Scam posts offering unclaimed luggage for sale are making rounds on social media across the Southeast Europe (SEE) region. Three members of the SEE Check network have warned their readers about this deceptive scheme.
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In November, Facebook posts surfaced in Albania, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, falsely claiming that national airports were offloading unclaimed luggage at incredibly low prices. A post asserting that lost luggage was up for grabs for a mere one Euro was published on November 11, 2023 on a Facebook profile named “Tirana International Airport”.
“The Airport is clearing out its warehouse and selling lost luggage for 1 €. All suitcases are full of various items and electronic devices. Nationwide delivery. The offer is available online only until the end of the month. 60 days to return. To order, click the button on the ad and go to the internet page!” claimed the post.
A similar message popped up on the Facebook page named “Zagreb International Airport” the same day. In EU member Croatia, the price of the luggage was slightly higher: 2,95 EUR. In what seems like a poorly translated or AI-generated post it’s stated:
“Validate with lost messages from airport clients in Croatia for a total of 2.95 €😱. The airport has no space to store lost luggage and offers currencies with premium words and electronics for 2.95 €❗️. Online only. Click the button in the ad to order and go to the website! 👇🏻”
Similar posts later appeared on the Facebook page named “Zagreb Airport Franjo Tuđman”. Sarajevo International Airport in Bosnia-Herzegovina wasn’t immune either, as a Facebook page named “Sarajevo Airport” published a post for an alleged luggage sale on November 13, 2023.
“Because our warehouse at the airport is overcrowded, we are forced to sell lost luggage that we have had for more than 6 months!
The price is 1 euro per suitcase ❗️
Delivery throughout the country 🔥
Quantity is limited! To order, click on the button in the ad 👇🏻”
However, fact-checkers uncovered that these posts originated from fake profiles and pages leading users to suspicious websites aiming to steal personal data or sign them up for deceptive services. You can find more details in the analyses by Faktograf, Faktoje, and Raskrinkavanje.
Sarajevo and Zagreb airports have issued warnings to customers, but this scam isn’t limited to SEE. Faktograf reports similar scams in Auckland, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Brussels, and Dublin.
Online scams are rampant in SEE, and fact-checkers are working hard to keep readers informed. Feđa Kulenović, an information scientist from Sarajevo, attributes the abundance of online scams to the unregulated online space and a lack of media and information literacy.
“People are still very naive and the internet will always have a dose of the Wild West in it, that bit of unregulated space. People should be responsible for knowing what risks they’re taking.”
In other words, the scams once perpetrated in the physical world have migrated online and it is crucial for internet users to be vigilant. The responsibility also falls on law enforcement and the judicial system to uncover and prosecute these scams.
Kulenović is optimistic that with the rise of digital natives becoming a larger portion of internet users, the situation will likely improve. However, he acknowledges that scams will likely never be exterminated, as long as there are individuals seeking to profit through deceptive means and others who are willing to believe in such schemes.
“People always look for ways to make money,” concludes Kulenović.