ReportWire

Tag: online marketplaces

  • Prince George’s police warn holiday shoppers to stay alert for online marketplace deals and gift card scams – WTOP News

    [ad_1]

    Authorities also recommend never going alone to meet a stranger. Bringing a friend or family member adds an extra layer of safety and can help spot red flags.

    Police in Prince George’s County, Maryland, are urging residents to slow down and take extra precautions when buying or selling items online during this holiday season, particularly through platforms like Facebook Marketplace, where scams and risky meetups can quickly turn dangerous.

    Officer Chaudlier Shepherd says one of the most important steps is verifying who you’re dealing with before agreeing to a transaction. That includes checking for a legitimate profile photo, reviewing the seller’s account history and, if possible, calling a listed phone number to confirm the person is real.

    Authorities also recommend never going alone to meet a stranger. Bringing a friend or family member adds an extra layer of safety and can help spot red flags. Above all, police say residents should trust their instincts — especially when a deal sounds too good to be true.

    “If someone is offering a $1,000 TV for a dollar, that should raise immediate concern,” Shepherd said, noting that unrealistic prices are often tied to scams or setups meant to lure victims into unsafe situations.

    To reduce risk, officials encourage completing online transactions at police stations. Many departments allow residents to meet in parking lots or even inside station lobbies. In some cases, officers may be available to stand nearby during an exchange, providing an “extra security blanket.”

    Police are also reminding shoppers to stay vigilant when purchasing gift cards, a popular target for scammers. While Prince George’s County Police say they have not seen a recent spike in gift card tampering, residents are urged to examine cards closely before buying them.

    If a gift card appears scratched, altered, or otherwise damaged, police recommend returning it immediately and requesting a refund or replacement. Scammers can sometimes drain gift cards before they’re purchased by tampering with the packaging.

    Authorities say most scams still originate through phone calls, emails, texts or online messages, and they encourage residents to pause, verify information and report suspicious activity.

    For more safety tips or to report a scam, residents can contact the Prince George’s County Police Department.

    And, by the way, don’t leave any gifts in your car, either.

    WTOP’s Mike Murillo contributed to this report. 

    Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    [ad_2]

    Will Vitka

    Source link

  • Spotting scams when shopping secondhand on online marketplaces: Denver7 Smart Shopper

    [ad_1]

    DENVER — Denver7 is always looking for ways to help you shop smarter. We’ve covered the ways that shopping second-hand can help you save money. But if you’re doing that online, it can come with some risks.
     
    We spoke with Manager of Fraud Investigations at Ent Credit Union Lynzi Crippen about red flags you should watch out for as a buyer.

    “You should do your research and see what the cost of it is brand new,” she explained.

    Crippen said you should compare that cost with the price you see listed. If that sale price is much lower, it’s probably too good to be true.

    Spotting scams when shopping secondhand on online marketplaces

    There are many reasons why a price might be lower than what is typically on the market. Crippen said it could mean a product is damaged, it’s been recalled or it’s not what’s advertised.

    Crippen also suggested avoiding a deposit.

    “You can’t recover that money if you’re scammed,” she said. “Unfortunately, you’re out of your money and you don’t have that product.”

    If you’re selling something in an online marketplace, you’ll have to look out for scams too. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suggests you never deposit a check for more than the selling price, and don’t share any kinds of verification codes with someone you don’t know.

    In any case, Crippen suggests buying and selling locally so you can meet up with the other party in person. The buyer can take a look at the product, and the seller can make sure the payment goes through.

    If you do meet in person, Crippen said you should meet in a safe public place. That could be a store, a bank, or even a police station.

    If you think you’ve been scammed, you can report it to the FTC.

    Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos

    Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.

    [ad_2]

    Rachel Wingrat

    Source link

  • Japanese Online Marketplace Begs People to Stop Selling Ultrasound Photos

    [ad_1]

    Some people will tell you that no one wants to see pictures of your kids, but they’ve apparently never been on the Japanese marketplace app Mercari. According to SoraNews24, there was a surprisingly robust market for ultrasound photos on the e-commerce platform, which resulted in Mercari ultimately banning the sale of said images.

    Ultrasound images have landed on the list of “inappropriate items” that Mercari maintains, which are restricted from being sold on the platform. The ban will go into effect on September 1, according to the company, so you do still have a few days to put in bids on your favorites and complete your collection or whatever it is that you do with someone else’s ultrasound.

    Mercari didn’t specify why it decided to place ultrasound pictures under this restriction, though maybe someone in the offices was just kinda weirded out by it. SoraNews24 speculated that the images may have been used to conduct pregnancy fraud schemes, which it describes as an attempt by a person to pretend to be pregnant “in order to demand money from a man they previously had sex with.”

