A Sevastopol resident tried to sell a baby stroller via the Internet — he didn’t sell it, but he lost money

CrimeaPRESS reports:

Recently, the desire to sell a baby stroller remotely resulted in property damage for a 26-year-old local resident. After the young man posted this ad on one of the Internet sites, he received a call from a stranger who allegedly wanted to make a purchase. Under the pretext of receiving payment, the false buyer sent the victim an email asking him to follow the link he provided and enter his bank card details. The man thoughtlessly followed the instructions of the attacker, as a result of which more than 7 thousand rubles were stolen from his account. Realizing that he had been deceived, the victim contacted the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Leninsky district. Based on this fact, employees of the internal affairs bodies have opened a criminal case under Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Fraud” and are taking all necessary measures aimed at solving the crime.

In order to prevent such cases, Sevastopol police once again calls on citizens adhere to precautions. If you are selling something through an online service, then it is recommended to communicate with a possible buyer in chats within the platform, without going to third-party instant messengers and applications. However, do not click on external links under any circumstances. During correspondence, never communicate or enter codes from SMS and CVV code of a bank card, no matter under what pretext you are asked to do so, — note the press service of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Sevastopol.

Please note that posing as online buyers, scammers can distract your attention with a lengthy conversation and, under the pretext of receiving an advance payment, ask you to go to a bank terminal, after which they dictate a number of combinations. To lull vigilance, scammers may pose as law enforcement officers, military personnel or government officials sent to our region on a business trip, who for some reason are in a hurry to make a purchase from you. However, if you thoughtlessly follow such instructions from strangers, you may unknowingly transfer a significant amount to accounts controlled by scammers. To avoid becoming a victim of this crime, do not rush to comply with any demands of strangers without first thinking through your actions.

Since illegal acts are also committed against online buyers, when making remote purchases, we recommend using services to protect transactions within platforms. In this case, the money is reserved in a secure account until the package is delivered. After confirming the quality of the goods to buyers, the funds are transferred to the seller. An offer to buy expensive items at a reduced price, as well as a requirement to make an advance payment for a large amount at once should arouse your suspicion.

If you have suffered from a crime, you must immediately contact the nearest territorial unit of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs or report it by calling 102.

Press service of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for the city of Sevastopol (based on materials from the legal adviser of the legal group of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Leninsky district, Dmitry Obelov)

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