How to properly return money if you were deceived on Avito

Trade in industrial goods, property, movable and immovable, and services is slowly but steadily moving online. Powerful online trading platforms have been created in China, the USA, and Europe. Russia is not lagging behind in this direction. The Avito website is proof of this. About 49 million advertisements are posted on the portal every day. The monthly audience is more than 35 million people. And where there is money and people, swindlers and scammers always appear in abundance.

There are also scammers on Avito. And, unfortunately, they deceive the Russian population with almost impunity. This is because many site visitors either behave carelessly or do not always have time to follow the information about the latest fraud schemes on Avito. And they are constantly changing, acquiring new forms or features within the framework of already known methods of deception.

We will tell you in detail in the article below how scammers work on Avito in 2020, how to conduct a transaction safely, and where to go if the fraud is successful.

What to do if you were scammed on Avito?

• Leave a complaint about the ad. Use the “Complain” option, which is in every ad, if the author of the ad has deceived you or makes you suspicious.
• Prepare materials that will prove the fact of fraud : take screenshots of correspondence with the scammer, save the receipt confirming the transfer of money, phone number and other information about the seller known to you.
• Write to Avito support service. In the application or on the website avito.ru, find the “About the company” tab.
  In this tab, select “Feedback”. Describe the situation and attach all evidence to your application that will confirm that you were dealing with scammers. You can ask them for all possible information about the scammer’s profile, and also demand that they block this user. After consideration, you will receive a response; usually the processing of such requests takes several days.
• Contact the police. To protect your legal rights and interests, as well as to get your money back, you have the legal right to contact the police with a statement to initiate a criminal case for fraud (Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
• Contact the bank whose card you use. Some banks may block or cancel a transaction. You must confirm your identity. You should know that banks have the right to refuse these actions.
• Protect others from the actions of scammers by posting information about them on various social networking resources.

It is worth remembering and knowing that the actual solution to the problem is: “Will I get my money back?” falls on the shoulders of lawyers and law enforcement agencies.

Avito - delivery scam

It often happens that the seller and buyer are in different cities. Of course, no owner would trust a stranger and send the goods to nowhere without money. Therefore, even conscientious sellers ask for advance payment. To check if you are dealing with delivery fraud on Avito, call the seller on behalf of the buyer from the same city and make an appointment. If he agrees, most likely you are dealing with a bona fide owner.

If you have friends in another city, ask them to pick up the goods and send them to you by mail. This method is much more reliable. Or agree with the author of the advertisement about delivery by courier service. In this case, the courier simply will not give you the goods until you pay for it. Both the seller and the buyer win. However, discuss in advance who will pay for delivery and which courier service will use it.

How to write a statement to the police if you have become a victim of scammers?

If you fall for the actions of scammers, do not wait: immediately contact law enforcement agencies.

Police officers will tell you how to correctly compose a statement, in some cases they may dictate to you everything you need to write down. If you disagree with something, do not write it under any circumstances!

To ensure that you describe in detail the whole picture of what happened and do not miss important points, police officers may ask you clarifying questions.

If you are unable to come to the police station, you can very quickly submit an application directly from home, via the Internet, on the official website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or on the Government Services portal.

If, after filing a complaint online, you are called to the police, it means the officers want to find out some details of what happened.

To Rospotrebnadzor

Rospotrebnadzor is a government agency that ensures the protection of consumer rights of individuals. The vast majority of applications received here relate to:

• Unsatisfactory quality of products and services.
• Refusal to exchange goods or return money to the buyer.
• Price tags with errors.
• Violation of the terms of the contract when providing services.
• The declared weight does not correspond to the actual weight.
• Deception of the consumer when the seller receives an advance payment or the full cost in advance, but does not ship the product.