    The publication doesn’t really offer much evidence of this being a widespread issue, and it’s hard to find anything suggesting this is a problem in Japan in particular. There are a handful of social media posts in which people describe being targeted by a similar scam, but they seem to be pretty few and far between. In Australia, there was a scandal a few years ago in which women received the exact same ultrasound image from an ultrasound operator who apparently was operating without any credentials, but that seems like a whole different thing.

    Anyway, Mercari seems to have a habit of becoming a hotbed for odd items. In 2022, it became a massive market for Zima after the company that produces the drink went out of business and saw people charging some significant premiums for the remaining bottles. In 2023, SoraNews24 reported on people selling curses on the platform, as well as bags full of air from previous years. So frankly, ultrasound pictures don’t even seem particularly egregious in terms of odd sale items. But the market, at least on Mercari, will be closed anyway. No word on whether Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or perhaps apps like Depop will take the same hardline stance against ultrasound pictures, so keep your eyes peeled.

    [ad_2]

    AJ Dellinger

    Source link

  • 3 Reasons Online Marketplaces Benefit Entrepreneurs — and Should Be Protected | Entrepreneur

    3 Reasons Online Marketplaces Benefit Entrepreneurs — and Should Be Protected | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    With a year that has thus far been defined by interest rate hikes, layoffs and skyrocketing prices, the word “recession” continues to plaster media headlines. Amidst so much economic uncertainty, it is more important than ever for entrepreneurs to leverage business models that provide stability and support, and for government to protect their right to do so.

    If you are looking to grow your access to a stable customer base, look no further than online marketplaces, which many entrepreneurs have found to be fertile ground for innovation, access, and an expanded economy that helps businesses affordably reach a global audience. These sales channels account for the largest share of ecommerce retail purchases worldwide, contributing to the United States economy with annual sales of $792 billion.

    Here are a few reasons you should consider expanding your business from a storefront or a standalone website to an online marketplace.

    Related: How Online Marketplaces Are Changing the Face of Entrepreneurship

    Low barriers to entry

    Rather than paying for a physical store or building and managing your own website, online marketplaces offer a relatively inexpensive way to “set up shop” and keep your virtual doors open. The built-in infrastructure online marketplaces provide also makes it easy for brands to scale by providing search, shipping, return and customer support features in-house that allow entrepreneurs to focus on their business.

    With this in mind, it’s no wonder that the online marketplace model is particularly fruitful for smaller and newer businesses — fostering opportunities for entrepreneurs to start, grow and reinvest. All of these digital economies and platforms are basically giant entrepreneur creation machines. If you are a digital entrepreneur, there’s never been a better setting or a better time to start a business.

    Larger customer pipeline

    Perhaps the most appealing aspect of online marketplaces is that sellers not only introduce their brands to new audiences, spanning all corners of the virtual globe, but that online marketplaces inherently enhance their promotion through SEO and high web traffic. Amazon alone receives 2 billion visits a month from U.S. consumers.

    This is one reason why recent data shows that, despite looming recession fears, online marketplaces are actually growing. In 2022, U.S. consumers conducted 46% of their online shopping through marketplaces, a 10% year-over-year increase from 2021. Globally, more than 75% of consumers believe marketplaces are the most convenient way to shop online.

    Related: Marketplaces Are Taking Over Ecommerce. Here’s What Retailers Can Gain by Joining the Movement Now.

    Better customer experience

    Not only are online marketplaces beneficial for small business growth, but they have also become stalwarts of consumer experience and safety. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found that about 50% of participating marketplaces have signed up to a public commitment to enhance consumer protection beyond their legal obligations. For instance, Mercari reported that “it offered training/education sessions for school students” on how to shop safely and avoid selling scams.

    The government has also done work to further strengthen the safety of these marketplaces. Last year, Congress passed the Integrity, Notification and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers) Act, which was an important step in furthering the work online marketplaces already do to keep retailers and consumers safe. However, there were also harmful bills introduced in Congress that could have wreaked havoc on independent online sellers if enacted.

    This year, it will be important for legislators to keep the best interests of small online businesses and consumers in mind. Any future policy proposal should ensure that entrepreneurs can continue to enjoy the existing benefits and support of online marketplaces, including by protecting our unfettered access to customers worldwide without bogging us down in red tape, unwarranted litigation or unworkable compliance standards.

    Related: The Dominance of the Online Marketplaces in the Retail Industry

    No matter what products you sell or which customer segments you court, online marketplaces can and should be an important part of your growth strategy. They’re important to entrepreneurs as individuals and our economy as a whole — and they deserve to be protected.

    [ad_2]

    Krystal Popov

    Source link