Mr Tandashi spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk, about his situation. He tried to buy an iPhone 14 Pro max over Facebook Marketplace – but despite parting with his cash has yet to receive any product, he claims.
After Mr Tandashi transferred the money over, the scammer sent him proof of postage which reassured him he was getting the phone.
However, a few days later, he had still not received the phone.
He contacted the scammer back, concerned about the iPhone, however there was no resolution.
Mr Tandashi said: “I was told I could buy the phone outright but when I asked if I could put a couple hundred down as a deposit until I see it, the scammer said I would have to pay £1,100 by bank transfer, but that it was fully refundable.
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“He sent me an invoice and everything seemed legit, but after a few days had gone past, I realised that the profile had been removed.”
To this day, Mr Tandashi claims he has not received the phone. He wanted to warn others of this devastating scam.
Mr Tandashi said: “I just want people to be careful. I want to stop it from happening to other people. I don’t care about the phone.
“People work hard, save money and do the best to make their family happy – I just don’t want this to happen to someone else. It was scary, I’m devastated. It’s not a nice feeling knowing you’ve been scammed.
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“I know I should have taken much more caution. Because it was a fast payment and instant it was hard for me to get the money back.”
According to experts at Scams.info, in 2021, the number of people around the world shopping online hit 2.14 billion. During that same year, more than 35 percent of all scams worldwide were online shopping scams.
Nationwide has issued a warning and suggested how Britons can stay safe online to purchase scams.
A purchase scam happens when someone finds a deal online and the seller seems legit and responds promptly to emails. However when it’s time to pay, they ask people to do it by bank transfer.
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Nationwide warns that this is not a secure method like a credit or debit card, where you‘re better protected.
As people have been speaking to the seller regularly, they feel like everything will be fine.
But as soon as the money has been sent across, they stop emailing back. And the bargain that they ordered never arrives.
On the Nationwide website, it states: “Be wary of any prices or deals that feel too good to be true. It means they probably are.
“Don’t pay anyone you don’t know by bank transfer. Where possible, use a credit card for purchases over £100 and up to £30,000 – they’re protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
“Use official websites. Even if there are no warning signs, it may be worth considering buying from a reputable buying site such as eBay, Airbnb, Autotrader or Gumtree, and sticking to the advice and process they’ve provided.”
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has established a dedicated webpage for people to report suspected Marketplace scams.
The organisation explained: “Scams can happen to both buyers and sellers. Some listings may also be scams. Scams come in different forms, so it’s important to know what scams are and how to recognise them when buying and selling on Marketplace.”
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