The cell market app has a rising variety of customers, however not all of them are real. Be careful for these widespread scams.
04 Feb 2026
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6 min. learn
OfferUp has been in enterprise for almost 15 years. Though little recognized outdoors the US, {the marketplace} app competes for client hearts and minds with trade giants Craigslist, Fb Market and eBay. And like them, it has an issue with fraud. For those who’re trying to purchase or promote on the platform and wish to keep away from the scammers, learn on.
Prime 10 OfferUp scams
OfferUp claims to course of over 30 million transactions annually. That’s inevitably going to draw some customers with nefarious motives. Listed here are the most typical scams you might encounter on the platform:
Counterfeit objects
Watch out for high-value objects that change into rip offs. The vendor will sometimes attempt to persuade you to pay by way of a third-party service (e.g., Zelle, Venmo) somewhat than by means of the app, as doing so means the merchandise gained’t be lined by OfferUp’s Buy Safety.
Fee rip-off
As above, scammers (whether or not purchaser or sellers) will usually attempt to trick you into transacting by way of third-party money app providers. They could:
- Promise to pay above the asking worth for a product you’re promoting, to be able to persuade you to comply with them utilizing a money app. They then overpay utilizing a stolen account or faux verify, and ask for a refund. For those who pay it, you’ll ultimately be down the refund, plus your merchandise, and could also be requested to repay the unique fraudulent sum
- Ask to pay by way of present playing cards, which change into faux or with zero worth
- Declare to be out-of-town sellers, requesting cash-app fee for objects they by no means find yourself delivery
Account takeover
A purchaser asks you for a verification code to be able to ‘confirm’ your itemizing, as an illustration by means of Google Voice. The truth is, they’re often making an attempt to log into your account and wish the two-factor authentication code despatched by OfferUp. For those who hand it over, they get management of your account, enabling them to entry your private info and doubtlessly use your account to rip-off others.
Empty field
Some sellers add disclaimers in a prolonged merchandise description saying they’re solely providing the field or a digital photograph of the merchandise. So when it arrives, all you’ll obtain is an empty field.
Phishing hyperlinks
Rip-off patrons and sellers may ship you a message saying one thing like “click on right here to receives a commission” or “click on to confirm your information”. Doing so will take you to a phishing website the place you’ll be requested to fill in your logins, fee particulars and/or different delicate private info.
Electronic mail phishing
Some patrons or sellers may ask in your e mail deal with or cellphone quantity in the course of the transaction course of. They’ll use it to spam you with malicious hyperlinks designed to steal your info or set up malware in your gadget.
Deposit rip-off
A vendor posts a high-value merchandise, providing to ship it to you so long as you put a deposit down to safe it. It seems the merchandise doesn’t exist, and also you’ve misplaced the deposit.
Bouncing checks
A scammer pays for an merchandise you’re promoting by way of verify, which bounces a number of days later, leaving you with out the merchandise and no fee.
Funding alternative
A vendor posts an inventory about an “funding alternative” or related, however requires you to ship cash first.
Pretend jobs
Scammers could pose as employers that require upfront fee for ‘background checks’ or related. Alternatively, they might request you fill in your private and monetary particulars as a part of the ‘utility course of,’ which they’ll use for identification fraud.
What OfferUp protects
OfferUp gives 2-day Buy Safety for patrons, that means that you’ve 48 hours from supply to file a declare for objects:
- Considerably not as described
- Broken in transit
- Counterfeit
You may also file for objects not obtained and/or empty field scams.
Nevertheless, OfferUp is not going to provide safety for something bought off-app, or that violates its guidelines (e.g., present playing cards, alcohol), or that was paid for in money, in individual.
What to look out for
Whenever you’re searching the app, the next ought to all be crimson flags:
- Offers which might be too good to be true, often from fraudulent sellers who need you to place a deposit down, or rip-off patrons wanting to steer you into transacting off app.
- A purchaser profile with no historical past. This isn’t essentially a scammer, but it surely pays to be additional cautious
- A urged meetup level that’s not a Group Meetup Spot, as this might point out they need the transaction to not be noticed
- A purchaser/vendor asks for a verification code, which they really wish to log into your account
- Patrons/sellers ship you messages containing hyperlinks to ‘confirm’ or related
- A vendor tries to make use of urgency to hurry you into making an unwise choice, like shopping for a counterfeit merchandise or placing a deposit down for a non-existent merchandise.
- Emotional manipulation, corresponding to scammers saying they cannot meet in individual as a result of they’re within the navy or out of city on household emergency
- Phrases like “field solely,” “digital photograph,” or “reproduction” hidden in a prolonged product description
- Requests to repay app
- Inventory images of things somewhat than ones they’ve taken themselves, indicating they don’t truly personal the product
- Overpayment for an merchandise
Staying protected
To remain protected on the app, the recommendation could be very easy: don’t go away it and don’t click on on any doubtful hyperlinks. Which means by no means leaving the app for messaging or funds, by no means handing over your private particulars, and never responding to messages with hyperlinks in them. For those who prepare an in-person sale, be sure that it’s at a Group Meetup Spot. And if you wish to be extremely cautious, solely purchase from or promote to a person with a “TruYou” badge on their profile, indicating their identification has been verified.
I’ve been scammed, what subsequent?
If the worst-case state of affairs involves move, report the rip-off to OfferUp instantly, in case you’re lined by the agency’s 2-day Buy Safety. In Messages, faucet the dialog with the scammer and the three dots within the nook, then Report. Submit a Buy Safety declare within the OfferUp Assist Heart.
For those who’ve paid outdoors of the app, contact your financial institution to file a chargeback (if a card fee) or file a report with the money app you paid with. The latter is unlikely to get your a refund, however could assist get the scammer banned.
For those who’ve shared private info or a verification code with a scammer, change your app passwords, and do the identical for any websites you reuse the identical credential on. Monitor your financial institution accounts for uncommon exercise. And be cautious of any follow-up phishing makes an attempt that pop into your inbox/messages.
Lastly, take into account reporting the rip-off to the authorities, eg FTC, FBI or Report Fraud (UK). Earlier than you delete messages or block the person, take screenshots of the unique itemizing, the scammer’s profile, your chat historical past and any fee receipts.
OfferUp is nice technique to decide up bargains in your space, or make slightly more money from objects you now not want. However bear in mind, not everyone seems to be performing in good religion.
