FRAUD ALERTS – Scammers Preying on Back-To-School Shoppers
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 01, 2020
Gen Z students should beware scammers preying on back-to-school shoppers
Advocates are warning young clothing shoppers to be on the lookout for new scams targeting them.
In a typical scam, scammers posing as legit sellers post deeply discounted merchandise (think luxury fashion, the latest sneakers, or in-demand technology like gaming consoles). As shoppers show interest, the seller urges the user to complete the transaction outside the platform’s built-in payment system. Complaints have indicated that scammers often ask buyers to use P2P payment apps like PayPal’s Friends & Family, Zelle, or CashApp or even less secure payment methods like gift cards or wire transfers. Scammers seek victims willing to complete payment this way because it is harder for a transaction to be disputed when it occurs off of the selling platform.