Confessions

How I Almost Got Scammed $900 On Carousell, Buying Pokémon Cards

I am an avid card collector, and I feel that similar collectors should be aware of this. A while ago, I came across an offer on Carousell that looked too good to be true. It was for a card collection priced at $900 when its current market price was roughly $1500. I was skeptical about it at first because of my previous experience of being scammed out of nearly $1000 on the same platform before, but I was still hoping it was a legit deal. So, I messaged the seller, with caution. Similar to my previous encounter, the seller directed me to WhatsApp instead of discussing it on the actual platform. My previous scam experience involved the buyer asking for a full deposit before receiving the product. However, this particular seller requested either a full or partial deposit. The mention of a full deposit already had me on high alert, but because of the partial deposit option, I decided to give it a try. I told the seller that I would like to purchase the $900 card collection. She then asked me to provide my email so she could send me the invoice for the purchase. I found it weird, as there were many inconsistencies in the conversation. I tried to probe the seller with multiple additional questions to question the legitimacy of the goods and whether the transaction was genuine, but I could tell she was getting more annoyed and impatient. So, I confirmed the deal by text. Soon after that, I received an email from the seller showing that she had bought the items I requested. It felt off and almost too instant, as if she had purchased the item and sent me the invoice right away without hesitation. To make sure, I looked at the invoice in detail and sent it to my friends for verification too. As it turned out, the invoice was indeed fake. One of my friends found proof that the invoice was altered and edited to make it look real. It was only after several rounds of verification that I became 100% certain it was a scam. With all this evidence, I reported the user to Carousell and submitted the proof to the police. Not long after, I noticed that the Carousell account was suspended. I felt this was a small victory, but I really hope justice will be served, especially through the police. With the seller’s Carousell account now suspended, I can only hope it prevents more people from falling into the same trap. It’s very important for collectors and online buyers to stay alert for red flags during conversations and payment processes. Similarly, always check your emails thoroughly for any inconsistencies. This article is part of TSS Confessions, a weekly column where we delve into personal finance topics that are unscripted and genuine real accounts from people.