The circular economy is rapidly advancing in sectors such as textiles, accessories, electronics and cultural products.
Buying second-hand is becoming increasingly fashionable. It is clear that Vinted has become one of the leading platforms in this field. Many people have been encouraged for the first time to sell items that are taking up space in their wardrobe. However, scammers know all this and have also taken advantage of this boom to carry out illegal actions.
This week, some TikTok users who regularly buy and sell second-hand clothes on Vinted informed their followers of a new scam on the app. The alert was given by Ángel Hernández (@angelhernandezbiz), who used to sell and buy on Vinted and reports on his account some of the scams that take place on the application. He was one of the people affected and, in addition to being very upset, he lost 225 euros.
The scam mainly consists of a user purchasing a product and when the package arrives, the scammer claims that he did not receive the product he ordered, but something completely different. “I sent him the package and when he told me he received a chess set, he took a picture of an open box. He took a picture of an open box with a chess set next to it”, explains Ángel Hernández. Ángel Hernández explains in his video, which has already been viewed more than 200,000 times.
How to avoid this scam
The victim responded by writing directly to Vinted, which he advises doing in similar situations. The company took two weeks to respond and eventually refunded the scammer's money. “This is the biggest scam I've ever seen on Vinted, because anyone can do it. They are normal users with their photos, articles and ratings”, explains Ángel Hernández. To avoid this, he advises to take pictures of the shipments, both of the box, the label and the product inside.
Another tip from those who have been victims of this type of scam is to pay attention to the profiles of the sellers. Those that contain no information (photos, description, saved items) and no ratings are highly suspect. This is not conclusive evidence, but if you don't trust a user when communicating with them, it's best to trust your gut and avoid selling or buying from them.
I am a student and I am part of the editorial staff of thesilverink.com. I have the chance to enjoy writing, however, I also like to discuss all subjects and especially anything related to Science.
