Reports are increasing after the arrival of a new wave of scams on Leboncoin, which exploits a flaw in the platform’s secure system. Result: sellers see nothing but fire.
On Leboncoin, like everywhere else on the Internet, scams abound. Sellers or buyers, no one is safe from falling into a trap via the famous classified ads site. If we think that buyers are the most vulnerable, sometimes paying for items they never receive or even for counterfeits, there are also more and more sellers who are being fooled. And especially because scammers are improving day by day, always discovering new flaws in the system. Whether you’re selling an old phone, a bike, or even a simple board game, this scam can target any user of the platform. And by the time we realize it, it’s often too late.
Indeed, for several weeks, a new sophisticated trap has been closing on Leboncoin sellers, who see nothing but fire. The police have received numerous reports throughout France. It must be said that, thanks to AI and ever more credible messages, it is increasingly difficult to spot deception. Because with this new scam, even secure payment is no longer enough.
Yes, the scammers have found the loophole: after agreeing to purchase your product, they send you an SMS or an email indicating that payment has been made. Everything fits: the graphics and vocabulary are the same as those used by Leboncoin, when a purchase is made via the “secure transaction” system. As a result, sellers are reassured by the apparent authenticity of the message, and send their package thinking they have been paid. And the scammers therefore end up with a 100% free product.
In fact, the trap is difficult to spot because, as on other second-hand platforms such as Vinted for example, payment is blocked until the package has been delivered. The buyer thus pays the money on the site, and the seller can only receive it once the sale has been validated, that is to say when the buyer has confirmed receipt of the product. So, many think they have no reason to be suspicious if they have not received the money from the sale immediately: even in a legitimate situation, you have to wait. This is why this new scam is particularly well put together.
Of course, to guard against this, it is important to remember the classic precautionary measures: always check the links before clicking, to ensure that it is the real Leboncoin URL. And above all, for this scam in particular, be sure to always stay on the secure messaging of the site or application, and therefore not to communicate with a buyer by email or SMS.
