The iPhone is one of the most desired cell phones in the world and unfortunately this demand makes many people still victims of internet scams. This is the case of Anderson Ribas, a resident of São Vicente, on the coast of São Paulo, who lost BRL 2,000 trying to buy an iPhone 11 over the internet for half the market price.
security
12 Jan
economy and market
10 Jan
The story begins last Tuesday (10), when Anderson claims to have bought an iPhone 11 through a seller on Instagram who had already offered the device to him on another occasion. The cell phone was purchased for around R$ 2,000 with shipping included for the 64 GB version of storage. For comparison purposes, the same new device costs between R$ 3 and R$ 4 thousand.
At this point, the conversation migrated to WhatsApp, where details such as payment and cell phone delivery were arranged. Anderson says he was suspicious of the seller:
The prices were cheap, you might have guessed, but he said they were on sale.
During the conversation, the boy claims that he even said he had already taken a hit and did not trust paying and receiving the device, so he suggested that the seller send a motoboy to his address to make the delivery and receive payment at the same time.
After reading the seller’s arguments, Anderson decided to give in and pay for the cell phone via PIX, as he noticed that several reports on the Instagram page pointed out that the seller seemed to be reliable.
However, the seller did not send the order tracking link after the specified deadline and Anderson noticed that he blocked him on all social networks hours after the payment was made. The boy noted that it was a scam at this time, as the same WhatsApp responded to messages from other numbers, but did not provide any assistance on the sale.
At that moment, Anderson entered the Electronic Police Station’s portal and registered a report of fraud and embezzlement. The case was forwarded to the 1st Police District of São Vicente, which is awaiting his appearance to find out more information.
How to avoid scams?
To avoid complications like these, we always recommend that users avoid purchasing goods or services through unknown sites. If you want to make the purchase anyway, it is essential to check the website address in the browser bar, the CNPJ number and other company data, which can be consulted on the Federal Revenue website.
In addition, it is always recommended to check the company’s reputation on sites such as Reclame Aqui, where users can register complaints and evaluate the feedback received.
Finally, avoid shopping with unknown stores and people on social networks and only make the payment after receiving and making sure that the good is in the agreed conditions. If something is out of the ordinary, it is always recommended to contact the Electronic Police Station and the Consumidor.gov.br portal.
