04 ANAT · Department
Frauds, taken apart on the bench
Specific frauds dissected step by step, from overpayment tricks to triangulation, so the pattern is obvious the next time it appears.
Triangulation fraud: when a real shop ships you something bought with a stolen card
You find a bargain from a marketplace seller, pay, and the item arrives from a well-known retailer. Everything seems fine until the retailer's order turns out to have been paid with someone else's card. Here is how triangulation fraud works and how to spot it.
The overpayment refund trick, explained step by step
Someone pays you too much, apologizes, and asks you to send back the difference. By the time their payment disappears, yours is gone for good. Here is how the trick works and how to handle any overpayment safely.
Screenshot fraud: why a picture of a transfer proves nothing
A screenshot of a transfer looks like proof, but it is only a picture. Anyone can edit one in minutes. Here is why images cannot confirm payments, what can, and how both buyers and sellers should handle "proof of payment."