Scam Artists using the site Tutti.ch to try to scam

Complaints Corner
1
This is not to complain about the website. It is just to make people aware that, just because a website says it is Swiss, and people here are very trusting, doesn't man people aren't operating from abroad trying to take advantage of that trustfulness. I responded to an ad on the site, as I am looking for a truck for sale. I am less looking at obvious signs of scams as I was looking for an automatic transmission, which is harder to find. This morning someone responded to one of my inquiries, and sounded very normal. Then after further discussing it, I could see it was a scam. Now, let's just say it isn't for sake of the argument. Even still if anything went wrong with this transaction, it would not go well to get your money back.

Here is the scenario, he confirms all sorts of info, and forwards me pictures of the truck. Pictures I am assuming he would only have if he had access to a truck. He states the truck is still registered with Swiss plates. In the ad, the location of the truck is in Geneva, and it is written in Italian. Thru email he states he can talk in English or German. The English is clearly run thru a Google type translator, but that is fine. He tries to give me all sorts of reassurances, and goes right to trying to organize payment of the truck. And tells me I can have 5 days to get it inspected and all, and if I reject it, I can have a refund. He keeps pressing me for my personal details.

I ask the obvious question of why can't I visit it locally with a mechanic and have a look. Oh, he lives in Scotland for work at the moment, and it is impossible for me to view it. I say no problem, get who he has locally to let me have a look at it, I don't even have to drive it.

Ooops, sorry for the mis communication, he, and the truck are in Scotland. And if I just go ahead with this payment, that he says we can do on an Ebay guidelines or Paypal, he can arrange for paperwork to signed over, and the truck transported from Scotland to Switzerland.

I have been known to do a move here and there, and if you are going to pay someone to transport a truck from Scotland to Switzerland, just so they maybe can buy it, it really doesn't work out cost wise.

He keeps saying he wants to do a deal quick because he needs the money, and the distance makes it too difficult, but upon reading the ad further, I realize it is a too good to be true listing, and I was focused too much on the automatic transmission side of it.

The age, the low kms, the price, if he were to logically, convert that truck into UK plates, and pay any VAT, it would be far more profitable then to go about it the way he is proposing, another sign of the scam.

It was a waste of 2 hours of my time today, and distracted me from making a real effort on a local truck for sale, that is at a real garage, willing to make a real sale with me. I am giving my experience here so other people might recognize it, and not waste their hours as I have.

I wouldn't send money to someone outside of the country, on a promise to deliver, except maybe from Amazon...and even then I don't do that.

Again, this is not an attack on the site. It's just to show, because they are writing in German, on a Swiss site, doesn't mean at all, they have anything to do with the area, or are no less a scammer then the famous Nigerian or American scams.

2
Sounds like a variant of the flat to let scams you read about on here from time to time. The old "key deposit before you can look at it which will be refunded if you don't like it oh and by the way I'm in Ireland (or wherever)" type of thing.

3
I have been selling items on Tutti and it seems very "local" to me. So far no problems. It is less complicated than Ricardo.

4
Ricardo is actually the top (compared to any others, even ebay). Probably because they are just Swiss.

5
Hi everyone!

This is Nunzio from the tutti.ch team. First of all, I want to apologize for the bad experience you had. We found this thread and are eager to give you some additional pointers on how to spot potential scammers. We appreciate the discussion, as we're always interested in preventing fraudsters from using our platform and harming our users

We follow the strict rule that objects sold on tutti.ch must be located in Switzerland. If a seller suddenly tells you the opposite, even though the photos tell a different story, we advise you to be very cautious.

I just published a blog post about how to better spot potential fraudsters/scammers when going through classified ads. It's written in German, but I'm sure you can draw some important information from there: http://magazin.tutti.ch/so-schutzen-...ch-vor-betrug/

As a general three-step rule, I can tell you the following (all while risking to preach to the choir) when you're not sure if the seller's legitimate:

- Refrain from paying any "security" or "key deposits" in advance, especially when the seller's preferred payment method is Western Union or different similar money transfer services.

- Ask for more details, current photos are preferred

- Follow the rule: "If it's to good to be true, it most likely is"

@Confloozed: Would you be so kind and forward us the link to the ad, or any other information you have on the person you had contact with? Please send me a PM or e-mail us at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) – thanks!

If you have any other remarks: I'm happy to help.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Nunzio

6
Writing/speaking German means nothing in this context. I had people (locals) in the Souk in Marrakech speaking to me out of the blue in Swiss German .

7
Hey! Ireland is where I come form so no problem for me :P

And seriously, any attempt to convince you that the good is not on the market for which it was advertised is a HUGE beacon of scam. Steer clear of such offers!

8
When i was looking for a dog I encountered so many scams.

Usually ended with "the dogs are actually in England... just pay transport"

Yep ok great no problem. I have loads of family in England. If you give me your address I can send some one to have a look at the pup and they will take him.

End of communication lol

9
Same when I was looking for a cat. They usually use Credit Union to send them the money and it may even be registered by someone in Cameroon!

10
I've just been subject to a scam attempt on Tutti as well. It was for a Dell XPS new, selling on the Dell website for CHF2000- sold for CHF880-...

