If you have just created an account, you should know how to avoid scams on Wallapop to avoid losing money for wanting to save a few euros.
In any platform for buying and selling second-hand items you have to be extremely careful, so it is always good to know how to avoid scams on Wallapop. Unfortunately, rogue traders are still very popular, and unsuspecting users are also in the majority, so it is advisable to take extreme precautions on the platform by following these tips.
How to spot fake sellers on Wallapop
The first thing we need to know is how to spot fake sellers on Wallapop. Bargains exist, but there is always a limit, so if you see a product that is extremely discounted in the price we already have a reason to distrust the seller. The best thing to do is to take a look at how long they have been on the platform and the sales they have made. User reviews are very useful in this regard, although it is true that we have all had to start at some point in the application.
Another interesting trick you can use is to perform a reverse search. When you suspect an item, you can download the images by taking a screenshot. When searching for an image in Google, if you click on the camera icon, you can upload the image of the article and check if it is a picture taken from the web or not. Yandex also offers this possibility.
The communication we establish with the seller will also give us many clues. As soon as you detect that their writing is more like that of a Google translator than that of a native Spanish speaker, don’t even bother to continue negotiating, because the scam smells miles away.
Wallapop always recommends using the app’s chat so that there is a record in case a dispute is opened, so if the seller offers you to continue the negotiation by email or WhatsApp, you already have another more than a justified reason to be wary.
How to uncover fake buyers on Wallapop
Not all scams come from the seller’s side, it also comes in handy to have tricks on how to uncover fake buyers on Wallapop. Most often the buyer will want to take the negotiation outside the limits of the application, so they will use a strategy similar to the one we discussed with the sellers. Always keep the conversation in the Wallapop chat and you will save yourself a lot of trouble.
The buying and selling history of the user with whom we deal will always be a relevant indicator of whether we are dealing with a possible scammer. In the case of purchases, all your efforts will be linked to the payment method. Whether he offers you to pay through PayPal or offers you a receipt of a payment deposit in a foreign bank, do not trust him and do not even send the product, because it is likely that you will not see it again (of course not the money either).
If the buyer tells you that he will make the payment through a prepaid card service (NeoSurf is the most common) or will send you the money by DHL, you are at risk of being a victim of phishing. If you receive an email to confirm any of these supposed payments, never click on it, because your computer will be compromised. These offers are nothing more than the adaptation of the Nigerian prince scam to Wallapop.
Why not to give your phone number on Wallapop
There are plenty of reasons why not to give your phone number on Wallapop. The security guarantees that the platform offers are no longer effective when the deal between users occurs outside their chat, so under no circumstances provide any personal data: neither the phone nor the bank account. If you deliver a product by hand, the Wallapop chat will still be the best way to let you know when one or the other is arriving at the meeting point.