Divorce with Prepayment: A Common Internet Scam

Prepayment scams on the internet are becoming an increasingly common scheme of deception. Prepayment fraud affects buyers making purchases in online stores or on classified ad platforms. Fake online deals and scams with advance payments can lead to financial losses and long attempts to get money back. To avoid such situations, it is important to know the main schemes of scammers and methods for verifying sellers.

Popular Prepayment Scam Schemes

Scammers use various ways of deception, demanding partial or full prepayment for goods or services. The most common schemes include:

• Fake online deals. Scammers create fake online store pages or publish ads for popular goods at a reduced price. After receiving the prepayment, they stop communicating.
• Scam for money transfer through messengers. On popular classified ad platforms, scammers ask to transfer money to a card or electronic wallet before shipping the goods. In some cases, they even send fake shipping receipts to reassure the buyer.
• Fraud with advance payments for services. Scammers offer services (e.g., repair, transportation, or housing rental) and demand prepayment but do not fulfill their obligations.
• Fake receipts. Some fraudsters send buyers fake documents of payment or shipment to convince them of the deal's reliability.
• Payment through phishing sites. Scammers may send a link to a site that looks like a well-known online store but is actually a fake.

Such scams can affect both regular buyers and those purchasing goods through popular trading platforms.

How to Check a Seller Before Payment

To reduce the risk of becoming a victim of fraud when shopping online, it is important to verify sellers before transferring money. The main methods of verification include:

1. Reviewing feedback. Check reviews about the seller on independent sites. If there are no reviews or they look similar, it could be a sign of a fake page.
2. Checking contact information. Reliable sellers always provide real contacts — address, phone, or company details.
3. Examining the profile on trading platforms. Pay attention to the account registration date, the number of ads, and profile activity.
4. Requesting a photo of the product with a specific item. Scammers often use photos from the internet. If the seller refuses to take an additional photo, it is a reason to doubt the deal's honesty.
5. Choosing safe payment methods. It's better to use platforms with a secure transaction feature or payment upon receipt.

These checks will help avoid transferring money to scammers.

How to Get Money Back After Prepayment

If a buyer encounters fraud in online shopping, it is important to act quickly to get the money back. The main steps include:

• Contacting the bank. If the payment was made by card, contact the bank and request a chargeback procedure. The bank may refund the money if fraud can be proven.
• Filing a police report. Contacting law enforcement will help officially record the fraud.
• Gathering evidence. Save correspondence with the seller, payment receipts, and all ads.
• Complaining to the ad platform. If the scammer acted through well-known sites, you can file a complaint against their profile.
• Contacting payment systems. Some electronic wallets or platforms can block funds in the scammers' accounts.

The sooner the buyer seeks help, the higher the chance of getting the money back.

How to Avoid Money Transfer Scams

To avoid falling victim to scammers, it is necessary to follow several important rules when shopping online:

• Choose platforms with a secure payment feature.
• Do not agree to full prepayment with unfamiliar sellers.
• Check contact information and reviews before transferring money.
• Make payments through reliable payment systems with buyer protection features.
• Save all correspondence and payment receipts.

Following these recommendations can minimize risks when shopping online.

Conclusion

Prepayment fraud is one of the most common schemes of deception on the internet. Fake online deals, fake receipts, and fraud with advance payments can lead to financial losses. To protect yourself from money transfer scams, it is important to verify sellers, choose safe payment methods, and respond quickly to suspicious situations. Attention and adherence to precautionary measures will help avoid deception and save money.