The cell market app has a rising collection of customers, however no longer they all are authentic. Be careful for those not unusual scams.
04 Feb 2026
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6 min. learn
OfferUp has been in industry for just about 15 years. Even though little identified outdoor the USA, {the marketplace} app competes for shopper hearts and minds with trade giants Craigslist, Fb Market and eBay. And prefer them, it has an issue with fraud. In the event you’re taking a look to shop for or promote at the platform and need to keep transparent of the scammers, learn on.
Best 10 OfferUp scams
OfferUp claims to procedure over 30 million transactions each and every yr. That’s inevitably going to draw some customers with nefarious motives. Listed below are the commonest scams chances are you’ll come across at the platform:
Counterfeit pieces
Watch out for high-value pieces that develop into rip offs. The vendor will usually attempt to convince you to pay by means of a third-party carrier (e.g., Zelle, Venmo) slightly than throughout the app, as doing so manner the thing gained’t be lined via OfferUp’s Acquire Coverage.
Cost rip-off
As above, scammers (whether or not purchaser or dealers) will ceaselessly attempt to trick you into transacting by means of third-party coins app services and products. They will:
- Promise to pay above the asking worth for a product you’re promoting, in an effort to convince you to conform to them the usage of a coins app. They then overpay the usage of a stolen account or pretend take a look at, and ask for money back. In the event you pay it, you’ll ultimately be down the refund, plus your merchandise, and could also be requested to pay off the unique fraudulent sum
- Ask to pay by means of present playing cards, which develop into pretend or with 0 price
- Declare to be out-of-town dealers, asking for cash-app cost for pieces they by no means finally end up delivery
Account takeover
A purchaser asks you for a verification code in an effort to ‘examine’ your record, as an example thru Google Voice. In truth, they’re generally seeking to log into your account and want the two-factor authentication code despatched via OfferUp. In the event you hand it over, they get regulate of your account, enabling them to get entry to your individual data and probably use your account to rip-off others.
Empty field
Some dealers upload disclaimers in a long merchandise description announcing they’re best providing the field or a virtual photograph of the thing. So when it arrives, all you’ll obtain is an empty field.
Phishing hyperlinks
Rip-off consumers and dealers would possibly ship you a message announcing one thing like “click on right here to receives a commission” or “click on to ensure your information”. Doing so will take you to a phishing website online the place you’ll be requested to fill on your logins, cost main points and/or different delicate private data.
E-mail phishing
Some consumers or dealers would possibly ask on your electronic mail cope with or telephone quantity all through the transaction procedure. They’ll use it to junk mail you with malicious hyperlinks designed to thieve your data or set up malware for your tool.
Deposit rip-off
A supplier posts a high-value merchandise, providing to ship it to you so long as you place a deposit all the way down to protected it. It seems the thing doesn’t exist, and also you’ve misplaced the deposit.
Bouncing assessments
A scammer will pay for an merchandise you’re promoting by means of take a look at, which bounces a number of days later, leaving you with out the thing and no cost.
Funding alternative
A supplier posts an inventory about an “funding alternative” or identical, however calls for you to ship cash first.
Faux jobs
Scammers might pose as employers that require in advance cost for ‘background assessments’ or identical. Then again, they will request you fill on your private and monetary main points as a part of the ‘utility procedure,’ which they are able to use for identification fraud.
What OfferUp protects
OfferUp provides 2-day Acquire Coverage for consumers, which means that you’ve 48 hours from supply to report a declare for pieces:
- Considerably no longer as described
- Broken in transit
- Counterfeit
You’ll additionally report for pieces no longer won and/or empty field scams.
On the other hand, OfferUp is not going to be offering coverage for the rest bought off-app, or that violates its regulations (e.g., present playing cards, alcohol), or that was once paid for in coins, in user.
What to appear out for
Whilst you’re surfing the app, the next must all be pink flags:
- Offers which might be too just right to be true, generally from fraudulent dealers who need you to place a deposit down, or rip-off consumers in need of to steer you into transacting off app.
- A purchaser profile without a historical past. This isn’t essentially a scammer, however it will pay to be further wary
- A recommended meetup level that’s no longer a Group Meetup Spot, as this would point out they would like the transaction to not be seen
- A purchaser/supplier asks for a verification code, which they if truth be told need to log into your account
- Patrons/dealers ship you messages containing hyperlinks to ‘examine’ or identical
- A supplier tries to make use of urgency to hurry you into making an unwise choice, like purchasing a counterfeit merchandise or hanging a deposit down for a non-existent merchandise.
- Emotional manipulation, comparable to scammers announcing they are able to’t meet in user as a result of they’re within the army or out of city on circle of relatives emergency
- Words like “field best,” “virtual photograph,” or “reproduction” hidden in a long product description
- Requests to repay app
- Inventory footage of things slightly than ones they’ve taken themselves, indicating they don’t if truth be told personal the product
- Overpayment for an merchandise
Staying secure
To stick secure at the app, the recommendation may be very easy: don’t depart it and don’t click on on any doubtful hyperlinks. That suggests by no means leaving the app for messaging or bills, by no means delivering your individual main points, and no longer responding to messages with hyperlinks in them. In the event you prepare an in-person sale, ensure it’s at a Group Meetup Spot. And if you wish to be extremely cautious, best 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 situation involves go, record the rip-off to OfferUp instantly, in the event you’re lined via the company’s 2-day Acquire Coverage. In Messages, faucet the dialog with the scammer and the 3 dots within the nook, then File. Put up a Acquire Coverage declare within the OfferUp Lend a hand Heart.
In the event you’ve paid outdoor of the app, touch your financial institution to report a chargeback (if a card cost) or report a record with the money app you paid with. The latter is not going to get your a refund, however might assist get the scammer banned.
In the event you’ve shared private data or a verification code with a scammer, exchange your app passwords, and do the similar for any websites you reuse the similar credential on. Observe your financial institution accounts for ordinary task. And be cautious of any follow-up phishing makes an attempt that pop into your inbox/messages.
In spite of everything, imagine reporting the rip-off to the government, eg FTC, FBI or File Fraud (UK). Earlier than you delete messages or block the person, take screenshots of the unique record, the scammer’s profile, your chat historical past and any cost receipts.
OfferUp is wonderful means to select up bargains on your house, or make a bit of more money from pieces you not want. However take into accout, no longer everyone seems to be performing in just right religion.
