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2 clusters · 8 sources · 6 days · First seen 13 days ago · Last updated 7 days ago

Online phishing and e-commerce fraud trends

Overview

Authorities and consumer protection agencies are warning of an increase in sophisticated online fraud and phishing scams. Criminals are utilizing professional designs, replicating brand logos and layouts to create deceptive webshops and phishing sites.

In the context of second-hand and classified advertisement platforms, scammers are increasingly attempting to move communications away from official platform chats to external channels like email or messengers. These tactics often involve requesting product videos to initiate contact, followed by sending fake notifications regarding failed payments. These fraudulent messages may then request sensitive credit card or PayPal credentials, sometimes via QR codes.

To mitigate these risks, users are advised to verify merchant data, use platform-integrated payment functions, and avoid conducting transactions outside of official, secured channels.

Entities

Landeskriminalamt Baden-Württemberg · European Consumer Centre · PayPal · Vinted · Verbraucherzentrale

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Phishing scams are targeting users on second-hand online platforms. www.test.de
[○ 1 SOURCE] Sellers on platforms like Vinted have experienced financial losses ranging from four to five figures. www.test.de
[○ 1 SOURCE] Scammers use fake emails that appear to be from Vinted to request PayPal login credentials. www.test.de
[○ 1 SOURCE] Fraudsters send fake portal messages, sometimes using QR codes, to solicit credit card information. www.test.de

Timeline

7 days ago

[BUSINESS] 3 sources
Second-hand platforms face rise in phishing scams
Sellers on second-hand platforms like Vinted are facing phishing scams resulting in four-to-five-figure losses through fake emails and fraudulent payment requests.
13 days ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 5 sources
Online fraud: Tips to recognize fake shops and phishing scams
Consumers are warned to stay vigilant against professional-looking online shop scams and phishing attempts on classified ad platforms by verifying merchant data and avoiding external payment links.

Sources

beobachter.ch · hellwegeranzeiger.de · insidebw.de · leinetal24.de · marler-zeitung.de · schweiznews.ch · test.de · wochentlich.de