Facebook users in Gedling borough are being recruited to sell empty cereal boxes or no goods at all which they believe to be items such as Apple MacBooks and other electrical items.
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) and Action Fraud say they have noticed a rise in victims being recruited via the social media site to sell items for suspects on eBay – often stating that it is a quick way of making money.
The items are said to be bankrupt stock, purchased via auctions, and need to be sold on quickly. The majority of the items reported have been Apple Mac Book Pro/Electrical Items.
The victim places the items on eBay and once the items are sold, the victim will get paid and transfer the funds to the suspect/recruiter.
Once the suspect/recruiter gets the funds, the purchasers are claiming that they have received empty cereal boxes or often no goods at all, leaving the victim being reported as the actual suspect, and leaving them out of pocket as their account will be debited.
Protect yourself:
- Consider conducting research on other information provided by the seller, for example: a mobile phone number or email address could alert you to negative information associated with the number/email address online.
- Be very cautious of unsolicited emails or approaches over social media promising opportunities to make easy money.
- When accepting offers, verify the company/entity details provided to you and check whether they have been registered in the UK.
- If you think the deal or offer is too good to be true then it probably is!
If you, or anyone you know, have been affected by this fraud or any other scam, report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk.