It is important!
Rospotrebnadzor specialists have the right to forward facts regarding consumer fraud to law enforcement agencies if there are signs of a crime. Requirements for document execution

1. The header must indicate the body and position of the employee to whom the document is addressed. As a rule, it is compiled for the head of the department.
2. There, in the header, the personal and contact information of the applicant is indicated: full name, actual residence address, telephone, email.
3. Below is a description of the situation in essence. The presentation should be businesslike, consistent, without emotions or insults.
4. Copies of checks, invoices, correspondence and other documents confirming the applicant’s correctness should be attached to what is written, and a list of them should be compiled.
5. In the final part, the applicant lists the requirements: refund, verification of the seller, etc.
6. Below is the date and signature.

It is important! When ordering goods on Avito, save correspondence and receipts for payment and prepayment. When receiving a parcel at a transport company warehouse or post office, open it there. In case of deception or fraud, immediately call the police to record this fact. The delivery service operator will act as a witness.

Methods of contacting Rospotrebnadzor

There are three options for consumers:

• Personally through the office of Rospotrebnadzor and its territorial bodies. Addresses of territorial divisions can be found at the link rospotrebnadzor.ru/region/structure/str_uprav.php.
• By registered mail to the address: 127994, Moscow, Vadkovsky lane, 18 buildings 5 ​​and 7, Rospotrebnadzor.
• Through the Rospotrebnadzor website.

The last option is the most convenient. To draw up a petition, the consumer must follow the link petition.rospotrebnadzor.ru/petition/ and select the filing option:

• with authorization in the ESIA;
• without authorization in the ESIA.

Rospotrebnadzor carries out its activities through local authorities, so when drawing up an electronic appeal, you need to select the department to which it is addressed.

According to the law on citizens' appeals, they are considered within 30 days from the date of registration. The office must register incoming correspondence within 3 days. Based on the results of the review, the applicant will receive a response within the time limits established by law.

The complaint remains without consideration in the following cases:

• It is written in illegible handwriting and is not broken down into sentences.
• The text contains profanity and threats.
• The electronic appeal is typed in capital letters or Russian words in Latin letters.
• The letter does not contain the applicant's information. State structures do not consider anonymous requests.

Rospotrebnadzor operates a free reference and information telephone line where you can ask questions and clarify details regarding a specific issue.

Calls are accepted from 10 to 17 hours Moscow time from any region of Russia.

How to write a police report correctly?

The police will provide you with a sample application; it has a certain structure that you need to adhere to:

• In the upper right corner of the page, indicate information about the addressee and applicant: to whom, where and from whom (indicate your full last name, first name, patronymic, date of birth, address, phone number).
• State the situation. You need to describe in as much detail, in clear phrases, and reliably everything that you remember, all the details of what happened, indicating all the persons involved in the crime.
• Grounds for execution. In this section you need to refer to Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Fraud”, with a request to initiate criminal proceedings against certain persons.
• In conclusion, list all the materials and documents that will be attached to the application, sign at the end, decipher the signature and indicate the date of submission of the application.

All territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation must accept statements and reports of a crime around the clock and immediately, regardless of when and where it occurred.

How to submit an application on the Ministry of Internal Affairs website?

You can submit an application by electronic message on the website on the official website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia or on the regional website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

You can submit an application through the website using the following algorithm:

• Go to the main page of the official website of the territorial department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.
• On the right, find and click “Receive requests”.
• Read the information presented on the page, after reading it, check the “I have read the information” checkbox and click “Submit an appeal.”
• In the application reception service, carefully fill out all the fields.
• In the “Text of appeal” paragraph, accurately and in detail describe the current situation, indicating all the persons involved who are related to the crime.
• Attach all the necessary files that will help in the matter.
• Send a request.

After submitting an application on the portal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, you will receive a code to check the status of the application, and when the application is registered, you will be sent a corresponding notification to the email address you specified in the application.

All applications received through the portal are printed on paper, and further work with them is carried out in the prescribed manner: as with regular applications.

