The scammer tried to scam me

So I finally kicked things off by putting some plants up for sale on my Facebook Marketplace profile. I’ve got a mix of Pothos varieties ready for eager buyers. Shockingly, my first sale didn’t go as planned—turns out the buyer was a scammer! And I was almost scammed in a Facebook Marketplace Messenger Interac Scam.

Meet Secy Pavon, the scammer

Secy contacted me not more than 5 minutes after I posted a Pothos Snow Queen for sale on my Marketplace Profile page. Asking if it was still available and as usual I went through the usual messaging banter of, “Yes it is available” and gave information for pickup addresses and e-transfer info if they wanted to put a hold on the item.

They claimed they sent the e-transfer, but I had to check my email because it was from a business account, and supposedly auto deposits sometimes don’t work with those. What a load of nonsense! Clearly, they have no clue how e-transfers and auto deposits function. I’ve always received them automatically before. So, I let them believe their little story and waited for the auto-deposit notification. Surprise, surprise—it never came.

The Fake Interac Email

Out of sheer curiosity, I dared to take a peek at the email. And there it was, the scammer’s pathetic attempt at an Interac e-mail. Instantly, I was hit by a wave of red flags. A glitchy, missing Interac logo? Seriously? And it’s nowhere to be found in the usual spots. The whole e-mail screamed “FAKE!” Then came the kicker—the email address. “That’s definitely not the Interac email address!” I practically shouted. And that laughable excuse about needing a business account to be manually accepted? Give me a break! This is a textbook scam, top to bottom!

An ACTUAL Interac email looks like this: The email address is flawless, the logos are glaringly obvious, and there’s even a reference number which the scammers couldn’t be bothered to include. Spot the differences? Slide the arrows between the two versions and see the scammers’ pathetic attempt for yourself.

(if the images don’t appear – refresh the page)

The fake bank login page

By this point, everything about the email screams scam. Curiosity got the better of me, and I just had to click the link. But don’t even think about trying this stunt without running the link through a link checker first—unless you have a death wish for your data!

Upon opening the link, I was met with an image of numbers that I apparently had to retype into the text field just below it. Supposedly, this was some sort of security captcha. But come on, it was just a basic web form and it didn’t even matter what you typed in because the submit button was merely a link to their phony Interac page. You know, the one where you select your banking institution. I didn’t manage to grab a screenshot, but I really should have. The whole setup had red flags written all over it, yet I still chose my bank account and it took me to what was supposedly my bank’s sign-in page.

The URL certainly didn’t look like it belonged to my bank, and I highly doubt any legitimate bank’s login page would ask for your card’s security number. At least, my Scotiabank site never has.

I prefer to conduct these types of interactions on a desktop or laptop computer using a web browser. On a smartphone, such as an iPhone, often the URLs of web pages are not visible, which can make it easier to fall victim to scams if one is not highly vigilant.

Yup, this is a scam – Time to expose the scammer

So, it turns out Secy Pavon isn’t exactly a brainiac, and I think it’s about time we all unmask her true nature. She’s nothing more than a big, fat scammer! I uncovered her schemes using the Facebook Messenger chat to access the profile she was using. Shockingly, this account has been active for around 2 years, meaning she’s been scamming people for quite some time.

Although this scammer’s account is about 2 years old, it’s barren with no posts. Typical, right? Scammer profiles on Facebook are always so empty. It’s clear this was her scamming playground, and she probably has a real profile somewhere. But guess what? She isn’t exactly a criminal mastermind. She lacked the wit to craft an original scamming profile and instead used the same name and even kept the same friends as her real Facebook profile! So much for being clever in the world of crime.

Here’s her real Facebook profile. Go give her a visit and let her know what you think about her and her scamming career. I’m sure she would love all the attention flooding into her inbox. Don’t forget her email address also (e-transfer@alcoholrecoverynearme.com – probably fake) just in case you can’t get through to her on Facebook.

At first, I wondered if her Facebook profile was hijacked and copied, but the number of friends on both accounts seems too coincidental. I sifted through the friends on both profiles, and it’s not hard to deduce that they might all be in on some scam. While I wish I had time to thoroughly expose their operations, I don’t. Still, this might be enough for anyone curious to start unravelling the whole group.

Time to Take a Stand Against Scammers

So, there you have it—Secy Pavon, the scammer who thought they could con a plant lover. But thanks to vigilance and a bit of digital sleuthing, this pathetic attempt at fraud has been laid bare for all to see. Remember, these scammers rely on unsuspecting victims falling into their traps, and the best way to fight back is through awareness and education. By exposing these fraudsters, we make it harder for them to operate in the shadows. So share this post as much as you can.

Don’t let Secy Pavon and other scammers win. Stay smart, trust your instincts, and if something feels off—chances are, it is. Share your thoughts below! Have you ever encountered this Interac scam or any other type of online fraud? What advice would you give to others to prevent falling for such scams? Let’s flood the comments section with our stories and strategies to keep our community safe!

Leave your comments below and help shine the light on these cybercriminals. Together, we can foil their deceptive plans!

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