encourage everyone to spread the word about scams like this, and ensure their loved ones know to be vigilant.

“If you think you have been a victim of this scam, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or go online to actionfraud.police.uk.”