Sellers using the trading website Maltapark are being duped into paying bogus shipping fees by foreign cyber cons, Times of Malta has learnt. Police sources confirmed around a dozen complaints had been filed over the summer.

The victims are tricked by foreign buyers who pledge to purchase the listed item on condition the seller fronts cash for false shipping expenses.

John Micallef, 56, was one of several local sellers who in recent months paid the price for ignoring Maltapark’s glaring warning to avoid wire transactions for online sales.

“I put my motorbike up for sale and a few days later I was contacted about a sale. The sad thing is it was all too good to be true,” first time online seller John Micallef said. He was selling his recently restored Honda CB 200, a vintage motorcycle, and wired €375 to a Danish buyer posing as a collector. The trickster then asked him to use an online transfer service but the sale was never carried out.

The moment I sent that money the conversation went dead

Mr Micallef was left €375 out of pocket.

“The moment I sent that money the conversation went dead. I received a confirmation e-mail but it was all a lie,” he said.

Among the wire transfer services used by the tricksters is Moneygram, represented locally by W&J Coppini. Asked about the recent surge in complaints, branch manager Keith Coppini said the company generally advised against such transfers. He said the majority of such scams seemed to happen on the sale of cars, adding that the internet was littered with tricksters.

“If we notice that the transfer is for a Maltapark transaction, we inform the client to cancel the transfer until verified. The scam itself is illogical but people still get drawn in,” Mr Coppini said.

The Cyber Crimes Unit is currently investigating the complaints and urged sellers not to use any online transaction services when using the site.

The popular site features a large warning box which pops up on all listed items instructing users not to use transfer services. The notification reads: “Never ever pay by wire transfer and report users who request such payments.”

Another first-time seller who contacted Times of Malta narrowly escaped what he believes to be the same con.

“I received an SMS inquiring about my vintage car less than an hour after I uploaded it onto the site. At first I was amazed at how effective the service was, but then it turned out to be a con,” the seller, who preferred not to be named, said.

Like other scam victims the seller was instructed to pay for the item’s freight using a wire transfer service handled by W&J Coppini. On arrival at the office to make the transfer the seller was instructed by the branch staff not to make the payment as the situation echoed similar recent cons.

“My lucky escape was all thanks to W&J Coppini. They informed me that it was likely a scam and not to make the transfer otherwise I too would have fallen for it. My advice is to follow the warnings on Maltapark and never use wire transactions,” he said.

Attempts to contact Maltapark were unsuccessful by the time of going to print.

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