Online Scam in Australia: Woman Tries to Sell Boots on Facebook Marketplace, Duped of Rs 83,000
Cyber fraudsters are finding new ways to dupe people of their hard earned money. In another such incident, a 55-year old woman in Australian fell victim to a sophisticated online scam that resulted in the loss of $1,000 (Rs 83,000) from her bank account.
Canberra, November 16: Cyber fraudsters are finding new ways to dupe people of their hard earned money. In another such incident, a 55-year old woman in Australian fell victim to a sophisticated online scam that resulted in the loss of $1,000 (Rs 83,000) from her bank account. The fraud happened after the woman listed a pair of men’s riding boots for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
The Guardian reported that the woman posted the boots for $60 and received a message from an individual purportedly residing in Whyalla, South Australia, expressing interest in purchasing the item. Despite initial hesitation about shipping the product, the woman agreed to the request to facilitate the sale. Online Scam in Bengaluru: IT Professional Scammed for Rs 97,000 by Cybercriminals Posing as RTO and Mumbai Police Officials.
In an attempt to ensure a secure transaction, the woman suggested using PayPal for payment due to her wariness of potential scams. However, the buyer claimed that he have a PayPal account and insisted on processing the payment through the Marketplace for "buyer/seller’s protection." New Dating App Scam: Men Being Tricked Into Paying Huge Restaurant Bills by Online Match on Tinder, Bumble and Other Apps, Know Modus Operandi and How To Avoid Getting Scammed.
The buyer's messages contained subtle typos, which she failed to notice. The scammer cleverly crafted a narrative, portraying himself as a young farmer in need of affordable riding boots for farm use, thereby gaining the woman’s trust.
The turning point came when the scammer sent a link via Facebook, purportedly from the platform, claiming it was a payment service verification process. Despite feeling uneasy about the message's informal tone, the woman clicked the link, believing it resembled a familiar verification method she had used before.
The link redirected her to a convincing, professional-looking webpage prompting her to select her bank and enter her access code, mimicking the bank's login page. Following this, she received texts purportedly from her bank, requesting a code to register a new device for internet banking. Unfortunately, she unwittingly provided this code, granting the scammers access to her account.
Later, upon checking her bank account, she discovered that $1,000 had been fraudulently withdrawn, although the scammers’ attempt to withdraw $3,000 was foiled by the bank's security measures.
Distressed by the ordeal, the woman immediately contacted her bank, which promptly canceled her card and assured her they would issue a new one. Though she didn’t lose all her funds due to the bank's intervention, the experience left her feeling ashamed and upset.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 16, 2023 10:36 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).