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- Plus, they only use stock images on their listing because they don’t actually have the phone. If the price is too good to be true, it’s probably a scam. Safety tip: Do your research. Check the seller’s OfferUp profile to see if they have a good reputation. Check their item listing. Do they provide enough detail about the item?
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Are stock photos a sign of an OfferUp scam?
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How do I avoid a scam on OfferUp?
Mar 25, 2024 · Do they use real photos or stock photos? Look up the item’s retail price. Is the seller’s price realistic? If you’re suspicious, it’s best to avoid them and find a new seller. Click this link or log in to this website. It may be a scam when a buyer or seller sends you a link to check out an item on another website.
- Fake websites. If you’ve been chatting on OfferUp with someone who has an item for sale you want, make sure that you stay within the OfferUp ecosystem.
- OfferUp shipping scams. OfferUp has very clear shipping policies and instructions for sellers based on the size and weight of an object. It adds those costs to a transaction to keep the buying and selling process simple.
- Overpayment scams. It seems hard to believe that an online shopping scam starts with the scammer sending extra money to the person they’re trying to defraud, but that’s exactly what an overpayment scam is.
- Fake accounts. Before you deal with anyone on OfferUp, it’s a good idea to check out their profile to look for red flags. While it isn’t unusual for new users to have no reviews or little information on their profiles, if someone has lots of negative reviews and the information on their profile is strange or obviously copied from another place, avoid doing business with them.
- Common OfferUp Scams
- How to Stay Safe on OfferUp
- What Should You Do If You Fall For A Scam on Offerup?
Fake OfferUp website scam
How this scam works: Fake sites are also referred to as mirror sites. The seller sets up a fake page intended to look like a legitimate OfferUp listing, but instead, it leads you to a phishing linkor a form to fill out to complete the purchase. The URL will look very similar to the legitimate one, so this OfferUp scam is incredibly easy to fall for. How to avoid it: Never click on a link or move to a page outside of OfferUp. If you make a purchase through the OfferUp app, your purchase will b...
Overpayment scam
How this scam works:You might not think that OfferUp scams would involve sending money to the victim, and that’s exactly why this one works—because people aren’t expecting it. This scam has several forms, but here’s one of the most common, according to Karim Hijazi, CEO of Prevailion, a cyber intelligence company: “Sometimes the buyer sends the seller more money than requested, and then they contact the seller and claim to have made a mistake. They’ll ask the seller to return the extra funds...
Multiple posting scam
How this scam works:In this scam, a bad actor—usually an organized scam ring, according to Hall—will post the same listing on a variety of platforms. But the items isn’t real, and you’ll end up clicking on a phishing link that could expose your personal information. These scams are especially popular for vehicle listings. How to avoid it: The good news is, these OfferUp scams are pretty easy to spot, since they use the exact same photos and descriptions on multiple sites. Do a Google reverse...
Don’t click on links from strangers. Scammers create links that look legitimate but actually install malware on your device, compromising your identity or financial information. “You are asking for...Research the seller.“Check if the seller has good feedback or complaints against them,” Hall recommends. “Also see if their posted items have blurry images or the information about the item doesn’t...Stick to the app. Keep all interactions on the app. “Politely decline if the buyer or seller is asking for personal information like your telephone number, bank account details, address and so on,”...Use common sense. Just like meeting anyone new for anything, when exchanging goods on OfferUp in person, “do so in a visible, well-protected public place,” Eaton says. “[Don’t] meet at your home, o...If you think you’ve been a victim of an OfferUp scam or any scam, “don’t try to confront the scammer,” Hall says. “Report any suspicious postings to the app and report to the police.” OfferUp recommends reporting scams to them first, except in the case of serious issues—like if you’re in immediate danger or you’ve encountered illegal activity. In t...
Jun 1, 2021 · Sellers are required to post actual photos of their items, not stock photos from a manufacturer website. This is what helps buyers determine the actual condition of the item. If a seller is using stock photos, it could be a sign of an OfferUp scam.
- Yaniv Masjedi
- Overseas sellers (or anyone with a sob story) Scammers do everything they can to make sketchy requests seem reasonable. One way they catch potential buyers off guard is by telling a sob story or inventing a fake excuse as to why they need to sell their item quickly, for a low price, or without showing it to you in person.
- One seller account with multiple listings of the same item. When OfferUp scammers want to bait several victims at once, they create multiple listings of the same item.
- Sellers asking for verification codes to “prove” you’re legitimate. Ironically, scam artists get away with making suspicious requests by appealing to a person’s fear of being scammed.
- Empty box or “box only” listings. Some fraudulent listings feature a whole box of items for sale. Scammers try to sell the illusion that they’re offering a bundle of (often expensive) items at a major discount.
Apr 30, 2024 · Poor Quality Photos: If the photos of the items for sale are unclear, blurry, or seem altered, it might indicate a scam. Scammers sometimes use stock photos or low-quality images to deceive buyers about the actual condition of the item.
Mar 23, 2022 · Many different scams target OfferUp users, including overpayment scams, shipping scams, fake buyers and sellers, and fake checks. Can you get scammed on OfferUp shipping? There are OfferUp shipping scams that you can fall victim to; however, OfferUp does offer some protection for transactions.
