🛒

Marketplace fraud

Overpayment and “ship before it clears” requests.

Marketplace scams hit both sides of the deal. Sellers face overpayments with fake checks, doctored payment screenshots, and buyers who need it shipped 'before the payment posts'. Buyers face too-cheap listings, sellers who vanish after a deposit, and rentals that were never for rent.

The common thread is the platform exit: scammers push to move the conversation, and especially the payment, somewhere with no protection — Zelle, wire, gift cards, or crypto.

How the scam works

The hook

As a buyer: a price well under market. As a seller: an instant, no-questions buyer — often 'buying for a relative'.

The complication

An overpayment 'by mistake', a courier who must be paid in advance, a payment app 'hold' that needs your action, or a verification code they text you to 'prove you're real'.

The extraction

You refund the difference, pay the courier, ship before the money is real, or read back the code — which actually hijacks your account.

Red flags to watch for

Overpayment plus refund request

Nobody pays extra by accident. This is the fake check script wearing a marketplace costume.

Payment screenshot instead of payment

Screenshots are trivially faked. Money is real when it's in your account and confirmed inside the app — nowhere else.

'Read me the code I just texted you'

That's a Google Voice or account-verification code. Reading it back gives the scammer a phone number or account in your name.

Off-platform payment pressure

Zelle, wire, gift cards, and crypto have no buyer or seller protection. Pressure toward them is pressure toward zero recourse.

Can't view the item or the seller in person

For local goods and rentals: if every meeting attempt gets deflected, the item usually doesn't exist.

What to do

✓

Keep everything on-platform

Chat, payment, shipping labels — platform protections only cover what the platform can see.

✓

Ship only after money is truly received

Confirmed in the app, not in a screenshot or an email. For checks: wait for full clearance, which takes days, not hours.

✓

Meet locally, safely

Daytime, public place — many police stations offer exchange zones. Cash or in-app payment on the spot.

✓

If you were scammed

Report to the platform, your bank or payment app, and reportfraud.ftc.gov. For shipped goods, contact the carrier about intercepting the package.

Frequently asked questions

A buyer sent a Zelle 'business upgrade' email asking me to refund a fee. Real?

No — Zelle doesn't have business upgrade fees and doesn't email sellers about them. That email is spoofed, no money was ever sent, and the 'refund' would come out of your pocket.

Is it safe to give my address to a marketplace buyer?

For shipping, yes — through the platform. Be wary of buyers who ask for your address or phone number before buying, especially combined with a 'verification code' request.

The deal is local cash. What's the scam risk?

Counterfeit bills and robbery are the local risks. Meet in daylight at a safe-exchange location, check large bills, and bring a friend for high-value items.