Beware of the 'Share' App Scam - A Cautionary Tale

Hello everyone, I'm here to share a disturbing experience I had with a shady app called 'Share' that claims to be an official payment service, but is actually a scam.

I want to warn you all about this app, which seems to be supported by some influential people in our society. It's called SHARE (Podeli), and it promises to split your payments into four installments without any extra fees.

However, that's where the good idea ends. There's nothing good about this app beyond that initial promise. I'm going to share my two-and-a-half-month-long story with you, and every single detail is crucial to understanding the full extent of this scam from start to finish.

I'm sharing it all so you can understand why I fell for it in the first place.

So, here we go.

THE BEGINNING

I probably wouldn't have even known about this "amazing" app if it wasn't for my trip to the local MEGA store in November 2022 to look for some winter boots.

The thing is, I was wandering around the entire MEGA store, trying on over a hundred pairs of shoes with my not-so-sharp mind, and somehow ended up in the ZARINA boutique.

There was a fantastic sale on all sorts of jackets, and I spent some time trying them on as well.

I'm always stoked to score a great deal, but by the time I got to the checkout, I was exhausted and my brain was totally foggy.

The cashier, who was being super friendly and unobtrusive, offered me a chance to use their new app, which would give me an extra 200 ruble discount.

Needless to say, I fell for it hook, line, and sinker, even though the coat was already a great price. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly at the time.

Even the option to pay in four installments didn't impress me. I had the cash to pay for the coat in full – 3,000 rubles was no problem.

To take advantage of the 'generous' offer from the cashier, all I had to do was scan a QR code displayed on the store's counter.

The 'ПОДЕЛИ' app – a service for paying for purchases in installmentsNext, I had to download the ПОДЕЛИ app, agree to the terms, enter my personal details, including my phone number and email address.

And, of course, link my bank card.

I did ask the cashier at this stage if it would be easy to unlink my card later on, since I had no intention of using the app again.

She assured me that it was no problem at all, but what she said was a blatant lie and a way to deceive customers.

I have to say, it would be great if the sales consultants took the time to understand what they're selling before trying to push it on customers without any qualms!

I thought I knew what I was getting into, considering I was shopping from a well-known store, located right in the heart of Moscow, and with years of experience under their belt. I figured they wouldn't try to pull any fast ones on me.

Boy, was I wrong!

After linking my card, a single ruble was deducted for verification purposes. And then, in the app, a QR code appeared that I was supposed to show to the cashier for payment and activation of the 'pay in 4 installments' scheme.

But in my case, the QR code just didn't work, no matter how hard the sales consultant tried to activate it. I kept getting messages saying that my bank didn't support this particular scam.

If that's true, kudos to Tinkoff Bank for having my back! A thousand thanks!

(I've got to say, I'm a bit disappointed in Sberbank, which I'm convinced would have allowed this scheme to go through)

It wasn't until the next day that I realized how lucky I was that the QR code didn't work. And how I dodged a bullet by not becoming a victim of the 'Podeli' scam, which, according to reviews, would deliberately delay transactions and charge customers extra fees for it!

What a cleverly thought-out scheme!

So, I downloaded the app, filled in all the required info, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to use it for its intended purpose.

And that's what saved me from all the trouble that other 'lucky' users experienced after installing this app.

Now, let me show you what this amazing app looks like, and then I'll continue my story.

The 'Share' app looks

On my phone, it's a bright red square with a white and black 'O' inside.

I've circled the app icon in blue:

The 'Share' app. A service for paying for purchases in installmentsWhen I tap the app icon (I only got extra codes to enter after installation a few times), I see a welcome screen like this:

The 'Share' app. A service for paying for purchases in installmentsFirst, I see my phone, then my email address.

One thing that struck me about the 'Share' app is how simple and basic it is (just like their one-page website).

Below that is the 'payment method' line, which takes me to the next page when I tap it,

The 'Share' app. A service for paying for purchases in installmentswhere I see my already linked card and the option to link up to 100 more cards (all on my dime, please):

The 'Share' app. A service for paying for purchases in installmentsThis 'add card' line is always active.

I was surprised to find that I couldn't detach my card from the app, unlike the first time around.

