30 May 2023

Scamwatch: 'A fraudster tricked me with a fake online banking app'

Our expert helps a reader who was scammed after selling on Facebook

Dear Which?,

I was taken in by a ‘purchaser’ who responded to my Facebook marketplace advert for a camera, which I had listed for £500.

When he arrived at my door, he showed me what appeared to be a Santander banking app screen on his phone, entered details and convinced me that the bank transfer had been completed.

He even gave me a reference number, and said it sometimes takes a while for the money to arrive. This made sense, as banks do say that transactions can take up to two hours to come through.

The money never arrived. Perhaps it’s worth advising your readers about the availability of these fraudulent apps.

Name and location supplied

Faye Lipson, Which? senior researcher, says:

You’ve told me that the fraudster was very smart in covering his tracks.

He parked a few streets away, so you didn’t spot his car. He also wore a face mask, which he explained by claiming to work in a ‘dusty job’, thus ensuring there would be no identifiable doorbell footage.

You’ve reported the matter to your local police force and plan to report it to Action Fraud. I also encouraged you to also report the fraudster’s Facebook profile to Facebook, which you did.

On revisiting the profile you noticed that it was only a few months old and lacking in detail, which can be a red flag. You’ve also now looked up the two phone numbers he’d used and found that other internet users have associated them with fraud.

The fake Santander screen, which indicated cash had been transferred to your account, is concerning. It’s unclear whether that came from an official app store or is something that the scammer could have built himself. I’ll be investigating this further.

Because the fraudster bypassed the banking system and the protections it affords, it will sadly be very difficult to get you your money.

We discussed contents insurance, but you said that you would have to pay a £200 excess and lose a 25% no-claims discount, so it doesn’t seem worth it.

When selling high-value items it can be safer to go through an online marketplace – such as eBay or Vinted – which receives funds from the buyer before you dispatch the item. When selling in person, stick to low-value items and cash, or ask the buyer if they will pay by PayPal (using its buyer protection option) before collection.