ORLANDO, Fla. – Norelyz Maldonado-Lutz only wanted to sell a few items on Poshmark, an online marketplace where consumers can buy and sell goods.
“So I uploaded the app,” she said. “I went ahead and I started adding all the pictures of my items and doing my profile.”
But when creating her profile, Maldonado-Lutz says her email address somehow became visible on her public page.
Scammers were waiting.
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She immediately received an email that appeared to be from the Poshmark team, but it was actually from a fraudster.
When she clicked the link in the email, a chat box popped up asking for her credit card information, claiming they needed to confirm it with a test charge.
Maldonado-Lutz says the amount was shockingly high.
“I’m like, why are you doing $1,400? If I’m going to be selling, why are you charging that much for a test?” Maldonado-Lutz said.
Feeling uneasy, she contacted her credit card company right away.
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“They never refunded me the money. They told me that because I allowed them to use my credit card number, that I was responsible for it,” she said.
Despite disputing the charge five times, the credit card company held firm.
“That it was not a fraud, that it is a scam. And I’m like, isn’t that the same thing?” Maldonado-Lutz said.
News 6 reached out to Poshmark, whose spokesperson responded via email:
“Ensuring our community has a positive experience on Poshmark is of the utmost importance, which is why we established Community Guidelines that apply to all Poshers.”
The company advises users to keep all transactions on Poshmark and warns against posting private communications, contact information such as email addresses and phone numbers, or other personal details in any public spaces on the platform.
Holly Salmons, president of the Better Business Bureau, agrees with keeping all communication within the platform.
“The protection is the protection you afford yourself,” Salmons said. “And unfortunately, that can be a really expensive lesson to learn.”
Maldonado-Lutz says she’s done with online marketplaces for good.
“I have literally no apps on my phone other than the phone calls and the text messages from my family,” she said. “Because I don’t trust them. I don’t trust them anymore.”
If you’ve been a victim of fraud, send me an email LBolden@wkmg.com.