E-Commerce Security Market: Vinted Scammers Use Fake Shops to Bypass Buyer Protection

The article details a scam on the secondhand marketplace Vinted where sellers lure buyers off-platform to pay via direct bank transfer, often offering discounts to avoid Vinted's buyer protection fee. Vinted's fee (5% plus 70 cents) acts as an escrow, but direct payments offer no protection. The UK Intellectual Property Office reports that one in four secondhand buyers unknowingly purchased a fake. The article advises checking seller profiles, photos, and using platform-integrated payment. It highlights eustella, a European AI research agent that can verify shops, and notes Vinted's slow moderation response. A joint Vinted-IPO checklist provides guidance on spotting counterfeit items.