The salesperson told me the opposite, though.

Well, you can bet I was about to find out.

I'll get into the details of my 'hot' first impressions below.

When you tap the X at the top, the app opens up like this:

The 'ПОДЕЛИ' app. A service for paying for purchases in installmentsHere, all your purchases made through the app are recorded, as far as I understand.

But I had a problem - the purchase didn't go through, so my list is always empty, with the message 'You don't have any purchases yet' staring me in the face.

If you tap the arrow, you'll get a list of the partner stores for this amazing service:

The 'ПОДЕЛИ' app. A service for paying for purchases in installmentsOf course, there are many more than the ones shown here. You can check them out on the website if you're interested.

To pay through the 'ПОДЕЛИ' app, you need to select 'QR-payment' from the bottom menu, and it'll take you to a page with the code:

The 'ПОДЕЛИ' app. A service for paying for purchases in installmentsScanning it, the seller can complete your purchase, and you'll become a 'happy' owner of a 'fair' installment plan from 'ПОДЕЛИ'.

My Experience and Impressions with the 'Share' App

I mentioned at the beginning that I wasn't one of the lucky ones who got in on the ground floor, and it turned out to be true.

But the next morning, I woke up with a sinking feeling - I'd really gotten myself into a mess.

Not only had I entered my personal details (phone number and email), but I'd also given a mysterious app access to my main credit card, complete with the three secret digits!

My main card, not a backup one like my Sberbank card.

My first instinct was to try and disconnect the card, but it was impossible to do so on my own within this app - no way, no how.

I felt a cold sweat break out, and my hair literally stood on end.

My mind was racing with questions: 'What kind of app is this? What company is behind it? Where do I even start looking for answers?' 'Who did I trust with all the details of my card? How can someone use it without my knowledge or consent?' 'What do I do and where do I go?' And so on.

I started searching for any information I could find about the company behind the app.

The first things I came across were reviews - one worse than the next. People were getting charged for payments that never went through, and the company was just slapping on fines. Everyone was trashing Split Payments - Share.

Reading those reviews made me pretty sure I'd gotten in over my head. And the more I looked for information about 'Share', the more my worst suspicions were confirmed.

I've dug deep online to find any info about "ПОДЕЛИ", but it's like they don't exist. Their website is basically a blank slate, offering zero insight into this service.

There's no contact info, no way to reach out to them. It's like they're invisible.

I did some research and found out that it's supposedly a service from Alfa Bank, but even when I called them, they denied any involvement.

So, I'm left wondering...

'This is a weird organization that got me in through a clueless seller, and now I'm stuck. No info, no way out. The reviews are terrible. I'm convinced they're scammers!'

The only lifeline I found was a chat feature in the app. It's hidden in the bottom menu, but I managed to find it.

I sent them a message the very same day I made the purchase (okay, it was late at night). I asked the main question on my mind: 'How do I detach my card?'

The 'ПОДЕЛИ' app. A service for paying off purchases in installmentsAnd that's when the long, arduous saga of pointless and unhelpful communication began.

They responded by saying 'no way', 'just delete your account'. But of course, only their support team can do that.

Application 'SHARE'. A service for paying for purchases in installmentsI was surprised to find that they don't have a phone number listed - you'd think that would be the fastest way to get questions answered. But nope, it's just the chat feature.

Instead, they suggested I use a form and email it to them. Yeah, because that's exactly what I want to do - fill out a form and wait for them to get back to me.

Application 'SHARE'. A service for paying for purchases in installmentsIt's basically a form to opt out of their service.

Application 'SHARE'. A service for paying for purchases in installmentsThey told me to fill it out and send it to a special email address - but let's be real, I'm not going to get any response from them. And then, 30 days later, I'll get an email saying my account is deleted and all my data is gone.

I quickly filled out the form and sent it to them with a message that basically said 'good luck with that'.

I was freaking out, to be honest. I was furious with myself for signing up for this. And I was terrified that someone would just use my card or drain my funds. There's no guarantee of protecting your personal data here.

So, I transferred all my savings to my daughter's card, just in case.

I waited patiently for 30 days, exactly. But nothing changed. No notification email arrived, and in the app, my data was still just sitting there, doing nothing.

