How to spot a scam ad in thirty seconds

The problem with online shopping is never the first time. It's the twentieth. The first twenty times everything goes smoothly, you convince yourself the risk is exaggerated, you let your guard down. On the twenty-first, you get scammed, and the worst part is, looking back calmly, all the signs were there, from the language of the ad to the requested payment method.

Reviews are useful but should be read like a novel: pay attention to the rhythm, the language, the dates. A profile with fifty five-star reviews all written in the same month is far less impressive than one with twenty reviews, two of which are a little off, but spread over a couple of years.

The checklist I use is simple but I go over it every time. One: does the seller have a profile with history, with dated reviews, not all from this month? Two: are the photos of the item unique or have I just seen identical ones on another ad? Three: is the price consistent with the market or is it suspiciously low? Four: what payment method do they propose? If even one answer falters, I stop.

Matches classified as high-risk by national observatories have stricter rules regarding fan cards, residency, and entry to certain sections. For normal events, the market is more flexible, but the issue of identity never disappears: the person entering the stadium must match the name on the ticket, with exceptions provided by the club itself.

One of the most annoying things about online shopping is that, when something goes wrong, you often don't even know who to blame. The platform says it's a problem between users, the seller has deleted their profile, the bank sends you a form to fill out. If you don't have a written contract and a clearly traceable payment, you're left in the middle with no one to turn to.

A mental test I always recommend is to ask yourself: if this transaction went wrong, would I have the economic and psychological strength to move on as if nothing happened? If the answer is no, then that item or ticket is too important to be left to the good graces of a stranger. You need tools that truly protect you, not just trust.

What really matters in this market isn't a single successful deal. What matters are the rules you set for yourself, which remain valid even when you're in a hurry, even when you're excited to have found the right ad. Discipline, for once, beats opportunity.