What are the common frauds on Le Bon Coin?

Le Bon Coin, like many online sales platforms, is sometimes confronted with various forms of fraud. Here are the most common types of fraud identified on this platform:

1. Fake buyers:

• Fraudsters pose as buyers interested in an item and send fake payment confirmation emails.
• They may also ask for personal or financial information under the guise of completing the purchase.

2. Fake sellers:

• Scammers post ads for items at attractive but non-existent prices. Once payment is made, the buyer never receives the item.
• Ads for high-value goods (cars, electronic equipment) at very low prices to quickly attract buyers.

3. Phishing:

• Fraudsters send emails or messages pretending to come from Le Bon Coin, asking you to click on a link and enter personal or financial information.

4. Carrier scam:

• The scammers ask the buyer to use a particular, often conniving, delivery service and pay the delivery costs in advance. The item never arrives.

5. Cash money order scam:

• Fraudsters ask the buyer to make a payment via cash order or another payment method that is difficult to trace and not secure.

6. Trojans and malware:

• Some scammers send links or attachments containing malware to steal personal or financial information.

7. Identity theft:

• Using stolen identities to post or respond to ads to deceive users.

8. Fake checks:

• Fraudsters send falsified or stolen checks to pay for an item, often for more than the amount requested, and then ask to be refunded the difference.

9. Fake payment services:

• Creation of fake payment sites or fake payment interfaces to trick users into entering their banking information.

To protect yourself from these frauds, it is recommended to:

• Use the secure messaging and payment systems offered by the platform.
• Be wary of overly attractive offers.
• Never share your personal or banking information.
• Meet sellers/buyers in person in public places.
• Check the opinions and credibility of the users with whom you interact.

If you want to limit the risk of fraud on Le Bon Coin as much as possible, the ideal is to use the services of a property certification platform such as LookID.