Joaquín Roca Ponz is a Valencian who loves road cycling. He often goes to online platforms to buy and sell second-hand bikes and cycling gear. Unfortunately, he has been the victim of an alleged scam and wanted to share his experience with Tuvalum. His case is just one among many, but sharing it is a way to fight fraud.

What was Joaquín's experience? Let's go step by step. A few weeks ago, he put his road bike up for sale. Specifically, a mid-high range model: a Specialized Tarmac. He posted his ad on Tuvalum, but also on apps "like Milanuncios and Wallapop," the cyclist notes.

Soon after posting his ad on these apps, someone contacted our protagonist, asking him for details about the bike. "The truth is, he inspired confidence from the start," he says, "and we started talking over WhatsApp; I was surprised by his technical knowledge; he asked me questions about the electronic shifting, the bike's mileage, the age of the model, etc."

The interest and knowledge of the alleged buyer managed to gain Joaquín's trust.

Everything was proceeding with apparent normality. "He asked me for my ID - Joaquín recalls - photos, videos, invoices, the bike's serial number... I even gave him my bank account number for the transfer. It didn't strike me as odd because it's common in these kinds of exchanges."

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The deal seemed final and the sale was about to happen. However, days started to pass without news: neither from the alleged buyer nor, of course, from the transaction. "I was waiting, but calm because the bike was with me," he says. He would not send the bike until he received the money in his bank account. But Joaquín receives unexpected news. "Someone contacts me via Wallapop and assures me they have seen my ad duplicated, but at half the price." Indeed. Someone had stolen his ad: the same bike, the same photos, but at an almost ridiculous price. "Instead of the €5,400 I had set, in the copy it was €2,700. Immediately, I try to reach out to this person. I cross various data and confirm that it is the same person who was supposedly interested in my bike."

"I imagine that this person will try to attract potential buyers with the hook of a bargain price, only to scam them afterwards." Immediately, Joaquín reported the case to the platform itself, but the ad was not taken down. The next step was to go to the police station. "I have filed a report because they are impersonating my identity and, moreover, they are taking possession of an item that belongs to me," he says. Joaquín was worried that the alleged scammer had access to sensitive information, such as his ID or bank account number. "The police told me that mafias use this documentation to open phone lines, to request loans or, as happened to me, to try to scam any user once they gain their trust."

Mafias take possession of sensitive information from victims to open phone lines, request loans, or scam in other ways.

Joaquín Roca also decided to sound the alarm among the app’s own users. "I posted an ad on Wallapop for 1 euro detailing the fraud, and several people have contacted me because they have had the same experience. There are people taking advantage of the boom in the second-hand bike sector. They know the product very well, the type of communication they should maintain with the seller, the necessary documentation...

All of this ends up giving you a false sense of security." Meanwhile, the fake ad remains accessible two weeks after it was published (as of April 26, 2022) and any cyclist could fall into the trap. "We have reported the alleged scammer through the platform, but we have only received automated responses stating that no fraud has been detected. There is no response from headquarters or anything like that. I imagine that when the snowball grows and more people join the complaint, the authorities will take action." For now, Joaquín and other affected people are considering making a collective complaint. "I have been cycling for 15 years and every two years or so I change teams," Joaquín concludes. "This is the first time this has happened to me, and what's dangerous is that you come across very specialized people. We're talking about a lot of money and many affected people."