By TV Molefi, Co-founder of TheTechMart (Pty) Ltd
From generic phones, “The R200 deposit-to-secure” scam or the classic fake EFT notifications, we have seen them all. Yes, the BEST of the BEST online scam tactics in this beautiful, yet crime filled country of ours. And as the TheTechMart, we are tired of seeing South Africans getting scammed out of their hard earned money. It’s time for us to get wised up, clued up and avoid getting scammed ever again!
So today we going to give you our top 5 sure-fire, full-proof tips and tricks on how to NEVER EVER get scammed again on any of the selling platforms in South Africa. From Facebook all the way to Gumtree. Trust us, with these tips and tricks there is almost a 0% chance to ever get scammed ever again! We promise you that. All you have to do is follow these tips verbatim, the next time you buy something online. So ladies and gentlemen, here they are:
1. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is a SCAM: Nothing holds more truth then this specific phrase, whenever you buying anything online. Always think before purchasing anything that looks like the deal of the century! Because we can bet you, there is definitely more to it then the eye can perceive. Just think about it, it’s your first time scanning through Facebook Marketplace and you see an iPhone 11 listed for R5500. And you think “Wow, what a deal!” Let me lock this deal before anyone else does. In your mind, you think you just got the deal of the century. Right? Wrong! 10/10 times there is usually something wrong or out of place with the phone. And these scammers usually won’t care to tell you what the issue with the phone is. You will buy that iPhone 11, just to find that upon activation you bought an Android phone cloaked in Apple attire.( Just imagine, you thought you going to bumping to iTunes, just to find out that the iTunes app is actually Spotify). So in summary, just stay away from deals online that look too good to be true, because it will end in tears. Practise patience when browsing for deals online and ask the seller right questions before proceeding with any deal. We will give tips later on smart engagement and negotiation skills, whenever buying something from a seller online.
2. Do your homework and be clued up!: Do your HOMEWORK! We cannot put more emphasize on how important it is to be clued up before purchasing anything online. Be it a car, phone or even a house. In the case of cellular devices, you have to know and understand the bulk of the device’s specs. Specs such as the storage, RAM, camera quality, number of rear cameras and the biometric systems ( i.e Face ID , Fingerprint , etc). There is a saying we all know that says: “Knowledge is Power” and it is so true in the case of any online purchasing of cellular devices. Having knowledge of the device you want to buy, gives you the power to identify and avoid all the generic and faulty phones online. By fully knowing the cellular device, you will immediately be able to identify sim locked phones, iCloud blocked iPhones, fake/faulty cameras, jail-break phones and many more other faulty phones. So teach yourself to always read up on a device, before you plan to buy it.
3. Engage and interact at your own pace and terms: So now you have read up on the phone you want to purchase. Powered with knowledge you go online on Facebook and find the phone you always wanted: That beautiful iPhone 12 Pro Max. The price and everything is just right! You message the seller and initiate an engagement with them. Throughout this entire interaction with the seller, you have to be vigilant and aware of how they engage with you. Tell-tale signs you are dealing with scammer will start popping up as you try draw out more details about the phone, the seller’s whereabouts and contact information. The first sign is always embedded in the seller’s Facebook, OLX or Gumtree profile. This is where scammers are always the sloppiest. Facebook and OLX accounts that are were recently created and are incomplete, fake or inactive most likely belong to a scammer. So always make sure to check the seller’s profiles when engaging with them. The next sign is in the urgency they put in you purchasing the phone. They will always tell you about how many people want the phone and how you must pay NOW to lock this wonderful deal. Rest and practice patience always. Negotiate and engage with the seller on your pace and terms. A legitimate online seller, will always be willing to put you at ease and answer any burning questions you have. By scanning the seller’s profile and practicing patience throughout the engagement, you reduce your risk of being involved in a scam umpteenth times.
4. Avoid payment before confirm condition: So far everything in the engagement with the seller checks out. Seems like they are 100% legit and you are ready to make a payment towards the phone .Before making any payment towards the phone, just keep the next few things in mind ALWAYS:
a. Never pay for a phone of which condition is unknown to you. Rather meetup with the seller and confirm the phone’s condition. Make payment only if you are fully satisfied with the condition.
b. If you are far from the seller and there is no opportunity for a meetup, ensure that the seller has a 100% return policy and open –door policy. You do not want to purchase a device from a person who might dip and duck on you once the phone starts acting up. Ensure that they also have a warranty on their devices, too further put your mind at ease.
c. Never and I say never fall for the “deposit to secure sale” scam. Even we almost once fell for this elaborate OLX scam. In this scam, the seller will urge you to quickly put down a certain amount of money to secure the sale and keep the phone aside for you. It will be a small amount of R200 to R500 rand. In your mind you will be thinking how can this be a scam, all I have to do is put down a R500 for a R 12k iPhone 12 Pro. Right? Wrong once again! It is a scam to defraud you of that R500. Always remember this, scammers never want to defraud of you large sums of money. All they have to do is to collect and defraud a few people using the same scam to make a big buck. If they scam 10 people from R500, they make a nice R5000 from the day. So never ever deposit money for a phone you haven’t even seen.
5. Always keep safety in mind when meeting strangers: If you decide to meetup with the seller to check the phone condition before making payment, its cardinal to ensure your safety at all times. Never large sums of cash when going to a meetup with a seller. Rather require to make an EFT payment to the seller or withdraw cash at a nearby ATM in a safe public place like a mall or shopping mall. Always meet the seller at a place of your choosing. Always meet at a public space like a mall and shopping center. Scammers and robbers hate to meet in public and crowded places like these. They will urge you to meet at a place of their choosing, which will usually be in deserted industrial area where they can easily rob you, hijack or even kidnap you in extreme cases. Never be naïve when meeting up with strangers. Always remember you in South Africa! And lastly once you do meetup with the seller, ensure to also take precautions for Covid-19. Sanitize, keep a distance and always cover your mouth!
We hope from reading this, you will now be geared up with 5 full proof tips to avoid ever getting scammed again on any selling platform. You can now go out confidently and prowl Facebook, OLX and Gumtree and purchase that device you have always wanted.
