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🇫🇷 France /Crime & Justice

Sellers Targeted by Scams on LeBonCoin and Vinted: Empty Packages and AI-Generated Damage

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Sellers on online platforms like LeBonCoin and Vinted are increasingly targeted by scams.
  • Scammers send empty packages or use AI-generated images to facilitate fraud.
  • Victims report receiving empty boxes or encountering fabricated damage to items, leading to financial loss.

Sellers on popular online resale platforms, including LeBonCoin and Vinted, are becoming the latest targets of sophisticated scams. Fraudsters are employing various tactics, such as sending empty packages or using artificial intelligence to generate images of damaged goods, to trick sellers and obtain refunds.

One common scam involves sellers receiving an empty package after a buyer claims an item was damaged or incomplete. Another tactic uses AI-generated images to falsely depict defects or damage, prompting the platform to issue a refund to the buyer while the seller loses both the item and the money.

These fraudulent schemes are causing significant financial losses for individuals who rely on these platforms for income or to declutter their homes. The increasing prevalence of these scams highlights a growing challenge for online marketplaces in protecting their users from evolving fraudulent activities.

He ended up with my coffee maker and the 180 euros.

— Victim sellerA seller describes the financial loss incurred due to a scam on an online resale platform.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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