Approximately 3000 people per day fall victim to online fraud and scams on social media, with Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp being the main culprits.

This number has now outstripped the number of robberies, burglaries, and knife crimes in the UK combined. It is more important than ever to learn how to protect yourself from scammers and fraudsters whilst on social media and, with sites not obliged to help victims, how professionals like Vilcol can help when things go wrong. 

Social media scams can come in many forms, but in this article we will be focusing on cowboy scammers, and how you can protect yourself from them. 

 

What are social media and cowboy scammers? 

Cowboy scammers is a broad term that refers to those who offer false goods or services via social media. One common type of cowboy scammer is a cowboy builder who promises incredible results for home renovations or building works but leaves customers with long-term damage, unfinished work, and steep costs. One cowboy builder is known to have scammed customers out of £440,000 and left them with a mess of building works and unsafe structures that the victim had to then pay more money to rectify.

Cowboy builders frequently use false social media profiles to trick customers, including falsifying reviews and responding to calls for help from homeowners looking for quick repairs. As anyone can advertise on Facebook, cowboy builders are able to utilise these adverts to reach a wide audience. These adverts can look very authentic, tricking people into believing they are real and the organisations are trustworthy. 

Other cowboy scammers can include those who sell false goods via Facebook Marketplace. These people frequently offer large discounts on designer goods, for example Rolex watches, yet customers never receive the product. It is common for these scammers and cowboy builders to ‘take the money and run’ and disappear when customers attempt to complain or ask for refunds. This is fairly easy for scammers to do, especially social media scammers that operate solely online. 

All cowboy scammers prefer to target vulnerable customers, particularly the elderly, but any one can, and do, fall victim to these scams. 

There are certain red flags to look for when buying services online, including: 

• Results or prices that are too good to be true. 
• A trader’s only contact details being a Facebook profile.
• Traders unable to provide you details of their certifications. 
• Refusing to show you pictures of what you are buying, or sending ‘stock photos’ that are not the real product. 
• Pressure tactics. 
• Spelling and grammar mistakes in marketing materials. 

 

Protect yourself on Facebook Marketplace 

Unlike other online shopping sites, anyone can sell on Facebook Marketplace. This makes it an optimal space for scammers and rogue traders to operate without limits and studies have suggested that more than a third of Facebook Marketplace ads are scams. 

However there are steps you can take whilst buying or selling on Facebook Marketplace to protect yourself and your money: 

• Check seller/buyer profile and reviews. A new profile with no reviews may suggest a fraudulent seller. 
• Pick up the product rather than have it delivered. Many scams will take the money for a product and never ship it to you. 
• Use secure payment methods, for example Paypal.
• Inspect the item before handing over payment. 
• Do not accept overpayment. Many scam buyers will claim to have given you more money than you asked for and ask you to provide change, only to reveal they never sent any money at all.
• Meet buyers or sellers in a public place. 

 

Finding scammers 

If you have fallen foul of a scammer or a rogue trader, don’t panic. Vilcol has the experience and expertise required to track down scammers and assist you in getting your money back. 

Many cowboy builders work for ‘phoenix companies’ meaning they will change their business names and locations after scams to make them harder to find, and outrun their debts. With a 98% success rate, Vilcol’s tracing agents cannot be fooled by these techniques. We can trace cowboy builders through several iterations of their companies and uncover the different names they may have used. Our process servers are then able to serve these rogue traders with court summons where required.

Vilcol can also examine the social media profile of a scammer to establish their true identity, contact information and even addresses. Our International tracing agents are able to tackle cases even if the scammer is stationed abroad. This process can help us collect evidence of scams that will be collated into a written report following the investigation. This report can function as evidence for criminal or civil court proceedings, should you take it to the authorities. 

Our debt recovery services are also able to help you get your money back by chasing debtors through typical debt collection methods. These include SMS, telephone calls, emails, and letters sent to the scammer requesting the money back. Our systems are capable of monitoring debtor response 10x faster than other debt collection agencies and be tailored to fit the scammer. In some cases, a scammer will reimburse you if they believe they will not get away with the scam. 

 

Sites like Facebook and Instagram are under no obligation to help you should you be scammed by their users and often do nothing if you contact them. It is easy to feel alone and helpless in these situations with no idea how to go about facing your scammers or getting your money back, but Vilcol is here to help. We offer a no-trace no-fee guarantee and a low-risk solution to debt recovery no matter your circumstances. Our team of highly-skilled and experienced agents are ready to tackle every scamming case, judgement-free. 

 

So if you have been scammed on social media or had your home put at risk by cowboy builders, contact Vilcol today.