Like some other market, the social commerce platform has its share of crimson flags. It pays to know what to search for so you’ll be able to store or promote with out complications.
19 Feb 2026
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5 min. learn
Social commerce has gone mainstream. In keeping with one estimate, the business was on monitor to be price over $1.1 trillion globally in 2025, with over half of younger individuals shopping for on social media websites. However wherever cash and customers are to be discovered on-line, so are fraudsters and cybercriminals. So it’s with Poshmark: a well-liked California-based social commerce platform that enables customers to commerce new and second-hand gadgets similar to clothes, equipment, and residential items.
Whether or not you’re shopping for or promoting on the app, it’s vital to do not forget that scammers are in all places – they usually need your information, your cash and your items.
Why is Poshmark a scammer’s favourite?
Poshmark has grow to be a well-liked goal for scammers as a result of a number of components.
Excessive fee payment
A 20% Poshmark fee for gadgets over $15 means customers are solely too comfortable to finish offers off the platform. The issue is that scammers know this, and can usually counsel that they accomplish that, which exposes victims to phishing, faux cost affirmation and different varieties of fraud.
Counterfeit items
Poshmark customers primarily commerce in style gadgets, particularly on the luxurious finish of the market, which means many are uncovered to counterfeits. Though Poshmark will authenticate sure gadgets as a part of its value-add providers, it solely does so for items over $500.
Vendor beware
Poshmark provides Posh Defend, which means that patrons obtain a full refund if their merchandise by no means ships or doesn’t match the itemizing description. However what if it’s the patrons who’re the dangerous guys? Sellers could be focused by refund scams claiming gadgets are lacking or broken.
One-and-done accounts
It’s straightforward to open an account on Poshmark. However that ease-of-use and onboarding means it’s easy for scammers to create new accounts that are solely used (fraudulently) as soon as.
Restricted communications
Poshmark doesn’t enable customers to talk privately – solely through public feedback on listings. This creates a chance for scammers to maneuver conversations off platform as quickly as doable, the place victims are extra uncovered.
What are the commonest scams?
Look out for the next:
Phishing
Fraudsters ship you emails purporting to come back from Poshmark, however that are designed to elicit private, monetary and log-in data, or trick you into putting in malware. They could attempt to create a way of urgency to hurry you into making a poor choice by claiming your account shall be deactivated, or that they should examine a non-existent transaction you made.
Alternatively, scammers posing as patrons or sellers would possibly counsel transferring a transaction off platform. They could say it’s price doing this to keep away from the 20% fee, or that photos of your product aren’t loading correctly. As soon as it has moved to e mail/cell, they might ship you a phishing message designed to put in malware or steal persona/monetary information.
Some customers have additionally reported scammers posting malicious or suspicious hyperlinks within the app.
Off-platform cost rip-off
Just like the above, a purchaser or vendor suggests transferring the transaction off Poshmark to keep away from paying the 20% fee. However this implies that you could be be susceptible to paying with out receiving an merchandise. Or delivery an merchandise, having been despatched a fraudulent cost affirmation.
Non-delivery scams
Consumers buy a bundle of things out of your “closet” and declare one or some are lacking. Poshmark often calls for a refund and return, however this implies the scammer retains the unique gadgets they claimed have been lacking. One other variation is for the customer to buy an merchandise with high-value equipment which they declare didn’t arrive, and find yourself conserving (eg controllers for a gaming console).
Poshmark help scams
A purchaser contacts you with a phishing hyperlink purporting to come back from Poshmark help claiming there’s an issue together with your transaction. Following it may result in a malicious obtain or phishing web page.
Counterfeit scams
This one can work each methods. Consumers would possibly declare that the merchandise you shipped was broken, and ship again an inferior or counterfeit model of that merchandise. With out proof, it’s a must to reimburse them, they usually get to maintain the unique. Alternatively, a vendor would possibly promote a counterfeit merchandise for just below the $500 threshold, over which Poshmark checks for authenticity.
Tips on how to spot a Poshmark rip-off
The excellent news is that, with a couple of golden guidelines in thoughts when utilizing the positioning, you’ll be able to keep away from the scammers. They’ll often attempt to get you off the positioning a method or one other, and/or ship malicious hyperlinks masquerading as professional messages and alerts. Consumers can also strain you into delivery an merchandise, even offering faux screenshots of cost affirmation, earlier than funds clear in your Poshmark account.
On the opposite aspect, scammers could promote gadgets at just below the $500 threshold for authenticity checks, or at a value that appears too good to be true. Additionally look out for generic descriptions and inventory images – a certain signal of counterfeit gadgets.
What to do in the event you obtained scammed
A very powerful factor to recollect is that Poshmark will solely step in in case your total transaction has been accomplished on the platform.
Consumers
You solely have three days after supply to complain about an merchandise. Open a case and add images of the merchandise (within the case of broken/counterfeit claims). If an merchandise by no means arrived, contact Poshmark help with the related monitoring particulars. Posh Defend will cowl all misplaced packages shipped with their pay as you go label.
Go to: My Purchases – choose the order – Issues/Order Inquiry – Choose purpose – Add proof.
Sellers
Your finest safety in opposition to purchaser fraud is to doc every little thing (images, tags, packaging, serial numbers and a photograph of an merchandise with the Poshmark label on it).
It’s additionally doable to report fraud (even in the event you gained’t be reimbursed) by going to the rip-off account – Motion Menu – Report Person.
Contact your financial institution/card supplier to report any fraudulent transactions. And if it was a high-value merchandise, think about submitting a report with the FTC.
Staying protected on Poshmark
In fact, it’s higher by no means to get right into a place the place it’s a must to attempt to recoup losses. Make sure you at all times keep on the Poshmark app, examine the profile of any purchaser or vendor you’re considering of transacting with (together with “love notes”), and keep away from following hyperlinks off platform. Additionally, by no means belief screenshotted cost affirmation.
Above all, do not forget that if one thing seems too good to be true, it often is. There could also be bargains available on social commerce platforms like Poshmark. However there are additionally scammers circling in rising numbers.
