Stress Tested podcast on YouTube,<\/a> or your podcast platform of choice<\/p>\n![\"Scam](\"https:\/\/content.api.news\/v3\/images\/bin\/f55600347d304858c2bb32c12e262ae1\")
<\/p>\n
Kayla had listed a $300 dress for sale on Vinted, a European app for buying and selling second-hand fashion that launched in Australia in July.<\/p>\n
The Lithuanian-born app has already proven popular with Aussies, becoming one of the country\u2019s most downloaded apps on Australia\u2019s iTunes charts after launching.<\/p>\n
Within two hours of listing the dress, Kayla received a message within the Vinted app, purportedly sent by the platform, advising her the dress had been sold.<\/p>\n
She was then told to connect her bank account to the app in order to receive the payment and was directed to click a link to do so.<\/p>\n
After clicking the link and entering her bank account details, she then received a two factor authentication code on her phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI put the code in, I went, that\u2019s kind of weird,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI look at my bank account. Boom. Literally within not even two minutes, they\u2019ve siphoned my whole bank account.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scammers made three transactions to a travel company, a cryptocurrency platform and a social media subscription website totalling about $1200.<\/p>\n
The bank account that she connected was luckily her second account, which she uses for spending and bills so keeps less money in.<\/p>\n
Kayla told news.com.au she was surprised she had fallen for the scam.<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially working in marketing, I will never click on a link I don\u2019t know. That\u2019s just 101 of how not to get scammed, so I was just so surprised that it happened,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s so easy when you\u2019re trying to get money.\u201d<\/p>\n
In hindsight, Kayla said it was \u201cabsolutely\u201d her fault for clicking on the link and entering her details. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat said, I still think platforms like Vinted could do more, such as proactive phishing removal or mandatory scam awareness tips at sign-up,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
More than 130 Aussies caught up in scam<\/p>\n
Kayla isn\u2019t the only Aussie who has been scammed while using the platform.<\/p>\n
Multiple people commented on her video about the scam, sharing they had lost money too.<\/p>\n
\u201cI fell for it too. It seemed legit. They stole over $700. Currently disputing now,\u201d one said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got scammed $1475 on Vinted. I\u2019m only getting my money back now this was 3 weeks ago,\u201d another said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHappened to me! Just lost $300 waiting to see if I can get my money back,\u201d a third wrote.<\/p>\n
On social media, numerous users have also reported messages from scammers impersonating Vinted and telling them their item had been sold.<\/p>\n
IDCARE, Australia\u2019s national scam, identity and cyber support service, is warning Aussies selling items on the platform over the impersonation scam.<\/p>\n
From July to September, it received more than 130 reports of scammers impersonating Vinted in the three months from July to September this year.<\/p>\n
The average loss reported was $2200.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are losing money to these criminals, and that has an immediate financial impact,\u201d IDCARE interim CEO Charlotte Davidson told news.com.au. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat also concerns us is that criminals are collecting significant amounts of identity information. That information can be used in future scams, identity theft and other criminal activity, meaning the harm doesn\u2019t necessarily end with the initial loss.\u201d<\/p>\n
It has received reports of Aussies being asked to provide information including driver’s licences, passports, Tax File Numbers, selfies, addresses and dates of birth.<\/p>\n
IDCARE said the scam typically begins when a seller receives a message claiming their item has sold and they need to \u201cverify\u201d their account to receive payment.<\/p>\n
Victims are then directed to a fraudulent website impersonating a legitimate payment provider or bank and are asked to provide online banking credentials and personal information<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a scam pattern IDCARE sees regularly. Criminals impersonate businesses, platforms or services that people are already dealing with, or expecting to hear from because it makes the communication appear legitimate and lowers suspicion,\u201d IDCARE said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are then directed to convincing but fraudulent websites where their money,<\/p>\n
banking credentials and personal information can be stolen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vinted responds<\/p>\n
A Vinted spokesperson told news.com.au the \u201cvast majority\u201d of its members had a smooth experience with the platform.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe work continuously to keep our members safe from emerging risks. On our Help Centre, we try to best educate our members and provide our community with guidance on how to avoid and report phishing messages and scams,\u201d the spokesperson said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe also use in-app warnings to alert members if they try to share contact details or leave the platform, and we strongly encourage members to keep all chats, payments and orders within the Vinted app. <\/p>\n
\u201cAs a reminder, Vinted will never ask for your personal or bank details via SMS or external links.\u201d <\/p>\n
Vinted recommended sellers use the platform\u2019s checkout and shipping features, and avoid leaving the platform to contact others or send payments. <\/p>\n
Users should watch out for messages pressuring them to act quickly, with Vinted aware of scammers pressuring users to open a link before it expires, threatening to block their account or cancel orders if they don\u2019t act immediately.<\/p>\n
Users are also being urged to check message details carefully, with scammers often replicating real websites and email addresses with slight differences.<\/p>\n
Aussie recovers stolen cash<\/p>\n
Kayla immediately lodged a dispute with her bank over the transactions and was able to recover her stolen funds.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat took about like six weeks. But they ended up coming through and giving my money back to me, thank God. But it took a long time and there were rejections at first,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s urging other Aussies not to click on any links contained in direct messages on the app.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t ever respond to those DMs. They\u2019re never going to ask for payment in a DM or anything like that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Phishing scams are one of the most common scams in Australia, with Aussies losing $97.6 million to the tactic in 2025. They are also the most reported, with 65,361 reported to Scamwatch.<\/p>\n
IDCARE has encouraged users to avoid clicking links contained in messages or emails about sales or account verification. Instead, users should navigate directly to the official Vinted app or website to check the status of their account or transaction.<\/p>\n
Anyone who thinks they have provided banking information to a fraudulent website should contact their bank immediately. If you have provided identity information to a scammer, you can contact IDCARE for support and advice.<\/p>\n
Read related topics:Brisbane<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A young Aussie is urging others not to get duped by a \u201cbelievable\u201d new scam after she 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