So, I went back to the chat and asked a reasonable question: 'Why?'

The 'ПОДЕЛИ' app. A service for paying for purchases in installments.And then the automated responses started rolling in, all identical and unhelpful: '

Thanks for providing the information.I've passed your question to my colleagues for review.As soon as they provide a solution, we'll be in touch.And the classic: 'Please wait!'I was reading this same response for another month and a half.

But I wasn't satisfied with that. So, I kept asking tough questions and even tried to appeal to their conscience with some threats:

The 'ПОДЕЛИ' app. A service for paying for purchases in installments.But they just blew me off.

The 'Share' App: A Service for Paying Off Purchases in InstallmentsI waited for 10 whole days without a response. And, understanding that the eve of the new year was unlikely to yield positive results, I still went ahead and bombarded the customer support team with chat messages.

They pretended to be clueless and asked me to explain my problems all over again, just like they had the first time around.

The 'Share' App: A Service for Paying Off Purchases in InstallmentsI was offered apologies and promises to look into the issue.

The 'Share' App: A Service for Paying Off Purchases in InstallmentsI was at a loss for what to do next. All I knew was that, in this situation, the buck stops with the person who's experiencing the problem.

But the response I got was still the same:

I'm expecting something to happen. The 'Share' app, a service for paying for purchases in installments.'Wait and see!'

I decided to wait a bit differently this time. And I made the only logical decision in this situation: I blocked this linked card in the app. It was a shame to part with the Mastercard system, even though it's already useless for Russians. But I had to let it go and get a new card.

I didn't want to leave my phone number and email address with some unknown entity.

Okay, I resumed my rescue mission right after the New Year's holidays.

The 'Share' app, a service for paying for purchases in installments.I was itching to write reviews everywhere I could at that point!

But this time, the support team assumed a silly scenario. Like I must have filled out their simple form incorrectly.

The 'Share' app, a service for paying for purchases in installments.And they asked me to re-send it. Which I did.

The 'Split' app. A service for paying for purchases in installmentsBut there was no room for error there. You just write in your full name, date, and signature. I'm not sure what kind of excuse that is.

The 'Split' app. A service for paying for purchases in installmentsThat was the end of my interaction with the supposedly excellent customer support for the 'Split' service: The 'Split' app. A service for paying for purchases in installmentsAfter that, I just checked the app every day. I'd stare at my account info and the reassuring message that I still hadn't made any purchases.

So, did my story with 'Split' finally come to an end?

I didn't rush to write this review (but I almost did on the first day!). I waited for a logical conclusion. Although, judging by the other reviews, I wasn't holding out much hope.

And then, finally, it happened!

But no email with a notice about account deletion arrived!

Just a few days ago, on January 28 or 29, the app started behaving differently. It was like I had to sign up or log in all over again.

The 'PAY IN PARTS' app. A service for paying for purchases in installmentsI was relieved, but not exactly thrilled. First of all, I didn't receive any confirmation emails. Secondly, maybe I need to figure out how to log in to the app differently now? Thirdly, how can I be sure that my account with all my info is completely deleted?

I was hesitant to check, enter my phone number, and risk getting re-registered. But I needed to know what happened, so I went ahead and entered my number. I received a confirmation code.

The 'PAY IN PARTS' app. A service for paying for purchases in installmentsI entered the code, and a registration page popped up:

The 'PAY IN PARTS' app. A service for paying for purchases in installmentsI felt a tiny bit better. It seemed like I wasn't in this messy system after all.

Or was I?/p>

So, what can I say in the end? The 'PAY IN PARTS' service, its website, and its apps - the only good thing they have going for them is the idea of helping people avoid overpaying by breaking down purchases into installments.

Everything else is a long list of MINUSES and suspicions:

- a raw, unfinished, and uninformative app that's just as bad as the website;

- no contact info or links except for the chat in the app;

I've got to say, there's a complete lack of transparency about the company and its owners.

The chat support is utterly useless and predictable - I didn't get any real help.

I was unable to disconnect my personal card from the app myself.

It takes ages to resolve issues, and there's no guarantee they'll be fully fixed.