Applications are reviewed within 3 working days, after which a decision is made to initiate criminal proceedings.
You will receive written notification. In extremely rare cases, if it is necessary to collect additional information, consideration of the application may be extended to 30 working days. You may also be interested in: How do scammers steal money from social media users?

How to submit an application using the State Services website?

On the previous version of the Public Services portal it was possible to submit a statement to the police, but today, after the update, this function is missing. But if you are an authorized user of the Public Services portal, then you can file a fraud complaint directly with the prosecutor’s office. After consideration, the application will be forwarded to the police for further investigation, but this may take up to 30 days

Application procedure:

1). Log in to the State Services portal (https://www.gosuslugi.ru);

2). Select the category “Security and Law Enforcement”;

3). Select the item “Submission of an appeal to the prosecutor’s office”;

4). Read all the information, click “Submit an appeal”,

5). Fill out the items, attach the necessary materials and then click “Submit an appeal.”

6). Wait for the decision on your appeal in your personal portal account.

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Method 1. There are many people who want to buy the product. Make an advance payment?

Story: You find an interesting ad at a low price. Call the seller, ask about the condition of the goods, they assure you that everything is in order, as it should be. There is only one problem, there are a lot of people who want to buy this product and the seller asks you to transfer money (full or partial amount) to his card or phone number in order to reserve the purchase. A very popular scam on Avito and OLX.

NEVER TRANSFER MONEY TO THE SELLER IN ADVANCE (NEITHER THE WHOLE AMOUNT NOR PART)

How to protect yourself from scammers?

In order not to fall for the tricks of scammers, you need to think sensibly, soberly assess the situation and follow the safety rules:

• Do not tell anyone the expiration date of your bank card, the code on the back side CVV2/CVC2. To make a deposit, the buyer only needs to know the card number and the name of its owner.
• If you receive a message that your card has been blocked or you have received information that fraudsters are trying to withdraw money from it, immediately call the bank number on the back of the card and follow the instructions of a bank employee.
• Never tell anyone, including a bank employee, the secret codes from one-time SMS messages.
• Do not respond to dubious SMS from unknown numbers. Question messages from strangers, do not open suspicious files unless you know who sent them. Very often, by clicking on the links in the message, you can download the virus to your phone or sign up for a paid subscription.
• If you receive a request to transfer money from your friend or relative on a social network, contact him directly through other means of communication and find out if he needs help.
• When purchasing air tickets online, use the services of a trusted agency or buy them on the airline’s website. Never use the services of unverified and unknown ticket sales sites.
• Don't trust too tempting offers in advertisements. Fraudsters often attract the attention of gullible buyers with a low price that differs significantly from other similar offers and require an advance payment in order to secure the product for the buyer. But often this is an ordinary scam.
• When ordering on Avito, choose safe Avito delivery or regular delivery with cash on delivery. Before you buy a product based on an ad, carefully check it when you meet. Take your time, even if the seller insists on it.
• If you are planning to buy a car or an apartment, carefully study the documents for the property (we recommend using the service of legal support of the transaction or ordering an examination (legal review) of the documents of the seller/buyer).
• If you pay a deposit, write a receipt. If possible, check the information about a potential purchase.
• When purchasing expensive items, choose a quiet, crowded place that you know well for the meeting.
• Be wary of the buyer if he doesn’t ask or clarify anything about the product, agrees to buy right away and even offers an advance payment, although you didn’t even ask for it. Perhaps this is a hoax.

Existing methods of deception

Prepayment for non-existent goods

The essence of this method is that the seller requires an advance payment for the selected product. He can justify his demand by the fact that you are not the only one who wants to buy this product, an urgent need for money, or the provision of any additional guarantees.

At the same time, such a seller refuses to meet in person to receive money or transfer the goods. He can justify this by being very busy or by the fact that he is now in another region.