The seller said:

-The laptop is not in Zurich but in the UK now, starting a new job soon

-posted the package on Sunday, cost 68GBP with http://aaa-rpcs.tk/ with a link to a tracking page listing my (destination) name and address.

-I don't have an account yet, please pay my cousin, Barclays account in London

- 20 emails asking to pay now, need money for rent

- when I said (buyer) I wouldn't pay before seeing the laptop, the seller "cancelled" the delivery.

- threatened to sue me for the GBP 68....

11
No way is that a legit delivery site. Kind of looks like it but it's actually just a mashup of Citylink (legit) brand colours and design style with "Royal" to make it sound more Royal Mail-ish...

12
Again, no complaints with the website.

I had a similar experience. I am new to Swiss and was looking for an apartment for rent. I found one in immostreet.ch and sent an contact form. 1 guy from UK claimed he is the owner of the apartment and its his holiday home in swiss. He later introduced me to a rental agency un UK called Abaco Real Estates which deals/takes care of international rental agreements. This real estate also had a website and looked very trustworthy. The owner asked me a 2 months deposit, 1 month advance rent and asked me to deposit the money in the agency's barclays bank account in London and told me if I am not satisfied with the apartment or if the it is not as described as in the advertisement I would get full refund back from the agency. As the apartment looked nice I made the payment, later that guy cancelled the transaction and he is gone with the money. I complained to the UK police, local police and also in the bank but its of no use.

So friends please be careful, unless you see things do not buy. If someone claims he is not from Swiss, better avoid and look for options.

13
Scams like this don't only occur on Tutti. They occur anywhere there is an open marketplace. Ebay, Tutti, Ricardo, Craigslist, Gumtree to name a few. Usually you can spot these scammers by one method:

Western Union payments. Any reputable seller will use PayPal or Credit Card/Bank Transfer for security reasons. The reason scammers use WU is because WU offer no insurance, tracking or recovery in the event of a scam. If you pay to someone using WU - you have paid and that's it.

Another way to spot scams is as follows: Is the country of payment actually matching up to where you're buying the product from? Often, scam WU payments will require you to send a bogus payment to some person in Africa (usually Cameroon). If you're buying something from Swiss that requires a payment to Africa - this alone should be enough of a red flag to keep you out!

Watch your own backs - nobody else is doing it for you.

The only postage companies you should ever use in or from the UK are DHL, Royal Mail, DPD, FedEx - so basically all the companies you already know of in Switzerland.

14
No, it's probably because you cannot register without a postal address. They send you the password by post, very simple really, but effective.

15
Not just that, either. Ricardo is helped by the fact there is no proper Amazon for CH/LI and customs from Germany/UK/USA can be quite surprising (50 CHF for a few books last year for me - courtesy of SwissPost at the door upon delivery - demanding payment before the package would be handed over)

16
I was on autoscout.fr (which covers all of the EU).

I am trying to buy a truck and sent them a very basic inquiry about

Measurements, condition, and price. What I got was a long winded response in f'd German about their life story. And that the truck had German plates, but they in fact were in Switzerland, where was I located?

I asked again about the measurements of the truck, and they pressed me to know my address, and to tell me more about where they now lived in Switzerland(google mapped it to be the French speaking part), still speaking some wobbly German.

When I pressed them, they spoke perfect English, and when I said I was in Switzerland...never heard from them since(3days ago). Not sure what the scam is, but, when I buy a car it is pretty standard stuff.

You give me info, I like or not, I visit you and the car, we negotiate, I buy it, or maybe not.

No one tells me the crops they were planting last season and what canton they belong to.

17
yeah I will never trust a private seller unless I actually get the seller's address first for vehicle inspection and ownership verification etc. Anybody who tries to sell something but then gives shaky responses, definitely drop that discussion like a ton of bricks! It would most likely be a sham if they cannot even answer a simple question in a straightforward manner.

18
Sorry for digressing...

But this forum member must hold the record for the number of thanks to posts ratio !!

Highly deserved of course !

19
Hello Nunzio,

I actually sent that information to your site before I posted this to the forum. I actually prefer to contact people/sites I have issues with before going the least likely effective route. Your team sent me a response quickly, and it looks as if the ad I was referring to was taken down quickly. Again, I don't blame your site. But I do know a lot of people that trust whatever is on there, and thought I should make people aware not to be so trusting that it allows them to be taken advantage of, by quite possibly someone that has zero connection to Switzerland at all. Keeping people informed is never a bad thing when it makes everyone more safe.

20
i've been trying to buy a guitar for over 6 months now, the original ad was on tutti but it also turns up on gratisinserat and is currently on olx............

always exactly the same text and no phone number.

https://www.olx.ch/de/musik-film-gam...tarre/1935028/

"seller" seems to be either an english or american guy called mike from affolter am albis and despite several emails he has never given me his phone number and will not send me photos of the "damaged" parts of the guitar.

i don't know whether it's some sort of bizarre scam or maybe he's just a weirdo. i've never had any suggestions to send money anywhere.

the only mike with the same second name that he gives is listed in canton bern...........

maybe i should try calling that number?