Suspicious Messaging Alert
If you receive any suspicious messaging regarding an item in your shop, be cautious. It may be an attempt at advance-fee fraud or a “419 scam.”
Watch out for the following signs that the message may be a scam:
- Odd phrases or strange formatting in the message
- An offer to send more money than the asking price for the item (overpayment scam)
- Claims of being a travelling businessperson, oceanographer, or away at sea
- Insistence on communicating through a personal email address instead of through the platform
- Lack of familiarity with the listing, as indicated by vague questions
- Refusal to use the platform’s checkout and protection measures
- Interest in a high-value item, as scammers often target more expensive listings.
The scammer may try to convince a seller to accept a fake payment for more than the product is worth. If successful, the scammer will obtain both the product and the money. In most cases, the scammer will not be caught.
How these types of scams can play out:
A scammer sees a product listed for £100 and offers to send £180 by check. To cover the costs of international shipping or the scammer’s private shipping company. They ask the seller to transfer the remaining £80 back to them after shipping the product.
The seller deposits the £180 check into their bank account and returns £80 to the scammer. Scammers rely on the seller doing this before the check is verified by the bank, which can take several days.
Once the payment is processed, the bank will determine that the check is fake and will take the entire £180 back from the seller. Since the seller already transferred £80 back to the scammer, they will now have to pay an additional £80 out of their pocket. If the seller has already spent any of the £100, they thought they earned, they will also have to replace that. The product, if shipped, will also be lost.
Scammers could use multiple accounts to send identical messages to various sellers without customising them. They tend to target sellers who list expensive items in their shop and have low sales.
Example of a real 419 scam message
Hello Seller
is this item still ready for the immediate purchase, before i proceed with the payment i will Like to ask about the item…
- What is the present condition of the item?
- Do you accept PAYPAL as your mode of payment?
- what is the final asking price?
kindly get back to me with your reply to my private email :
hope to read from you soon.
Best Regards
The scam works because the scammer uses a forged check or electronic invoice to trick the victim into believing they have received a legitimate payment. The victim then ships the item, but the payment ultimately bounces. Or is revealed as fraudulent, leaving the victim responsible for the entire amount, and losing the item they shipped.
Additionally, the scammer may ask the victim to return any overpayment via PayPal or wire transfer. Still, these methods are also easily manipulated by the scammer, resulting in the victim losing both the item and the money. It is important to remember that money sent back to the scammer is lost forever.
If you suspect a message is a scam, it is important not to engage with the sender. Responding to the message will only encourage the scammer to continue targeting you.
Food Prepped takes preventative measures to protect its community members from scammers.
What you should do
If you obtain any suspicious messaging, report it by following these steps:
- Log in to your Food Prepped account
- Go to the Messages section
- Locate suspicious messaging and mark it as spam
By doing so, the message will be moved to your spam folder and a copy of it will be sent to Food Prepped’s admin team for review.
If you have any further concerns about suspicious messaging or have already exchanged money with a potential scammer, it is important to contact us immediately by using the link provided at the bottom of the page. Additionally, it’s highly recommended to reach out to your local law enforcement and financial institution for further assistance.
