Woman duped by “reverse Bizum” scam in Lanzarote

She Lost €1,400 in Just Ten Minutes Before Suspecting Something Was Wrong

A woman reported to the Yaiza Civil Guard in Lanzarote that she fell victim to a fraud using the so‑called “reverse Bizum” method, a scheme that is becoming increasingly common on second‑hand trading platforms.

The incident took place on the afternoon of Sunday, the 19th. The victim had posted an advertisement to sell a vehicle on one of these platforms when she received a call from a supposed interested buyer. The scammer claimed he wanted to purchase the car immediately and, as a sign of commitment, would make a payment via Bizum.

Instead of sending money, the fraudster sent the woman a series of payment requests. Believing she was confirming receipt of the payment, she authorized up to three consecutive transactions without realizing the deception.

In barely ten minutes, the scammers managed to extract more than €1,400 before the victim sensed that something was wrong while still on the phone.

According to cybersecurity experts, the “reverse Bizum” scam has become one of the most frequent frauds on these platforms. The trick hinges on user confusion: when a money request appears, the victim thinks they are accepting an incoming payment, while they are actually authorising an outgoing transfer.

Banks remind users that Bizum payments are received automatically and that no request needs to be accepted to receive money. They also warn that once a user confirms such a transaction, banks usually cannot reverse it because it is considered authorised.

Police investigations into this type of fraud often face major challenges in locating the perpetrators, due to the use of false identities and the digital nature of the criminals’ operations. Occasionally, however, authorities are fortunate enough to apprehend the unscrupulous scammer.