“Lebanon Debate
Fraud methods are diverse and constantly evolving, to the point that cyberspace has become an arena where fraudsters resort to deceive their victims in thoughtful ways. In this context, a number of citizens were exposed to electronic fraud attempts in a new way, which is based on asking them to buy iTunes cards and send their codes under the pretext of completing the payment process. “iTunes” cards are prepaid cards issued by “Apple” and are used to charge the balance of the “Apple ID” account and purchase applications, games, music, and movies, in addition to paying subscriptions for the company’s various services.
In one case, a female citizen offered a salon for sale for $800, before a person contacted her who expressed his desire to buy it and inquired about the final price, then asked her to continue the conversation exclusively through the “Telegram” application. The communication continued in English, and the person informed her that he would transfer the price of the furniture to her, and that a shipping company would pick it up from her home.
Later, an entity claiming to be the shipping company contacted her and informed her that the buyer would transfer an amount of $850, including an additional $50 in lieu of delivery fees, stipulating that she purchase an iTunes card of the same value and send its code before completing the payment process. This request raised the citizen’s suspicions, especially since the alleged party insisted on paying the amount in advance, despite its proposal to collect shipping fees directly from the buyer upon receiving the furniture.
In an attempt to convince her of the authenticity of the transaction, she was sent a code that was said to refer to a money transfer via an electronic transfer platform, and included her name and details suggesting that the amount had indeed been transferred. However, the citizen verified the code before purchasing the card or sending any information, only to discover that the transfer was fake, and that the entire process was nothing but an electronic fraud attempt aimed at seizing the value of the “iTunes” card.
This attempt reminds us that electronic notices and codes do not prove the completion of a financial transfer, and that any request to purchase prepaid cards and send their codes is a clear indication of a fraudulent operation, no matter how convincing the details appear.
