As admin of one of the largest all-vintage groups on social media, I tend to notice themes and trends when they pop up. Since my number one priority in that role is online safety, I’m particularly tuned in to fraud and scam detection. This is just a quick update on the latest sports card scam currently sweeping through the groups.
Look for Red Flags
First, a friendly reminder: scams come and go. You figure one out and a new one emerges. Keeping ahead of them is impossible. However, the best ways to avoid scammers are tried and true. As Cardhound details in this article, look for the following red flags, whether as buyer or seller:
- New profile
- Very little activity on profile
- Few friends
- Even the friend accounts look sketchy
- New member to group–almost always
- Only accepts Cashapp or Friends and Family Payments
- Always wants to “DM” (direct message) rather than do business in the thread
- Price too good to be true
- Uses odd or overly formal English, such as “kindly” or “kind regards.”
The “Old” Scam
For the past year or so, the usual overseas scam has been fraud sellers. Pics would be stolen from other listings or eBay. Sometimes a horrible photoshop attempt at “coining” cards would be involved. Often, different “sellers” (with remarkably similar handwriting!) would list the same card simultaneously in different groups at once. Almost 100% of the time, every single red flag above was blowing in the wind. But uninformed or naive buyers would still fall for it, unfortunately.
Even if paying in Goods / Services, payment was most often sent to legitimate Paypal accounts that had been hacked. The scammers would then quickly withdraw cash, shut down the account, and move on.
You still see this scam attempt some, but currently, it seems like the latest overseas sports card scam involves fraudulent sellers rather than buyers.
The “New” Scam
Step 1: The new scam begins with a buying post. “Have CASH!” “Paying STRONG!” and of course, “DM me!” The posts look like this one (this account joined dozens of groups within an hour this week and made this same post or one like it in all of them):
Step 2: Once an agreement on price is reached–typically with very little negotiation because there’s no actual transaction–Paypal or Venmo contacts are exchanged.
Step 3: But wait! There is a problem with the Pal funds–they are on hold! The next message goes something like this:
Step 4: The last step is another fraud communication in the form of a fake email from Paypal, Venmo, etc. Your funds are on hold and you will need to submit account information via a link or sometimes even a phone call, to receive them.
These emails are easy to spot as fakes, but when in doubt, consult Paypal or Venmo for advice on how to detect phishing scams.
Phishing scams are nothing new–but this particular strategy is sweeping through the card groups in waves right now. As always, knowledge is power! If you want to stay up on the latest vintage card news, please Join Cardhound! Every membership (free or paid) helps the mission!
