On the Facebook Marketplace, there were about a dozen festival tickets for sale on Thursday. An ad quickly sparked interest: A premium three-day pass for 1301 kroner (regular price 2895), could it be too good to be true?
The person behind the ad has a profile with no picture or information. But it says that Swish works well as a payment option and that the transfer of the ticket must take place via Ticketmaster transfer.
Switched between accounts
Via Swish, it is always possible to at least check that the name on the profile matches the person you are sending the money to. Via the chat, we will get in touch and see if the ticket is still available.
“Mine are sold but my friend still has his 2”, writes the seller in the chat.
The friend, whom we choose to call Daniel, also has no information linked to the account. Also, Swish is not an option, only bank transfer is accepted.
Daniel sends a booking confirmation on the alleged ticket together with a picture of his ID document. No booking number is visible on the booking confirmation, but the identification feels right.
“Feel stressed”
Daniel does not give us much time to take a closer look at who the man behind the ID document actually is. He feels stressed. The purchase must be made now.
“Update? :D”, he writes in the chat.
We decide to go ahead and send a confirmation that the payment has been made, but now Daniel is starting to waver. He says it will take a while before he gets the money into the account and wants to wait to send the ticket until the money is there. Then it gets quiet.
Getting no response
On several occasions we contact Daniel to find out if the money has entered the account and if we can get our ticket but he seems to have stopped reading our messages.
Repeatedly trying to get an answer, but when almost a day has passed since the last contact, we are convinced. We have been blown away.
Marcus Nohlberg, who researches cyber security at the University of Skövde, recognizes the method of the fraudster being open about his identity.
– The fraudsters have put this into the system and are very convincing. It creates a false sense of security, he says.
Convicted of several frauds
When we later check up on Daniel, it turns out that he has a huge criminal record. He has eight previous convictions for fraud and Googling his name brings up warnings from people who have been scammed before.
Finally, we decide it’s time to tell Daniel that we are journalists. Then there will actually be an answer. He claims that he never received the money and that he has never defrauded us. But after that contact he becomes silent again.
TV4 Nyheterna has sought Meta, who is responsible for the Facebook marketplace, for a comment.
Tips to avoid being scammed:
• Check when the profile started. A newly created account is not credible.
• Ask someone who is not emotionally involved in the business. It has two benefits: on the one hand, you get a delay in time, which is always good, and on the other hand, you get impartial eyes on the whole thing.
• Check if you have any friends in common.
• If the seller seems pushy and wants to sell quickly, it may be an indication of a fraud.