What's more, you can't even delete your data along with your account.

I had my Mastercard card blocked due to the 'SHARE' feature.

I've lost count of how many nerve cells I've wasted.

The unprepared sales consultants at partner stores are a nightmare.

There's no guarantee that your data hasn't been compromised or copied before being deleted.

The whole thing feels like a scam.

It seems like some influential people are behind it.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

We live in a world where everyone seems to want to take advantage of you, rip you off, or sell you something that's not what you need.

They'll try to convince you to take out a loan or sign up for a subscription, all while hiding the true costs.

It's a sad reality, but it's true.

There are different levels of scams, ranging from disorganized to well-organized and well-protected.

As for the types of scams, I categorize them based on the harm they cause to the public: from absolute deception to scams that involve elements of swindling and pickpocketing.

This is my personal classification. It's based on my own bitter experience, and I wish I didn't have it.

It's not about organized crime groups, although that's a valid question.

Levels of scams:

Small-time scammers who fly solo - think petty thieves or street gangs.Scammers who've banded together in small crews, operating in a specific area with minimal interference. I've had the misfortune of dealing with them when trying to get a laptop repaired.The biggest league. I call it high-level scamming. It's orchestrated by influential people with connections to those in power, and it's on a massive scale.Types of scams:

Scammers for real. And they can be at any level (listed above). For example, phone calls. You're left with no money at all and it's irreversible.The next type is when they're not completely scammers, but they work with scam schemes and use the same tricks to extract money from you. Maybe they're middlemen who share information with scammers from the previous point. A typical example is the 'hero' of today's review - the 'ПОДЕЛИ' app. A service for paying for purchases in installments. In this scheme, they take something from you, but they might not get as much as they want, but they'll still squeeze something out of you. They'll scam you, but not completely; maybe not for long.This is usually big organizations working with aggressive marketing and gypsy tactics (distracting visitors with colorful promises, then taking them in and making them sign a contract for huge sums when the discount is only available now!). Here, you'll get the services/products you want, but at outrageous prices. And as a 'bonus,' you'll also get a massive loan. A clear example of this scam is (as many have already guessed) the Israeli company 'De Shelly,' selling Kirby vacuum cleaners and other stuff. And the latest example is the 'Fa Sol' vocal school in Omsk.Based on this classification, I call this the 'ПОДЕЛИ' app a scam, fitting level 3 in all parameters, and type 2 in variety.

Let's call a spade a spade - there are some shady organizations out there that are all too real, and they're using high-level scams and tactics to get what they want.

I genuinely believe that holding onto people's personal data without their consent, especially their full bank card details, is a human rights and legislative issue.

And that's exactly what's happening here. I have no idea what they're doing with my personal info, even after I've supposedly cancelled my account. Not to mention, I've blocked my card.

What's to stop them from trying to hack into my email or sell my phone number to other scammers?

It's always a painful and infuriating experience to come across scammers and con artists, regardless of their level or type. You feel like a total idiot, drained (both mentally and emotionally) and utterly defeated. I get so angry, not just with the scammers, but with myself too. What was I thinking? Why did I fall for it? Why didn't I do my research?

And it's even worse when they get their hands on your loved ones - especially kids and parents. I'd lose my mind if that happened! I'd want to rip them apart and scatter them to the wind!

So, my advice is to be super vigilant, don't let your emotions get the better of you, and don't fall for any dodgy tactics. Always take a step back, assess the situation, and think clearly before making any decisions.

I also think it's essential to teach kids and young adults to be aware of these scams and tactics. It's easy to manipulate them, just like older adults.

Man, I feel lucky to have avoided all the scams and rip-offs out there. Keep being vigilant, guys!

But the 'SplitPay' payment service app is a total no-go in my book. I'm only giving it one star because the idea itself isn't bad.

P.S. I'm not one to write negative reviews, but when I encounter blatant injustice, theft, and scams, I just want to shout it from the rooftops! I want to share my pain and warn others.

Check out the two pretty nasty stories I've got to share:

- my run-in with the 'stay away' social network 'Classmates';

- and the postal system's blatant thievery.

Wish everyone a scam-free life!

Predicted, prepared, and protected.