Welsh residents in these cities are at the most risk of second-hand online shopping scams – avoid getting caught out by following these 5 tips

• An expert shares advice on how to avoid falling victim to a second-hand online shopping scam, and names the most vulnerable Welsh cities
• The data uses Google search data to identify the cities most and least likely to purchase preowned clothes – with Wrexham top
• Bangor and Swansea are looking to replenish their summer wardrobe with pre-loved items – but Cardiff shoppers are less keen
• A QR code expert offers advice on spotting an online scam when shopping on eBay, Depop, and Vinte

An industry expert has shared advice to help prevent online shoppers falling victim to an online shopping scam, as new data identifies which Welsh cities are most likely to shop second-hand.

The data comes from QR Code Generator who analysed Google searches made over the last year for terms related to second-hand shopping, including ‘online thrift store’, ‘second-hand clothes’, ‘sustainable fashion’, scaled to per 100k of the population.

With many of us looking to build up our summer wardrobe on a budget and hoping to ditch fast fashion, more consumers are turning to second-hand online retailers such as Depop and Vinted over high-street stores.

However, as second-hand online marketplaces have become more popular, so has purchasing second-hand scams. Some users have experienced issues with packages never being shipped or arriving significantly more damaged than expected.

Others have found themselves possessing cheap knock-offs rather than designer pieces, or have been tricked into giving away their personal details, losing huge sums of money.

It turns out that shoppers in Wrexham are the most interested in purchasing second-hand clothing online, reporting an astonishing average of 65,050 monthly Google searches per 100k residents – an astonishing 263% above the UK average (17,899 per 100k).  This figure places Wrexham first in Wales for sustainable fashion.

Impressively, these high search statistics also land Wrexham first in the whole of the UK, beating capitals London, Edinburgh and Cardiff to the top spot.

The city of Bangor is the second-biggest supporter of pre-loved fashion over the last year, having made an average of 36,355 monthly searches per 100k population, 103% above the UK average. This places Bangor in 13th position for UK second-hand shopping hotspots.

Swansea is third in Wales with 67% more searches than the UK average, at 29,967 searches per 100k of the population. In the wider UK ranking, Swansea takes an impressive eleventh place, rounding out the three Welsh cities to crack the top 20 biggest sustainable shoppers.

Newport holds the fourth place spot, with 9144 monthly searches, but dips below the UK average of 17,899 searches per 100k by nearly half. This places the city 143rd in the UK.

Cardiff rounds out the list, with a surprisingly low 6364 searches on average, per 100k residents. The Welsh capital city ranks 157th in the UK, and is the worst city in Wales for second-hand shopping, 64% lower than the UK average.

The Welsh cities most interested in pre-owned fashion

Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator, suggests that big cities like the Welsh capital may be more concerned about fraudulent activity on second-hand platforms, as reports of online scams are becoming increasingly common. High crime rates in areas like Cathays (Cardiff) and Stow Hill (Newport) may encourage shoppers to be more vigilant of online crime too.

 Porcar offers advice for anxious online shoppers and sellers on how to spot and avoid scams, predicting these will surge given an increase in demand. He says: “Second-hand shopping is a great way to introduce new items to your summer wardrobe in a budget-friendly way.

“While the continuing rise in popularity of sites like Depop and Vinted indicates consumers are thinking more carefully about their environmental impact, it also suggests that saving money is a priority – and unfortunately, some scammers will look to take advantage of online shoppers seeking a bargain.

“Follow these tips to avoid being made a victim of a second-hand online shopping scam this summer – and make sure to remain vigilant whenever you purchase an item online.”

1. Film your boxing/unboxing

For sellers and shoppers alike, a common problem with second-hand shopping is quality assurance. Often, scammers will report that a product has arrived damaged, or that the box was empty and will request a refund. Make sure you take plenty of photos of the item before you ship it off, and even film yourself packaging the product to keep as evidence. For buyers, to prove the product arrived damaged, film yourself unwrapping the item so that any issues are immediately evident.

2. Keep your personal details private

You should never give a seller any of your personal information, including your email address, bank details and social media accounts. Scammers often pretend that the platform requires a customer’s email address or bank card information to verify a purchase, but this isn’t true and is often against resale sites’ terms of use. Similarly, SMS messages or emails asking for your login details, personal information, or containing links to sites are usually fraudulent and should be ignored.

3. Never make a transaction outside the platform

To circumvent additional costs like buyer protection some traders may ask for payment outside of the app. Buying outside of the platform means both the seller and the buyer will not have access to protection in case something goes wrong with the sale. These protection fees grant you the right to an investigation and refund if the exchange goes awry, so only clicking the ‘Buy Now’ button on the resale platform ensures that your purchase is covered.

4. Check out the profile reviews

Fake sellers will often pretend that they are new to the platform, and therefore have not yet made a sale. When Depop and Vinted detect fraudulent activity, such as accounts reported for the above scams, they will deactivate the profile, leaving scam users to simply create a new one. Similarly, eBay listings with a short date reduce a scammer’s chance of getting caught. It is important to check the reviews for your buyer or seller, and if there are none, check out their profile to judge their legitimacy.

5. Authenticate big ticket items

If you’re looking to buy a vintage or designer piece worth £100 or more, you’ll want to make sure that your item is legitimate. Vinted offer an Item Verification service for a fee of £10 and will check out your purchase to make sure it’s authentic before it’s shipped. While this service isn’t available on all second-hand platforms, there are additional ways to prove legitimacy such as an authenticity card, which you can ask to see alongside a receipt. Be wary of ‘too good to be true’ prices on high-end items.