New Warning Across Spain: Guardia Civil Reveals Growing Scam Targeting Wallapop Users

If you’ve ever sold thing connected Wallapop – aliases bought thing second-hand to prevention a spot of rate – nan Guardia Civil has a informing you’ll want to salary attraction to. Because what began arsenic a clever measurement to springiness caller life to aged gadgets and furnishings has, unsurprisingly, caught nan attraction of immoderate little honorable people.

Spain has afloat embraced second-hand apps. Wallapop, Vinted, Milanuncios… successful conscionable a fewer taps, you tin get free of a laptop you nary longer need, aliases find a awesome woody connected a bike. And for nan astir part, it useful brilliantly.

But arsenic nan Guardia Civil put it bluntly this week connected TikTok: erstwhile thing becomes celebrated online, scammers aren’t acold behind.

A scam that feels friends – until nan point is gone

The newest instrumentality being utilized by cybercriminals is frighteningly simple. There’s nary hacking, nary large play – conscionable a speech that seems normal… until nan infinitesimal your point disappears and nan money ne'er shows up.

Here’s really it typically plays out: You station an ad. A purchaser contacts you – polite, speedy responses, genuinely interested. Maybe they moreover look relieved to person yet recovered what they wanted.

Then comes nan first reddish flag: they propose finishing nan transaction extracurricular nan app.

And they’ll person a logic ready:
• “Wallapop fees are excessively high”
• “It’s quicker to transportation directly”
• “I don’t spot nan app’s costs system”

Whatever nan excuse, nan extremity is nan aforesaid – get you into WhatsApp, SMS, aliases email, wherever Wallapop can’t protect you.

This happened precocious to a female trading a smartphone worthy €850. The purchaser suggested paying directly. To make her consciousness safe, he sent her a very official-looking email supposedly from nan Guardia Civil, claiming nan transaction was being monitored and guaranteed.

It looked real. Reassuring, even.

She posted nan phone.
She waited.
The money ne'er came.
And nan buyer? Gone.

As nan Guardia Civil explained:
the infinitesimal she stepped retired of nan app’s ain chat, each safeguard disappeared.

Why leaving nan app is nan biggest mistake

Inside apps for illustration Wallapop, everything leaves a trace. Payments are secure. Messages are monitored. If personification tries thing suspicious, nan level tin measurement in.

Outside nan app?

No proof. No protection. No refund.
You’re wholly connected your own.

Scammers cognize that. That’s why they put unit connected sellers to move platforms arsenic accelerated arsenic possible.

They create a consciousness of urgency:
“Send it coming and I’ll salary immediately.”
“Oh no, my app isn’t working, tin we move to email?”
“I’m travelling, it’s faster this way.”

They dress to do you a favour – but they’re nan only ones benefitting.

A inclination fuelled by Spain’s second-hand boom

This type of scam didn’t look retired of nowhere. Spain’s second-hand system is bigger than ever – and growing. For galore people, particularly during nan existent cost-of-living crisis, trading unused items has go a basal lifeline.

That besides means:

•  More costly products being sold privately
•  More users who are not utilized to spotting fraud
•  More scammers seeing an opportunity

The Guardia Civil is much than happy to praise nan thought of recycling tech and clothing…
but they’re not happy astir nan criminals who person discovered that a friends chat tin beryllium much effective than immoderate hacking software.

The Guardia Civil’s message: don’t move nan chat – not moreover for a “better deal”

Authorities aren’t trying to scare group distant from Wallapop aliases akin apps. Quite nan other — they want users to enactment wrong those platforms, because that’s wherever nan rules protect them.

Their proposal is very clear:

• Never complete a woody extracurricular nan app – not for immoderate reason
  • Do not spot emails claiming charismatic involvement
  • Don’t nonstop an point until costs is confirmed wrong nan app
  • Report buyers who garbage to usage nan platform’s system

They accent that, successful these scams, nan seller is convinced they are being observant – correct up until nan infinitesimal they realise they’ve been tricked.

Better to suffer a sale… than to suffer a €850 phone.

A scam we tin extremity by being cautious

The Guardia Civil isn’t trying to ruin nan second-hand fun. Most transactions spell smoothly. Most group are honest.
But it only takes 1 scammer to move a bully woody into a bad day.

This informing is simply a reminder:
if nan purchaser insists connected skipping nan charismatic chat – that’s your motion to locomotion away.

Because erstwhile nan parcel is gone, there’s nary undo button. And nan scammer? They’re already connected to nan adjacent victim.

So adjacent clip you get a connection offering speedy rate and a simpler process: Stay connected nan app, aliases don’t do nan woody astatine all.