Please note! Sellers on Avito who have received an advance payment from the buyer do not provide buyers with any documentary evidence that the transferred funds are an advance payment for a particular product. This negatively distinguishes them from online stores.

As a result, you will transfer money to the seller for the product, and particularly brazen scammers will demand that you pay for its delivery, and you will not receive anything in return. Of course, no one will return the money either.

At the same time, it is almost impossible to complain about sellers. After all, all that is known about the seller is the name and phone number he indicated on the website, which, most likely, is registered to a dummy and is simply thrown away after the transaction is completed.

Most often, this scheme is used in advertisements for the sale of expensive equipment, furniture and wardrobe items. So if you are looking for one of these, be as vigilant as possible.

Follow these guidelines:

• do not respond to an advertisement for sale in which the price of the product is indicated significantly lower than the market average;
• insist on paying for goods by cash on delivery;
• look at what reviews about the seller are available on the Internet;
• check the contact phone number provided by the seller through various search engines;
• ask the seller to show you the product by sending a video of it or during a Skype conversation.

Attention! Under no circumstances agree to transfer funds to pay for goods to the seller’s mobile phone. In almost all cases, scammers act this way.

Don't rush to make a purchase. Carefully consider whether everything is satisfactory. This will help you avoid becoming a victim of scammers.

Payment by bank transfer

Unlike the previous one, this method is directed against sellers. Everything happens according to the following scheme: the seller receives a phone call. The caller reports that he is going to purchase the item being sold in the very near future. At the same time, he doesn’t even try to bargain.

Remember! At the end, such a “buyer” declares that he can only pay by wire transfer. At the same time, he refuses a personal meeting, using various pretexts.

If the seller agrees to this, then he is asked to provide his bank card information, supposedly to make a transfer. At the same time, in addition to the card number contained on its front side, they ask to inform you what numbers are printed on the back of the card and the one-time passwords received via SMS. The attackers assure the naive seller that all this is required to transfer funds to him as quickly as possible.

When working under this scheme, the scammer may ask:

• insert the card into the ATM and enter certain combinations;
• dictate the one-time password sent by the bank;
• provide the CVV code of the card.

All this is done only in order to gain access to online banking or the ability to pay with a card on third-party resources.

It is important! To avoid becoming a victim of such scammers, remember that to make a transfer to a card, you just need to provide its number, expiration date and who it is issued to. If you are asked to give the CVV code, hang up immediately, because they are scammers!

Toll telephone numbers

The main victims of this type of fraud are citizens looking for work. Information about a “super tempting” vacancy is published especially for them. You can find out all the detailed information by calling the contact number.

A citizen dials this number, he is provided with some vague information or is simply switched from one operator to another. As a result, it turns out that the vacancy has already been filled.

After this, the citizen discovers that during the conversation the operator withdrew a fairly large amount of money from his phone account. At the same time, some operators can drive their subscribers into big “minuses”.

Remember! To avoid becoming a victim of this scheme, remember that paid numbers begin with the numbers “8-809” and “0-900”. If the number listed in the ad seems strange, be sure to check information about it through search engines before calling it. This will save you from unnecessary expenses.

Placement fee

As in the previous case, the described scheme is directed against citizens looking for work. Attackers publish a vacancy, promising a fairly large salary for performing a minimum number of very simple job duties.

Potential applicants for this vacancy are asked to indicate their interest by email. In response to his application, a person receives a lengthy letter, which will outline all the advantages of this vacancy.

At the end of such a letter, the citizen will be informed that the company is ready to hire him, but guarantees are required. As such guarantees, the applicant should transfer a certain amount to the bank details below.

Further assurances will follow that the amount transferred as such a deposit will be returned upon the first payment of wages or after the completion of the first order.

If you receive such an offer, remember that no employer has the right to charge applicants for their vacancies in cash, even as a deposit.

Therefore, do not transfer any funds under any circumstances. Otherwise, you will no longer see them, and they will fall into the hands of scammers.