Alert: This is how the triangular scam operates on digital sales platforms
In today’s digital environment, buying and selling transactions require increasingly higher levels of caution. Technology expert Juan Manuel Méndez has focused on a type of fraud known as the “triangular scam,” a sophisticated scheme where a third party interposes themselves in a legitimate operation to simultaneously deceive both the buyer and the seller.
How does the fraud scheme work?
Méndez details that this process involves three main actors. The legitimate seller (A) posts a real item, while the scammer (B) replicates this offer with the same images and details, but at a significantly lower price to capture the attention of interested parties. Finally, the buyer (C), attracted by the offer, falls into the trap.
The scammer coordinates the meeting between A and C without either of them knowing they are being manipulated. The buyer, upon physically verifying the product, trusts the legitimacy of the transaction and proceeds to make a payment to the bank account provided by the criminal, believing it belongs to the actual seller. The result is that the seller hands over their product without having received payment, while the buyer loses their money without obtaining the goods lawfully.
“Everyone is a victim in this type of operation, as the scammer uses the identity, posts, and products of third parties to execute the deception.”
Juan Manuel Méndez, technology expert.Other variants and preventive measures
The specialist also warned about the use of fake screenshots of bank transfers. In this method, the scammer sends a manipulated digital receipt to the seller to pressure them into handing over the product quickly, claiming that the money has already been sent.
Given this scenario, from Alofoke Deportes we share the key recommendations to avoid becoming a victim of these criminals:
- Never hand over an item based solely on screenshots of transfers; always verify the available balance directly in your bank account.
- Be wary of offers that pressure you to make quick payments under arguments of urgency.
- Validate the identity of the counterparty before closing any deal.
- Ensure that the bank account where the payment is made effectively corresponds to the person with whom you are negotiating the product.
The key to preventing this fraud is to remain calm and not rush transactions, always verifying each step of the process before completing the exchange of money or goods.
