Online Marketplace Scams: What Buyers & Sellers Must Know

The shared playbook

Marketplace scams rarely invent new tricks — they reuse the same four moves across Amazon, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp, Instagram, TikTok, and car classifieds:

1. 1
   Too-good offer. Price, buyer enthusiasm, or “you won” energy that short-circuits caution.
2. 2
   Complication. Shipping, escrow, account glitch, customs, or “my mechanic needs the car alone.”
3. 3
   Off-platform payment. Zelle, wire, gift cards, crypto, or a fake portal.
4. 4
   Fake proof. Screenshots of transfers, tracking numbers, or “support” chats.

If you are buying

• Stay inside the platform’s checkout when it exists (Amazon, eBay, TikTok Shop, Instagram Checkout).
• Do not send deposits to “hold” items or cars you have not inspected.
• Reverse-image search product and vehicle photos when the deal looks unreal.
• Watch for phishing “order problem” texts — especially Amazon-style delivery alerts. See Amazon scams and package text scams.
• Imposter ads that steal a real brand’s look: imposter ads.

If you are selling

• Refuse overpayment checks and “refund the difference” stories — fake check scams.
• Ignore fake Zelle/Venmo screenshots; only trust cleared funds in your own app.
• Do not accept buyer-provided shipping labels you did not generate.
• Keep negotiations in platform messages when possible (helps disputes and evidence).
• Facebook / local apps: Marketplace, Craigslist & OfferUp.

Buying or selling a car

Cars concentrate every marketplace risk: large deposits, title fraud, remote “escrow,” unsafe meetups, and even test-drive sabotage. If you are shopping for a vehicle or listing one on Marketplace, Craigslist, Instagram, TikTok, or a dealer site:

• Start with the overview: car scams (warranty robocalls, fake listings, financing phishing).
• Use the private-party checklist: vehicle sale scams (title/VIN, escrow, meetup safety).
• Never wire a hold fee for a car you have not seen. Meet in public; verify payment at a bank when possible.

Guides by platform

Rules that work everywhere

• If they need you to leave protected checkout, pause.
• Gift cards and crypto are not normal ways to buy a sofa, phone, or car.
• Verify support numbers and companies in the trusted directory — not from the other party’s text.
• Run suspicious messages through ScanBeyond before you pay or share codes.

If something already went wrong

Act in the first hour: freeze payments, change passwords, report the platform, and file with the FTC. Use the step-by-step guide: what to do if you were scammed.