Inside the seedy underworld of Vinted where sellers use five-letter secret code to flog unwashed underwear & socks
VINTED is an easy money-maker for millions of users across the country.
From secondhand clothing and accessories to old books and toys, savvy sellers can top up their income by hundreds of pounds a month.
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There is a seedy 'underworld' on Vinted
Credit: Alamy
It's completely free to upload clothes to the app and Vinted does not take a cut of sellers' profits - instead charging buyers a small fee to purchase each item.
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Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Inside the seedy underworld of Vinted where sellers use five-letter secret code to flog unwashed underwear & socks
VINTED is an easy money-maker for millions of users across the country. From secondhand clothing and accessories to old books and toys, savvy sellers can top up their income by hundreds of pounds a month. 4 There is a seedy 'underworld' on Vinted Credit: Alamy It's completely free to upload clothes to the app and Vinted does not take a cut of sellers' profits - instead charging buyers a small fee to purchase each item. But
The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
Inside the seedy underworld of Vinted where sellers use five-letter secret code to flog unwashed underwear & socks
VINTED is an easy money-maker for millions of users across the country. From secondhand clothing and accessories to old books and toys, savvy sellers can top up their income by hundreds of pounds a month. 4 It's completely free to upload clothes to the app and Vinted does not take a cut of sellers' profits - instead charging buyers a small fee to purchase each item. But beyond the innocent sales and haggling, there's a seedy "underworld" on the marketplace app. That's because sneaky Vinted users have sussed out a way to target the fetish market and flog worn and dirty tights, socks and underwear for up to £100. Selling goods which "do not comply with hygiene standards" is prohobited on Vinted and can see users banned from the app. Described as "unsafe items", this includes worn underwear, handmade underwear bottoms, shorts worn as underwear - such as sleep shorts, corsets, body shapers and shapewear with bottom parts, protective underwear bottoms for sports. The Vinted guidelines add: "For hygiene reasons, only new underwear can be sold - you must clearly show the attached tags and/or original packaging in your item's pictures. Composition and brand labels inside do not count as tags. "Worn bras, swimming costumes, tights and socks can be sold as long as they are properly washed and the description clearly states that the item has been worn." But TikTok posts have revealed the five-letter code that sellers are using to flog such items without raising the alarm with Vinted. The hashtag 'iykyk' - an acronym for 'if you know, you know' - has soared in popularity on the app. The Scottish Sun investigated the secret tactic to see just how many sellers managed to avoid Vinted's strict rules and filters. Within seconds, we were confronted with pages of listings with seemingly innocent packs of 'new with tags' thongs, socks and bras. But the descriptions showed the telling code word and immediately asked prospective buyers to "message on TG for details". TG, short for Telegram, is an encrypted messaging service and social network. Secret Chats on the platform come with additional privacy features which means messages can't be forwarded, and you can set a self-destruct timer, with intervals ranging from one second to one week. It is here that the Vinted users can engage with potential customers directly to sell filthy, used belongings. Apart from the 'iykyk' hashtag, the prices some items are being flogged for are an additional red flag. 4 4 4 One user - Emma, from Glasgow - is advertising a five-pack of Tesco tights, originally purchased for £5, at £5 per pair. This works out at a 400 per cent profit. Her description reads: "Price per pair. Selling as I bought the wrong shade. Iykyk Message for more info TG." Another seller advertised a used Boohoo bikini that's been "worn a lot over two summers" for £20. Her description adds: "Please text me on TG, I don't get the messages from here." And someone else is flogging a "variety of tights, socks and stockings" for £20 with the 'iykyk' hashtag and a note to "see bio" where her Telegram account is listed. Air hostesses have also jumped on the trend, trying to sell tights and cabin crew shoes worn on flights. One user is demanding £110 for a "crew shoes and tights" bundle, while another boasts her £8.50 tights - in a "satisfactory" condition - have been "worn to and from Turkey on over 100 flights". Vinted has been approached for comment. New Vinted rules to be aware of IF you fancy clearing out your wardrobe and getting rid of your old stuff on Vinted, you'll need to consider the new rules that recently came into play. If people are selling personal items for less than they paid new (which is generally the case for second-hand sales), there is no impact on tax. However, since January 1, digital platforms, including eBay, Airbnb, Etsy, Amazon and Vinted, must share seller information with HMRC as part of a crackdown. You're unlikely to be affected if you only sell a handful of second-hand items online each year - generally, only business sellers trading for profit might need to pay tax. A tax-free allowance of £1,000 has been in place since 2017 for business sellers trading for profit - the only time that an individual personal item might be taxable is if it sells for more than £6,000 and there is a profit from the sale. However, firms now have to pass on your data to HMRC if you sell 30 or more items a year or earn over £1,700. It is part of a wider tax crackdown to help ensure that those who boost their income via side hustles pay up what they owe. While your data won't be shared with HMRC if you earn between £1,000 and £1,700, you'll still need to pay tax as normal.
Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
World's first AI minister to govern in Dubai and oversee ALL state companies in dystopian vision of the future
It is expected to help oversee all of the oil-rich nation's state companies THE BOTS ARE TAKING OVER THE BOTS ARE TAKING OVER World's first AI minister to govern in Dubai and oversee ALL state companies in dystopian vision of the future ARTIFICIAL intelligence is becoming more sophisticated every year, and many people are anxious about robots taking over their jobs. But one Middle Eastern country is taking this to a whole new level, bringing AI right into the heart of its government. 3 The United Arab Emirates will bring an AI system into its cabinet Credit: Alamy 3 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid made the stunning announcement on Friday Credit: AFP 3 Artificial intelligence robot looking at futuristic digital data display Credit: Getty Numerous jobs from customer service to data entry are often seen as at risk to being lost to machines in the near future. Yet even government ministers may soon have to worry about losing their jobs to artificial intelligence. From next year, the United Arab Emirates will bring an AI system into its cabinet. This will mark the first time in world history that artificial intelligence has had a seat at a nation's top table. The National Artificial Intelligence System will serve as an advisory member of the UAE's cabinet. This system is expected to help oversee all of the oil-rich nation's state companies. Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid made the stunning announcement on Friday. He began a lengthy X post with some more routine government announcements. These included the establishment of a Ministry of Foreign Trade and a name change to the Ministry of Economy to the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. But then the Dubai ruled shared the jaw-dropping news than an AI system would be brought into the fold. Chilling new vid shows world-first 'synthetic human' dubbed Protoclone twitch into life as it flexes its spindly fingers He posted: "We also announce that the National Artificial Intelligence System will be adopted as an advisory member of the Cabinet, the Ministerial Development Council, and all boards of directors of federal entities and government companies, starting in January 2026. "The goal is to support decision-making in these councils, conduct immediate analyses of their decisions, provide technical advice, and enhance the efficiency of government policies adopted by these councils across all sectors. "The world is going through a comprehensive restructuring phase, scientifically, economically, and socially. "And our goal is to prepare today for the coming decades. "Our goal is to ensure continued prosperity and a decent life for future generations." It comes amid a big drive by the UAE to be a top player the field of AI. The country's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 aims to make the country a global leader in the field by that year. The UAE is not the only country looking to further integrate AI into day-to-day life. A robotic futuristic city in Japan with driverless cars and AI-powered homes is preparing to receive its first residents. Toyota's £8billion 'Woven City' project will be found at the base of the Mount Fuji. "We are building a city where everything, people, buildings, vehicles, is connected through sensors and AI," Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota's Board of Directors, has said previously. "It's a unique opportunity to create a living digital operating system for urban life."
