Purchase scams are when a fraudster sells you goods or services that you do not receive. It is a type of authorised push payment scam (APP scam) or bank transfer scam. We see a huge range of fake products or services offered by fraudsters such as vehicles, rental properties, building work or valuable items such as jewellery.
How people end up the victim of a purchase scam varies hugely. Often scammers will create adverts on Ebay, Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace or other legitimate platforms. However, sometimes the scammer will even meet you in person (such as builder scams) so you always have to be vigilant.
At RecoverItBack, purchase scams are something we regularly see. In many cases, we can help, especially when the payment was transferred from a bank account. As a regulated claims management company, if you’d like our help, just complete our online claim form or give us a call. Remember, you can do it yourself for free by taking your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Fraudsters advertise cars, motorbikes or vans online at attractive prices. Victims pay deposits or full amounts, only to find the vehicle never exists or is never delivered.
Scammers pose as builders or tradesmen, taking upfront payments for building work, renovations or repairs. Once paid, they vanish without completing the work or provide poor-quality results.
At RecoverItBack, purchase scams are something we regularly deal with. In many cases, we can help — especially when the money was transferred via a bank account.
If you’d like more specific information on how purchase scams work, check out our scam blog posts below.