scam on adverts - looking for advice

keos

20/05 - agreed to buy from a seller on adverts 3 tickets for the EL final for a total of €450 (at face value). Seller was on adverts for more than 6 years, had only 1 review (positive).

Seller messaged me on adverts that they will transfer the tickets electronically once I complete the payment on paypal. They passed me their email address for paypal.

I completed the payment but no tickets were transferred.

Shortly after I received a message from an admin on adverts that I should stop any communication with that user because they suspect they are involved in fraud and adverts disabled their account.

I replied to adverts message explaining I already completed a transfer to that user on paypal. I haven't heard from them again.

[my assumption here is that the adverts account of the "seller" was hacked and the scammer was different than the owner of the account - I don't see how someone created an account in 2018 to commit a crime in 2024]

==

On the same day, after I realised the fraud, I contacted paypal to report the issue and dispute the transaction.

The payment was completed on paypal using my credit card.

When I completed the payment on paypal I have used type Friends & Family (I don't selecting that, but I must have done it. I know, big mistake. I barely use paypal, so didn't pay too much attention).

Paypal support said because I chose F&F transfer type, I cannot dispute the transaction and there's nothing they can do about it because when you transfer as F&F you're not protected by the buyers protection policy. They advised me to contact the bank.

==

I contacted the bank on the same day, they advised me to dispute the transaction. I did and today heard back from them - they sending me back to paypal.

"We have reviewed your application and based on the Visa Europe and MasterCard chargeback rules we find that there is no case for a refund because:

The Merchant provides a payment processing service and does not hold the funds, which means that we are unable to initiate a chargeback against them."

==

I did not report the incident to the Garda (yet).

Is there anything I can do at this stage or time to write it off?

Any input much appreciated. Thanks!

3DataModem

You should report to the Garda, and let Adverts know you have reported it (with the Pulse number / case number).

But don't hold your hopes up.

mondeoman72

Here is a some info you may want to read. It explains the hacking going on at present online. Most of it is down to people reusing passwords across various sites. One gets hacked, and then your details are compromised. Just now, I read online that ticketmaster just got hacked.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/ticketmaster-hacked-breach-affects-more-than-half-a-billion-users/ar-BB1nh0Ei?ocid=BingNewsSerp

Your issue is you sent money to someone - but it wasnt them, they appear to have been hacked. By all means contact the gardai, but the feckers could be anywhere in the world.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121353463#Comment_121353463

keos

thanks for the replies, guys. will report it to the Garda

Deirdre5

This exact same thing happened to me. Never got my money back and I didn't bother reporting it but it was very upsetting I felt like such an idiot and only clocked something was up as soon as I sent the money

Oscar_Madison

Hard luck OP- that’s tough going.

I’m assuming such transactions happen all of the time? In that case what precautions can be put in place when completing a transaction to ensure the PayPal account and holder are legitimate ?
Id be reluctant to send money to someone I didn’t know in that circumstance tbh

treascon

2 lessons learnt here. Never buy tickets and part with that kind of money to someone with only 1 positive rating. And never choose f&f on Paypal. I know of an Adverts user that wouldn't use it much whose profile had concert tickets advertised for sale. She publicly stated on it that they were not her tickets and it was not her ad so obviously it happens. I hope you get your money back, its alot to lose. Unfortunately online scamming is everywhere now.

micks_address

yeah its tricky buying tickets that are digital these day.. if the seller has good feedback i still ask if they will accept a 50% deposit and then the balance once they transfer the tickets.. especially if its something like revolut payment.. usually scams are around tickets that are in short supply.. they know people are desperate so will try anything.. i had one case in the past where someone listed tickets for sale and they had good feedback etc.. but it turns out their account was hacked and they hadnt the tickets at all.. i hadnt paid for anything just made an offer.. its just very risky..

mondeoman72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122226006#Comment_122226006

even paying half is to much. all you can really do is meet the person face to face, know who you are dealing with. dont be sending cash to strangers on the net. if you cannot see them, walk away