Skip to main content

Selling stuff online can be a great way to make some extra cash. Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and other sites attract a lot of buyers — and scammers. Here are some ways scammers try to cheat you and what to do about it.

Fake payments and bogus refund requests

A scammer posing as a buyer says they want to buy the thing you have for sale. When it comes time to pay, they insist on paying through a mobile payment app. They send you a fake payment notification and hope you send the item before you realize it’s a scam.

Or they say there was an issue with the payment they sent. For example, they might say they accidentally paid you twice and ask you to refund one of the payments.

Fake check overpayment

The scammer offers to give you a check for more than the selling price. They tell you to deposit the check and send the difference back to them.

The check is fake, but if you deposit it, it’ll appear in your account balance. That’s because banks must make your money available quickly, usually within two days.

When a bank says the check cleared, that doesn’t mean it was a good check. It can take weeks for the bank to figure out the check was fake. By that time, the scammer has the item you sold and the money you sent back. And the bank takes the money from the fake check out of your account.

Image
How a Fake Check Overpayment Scam Works. You’re selling an item for $200. A buyer sends you a check for $500. You deposit the check, return the difference of $300, and ship your item. A few weeks later, the bank tells you the check was fake and takes $500 out of your account. You’ve lost $300 in cash — plus the item you were selling.

Fake verification codes

A scammer posing as a buyer says they’ve heard about fake online listings and wants to verify that you’re a real person. They send you a text message with a Google Voice verification code and ask you for that code. If you give it to them, they’ll use it to create a Google Voice number linked to your phone number. Then the scammer could use the Google Voice number to rip off other people. If someone tracks the Google Voice number, it’ll be linked to your real phone number. That’s how the scammers conceal their identity.

Advice for selling things online

Many sites recommend selling your stuff to a local buyer you can meet in person and only accepting cash payments. If you’re not selling locally, see what seller protections the site offers.

To avoid a scam:

  • Don’t accept a mobile payment from someone you don’t know.
  • Never deposit a check for more than the selling price.
  • Don’t share your Google Voice verification code — or any verification code — with someone you don’t know.
Image
Selling stuff online? To avoid a scam, don’t accept a mobile payment from someone you don’t know. Don’t deposit a check for more than your selling price. Don’t share any verification codes. Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Report a Scam

If someone tries to cheat you, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Search Terms
scam
Topics
Shopping
Online Privacy and Security
Scams
Avoiding and Reporting Scams
Fake Check Scams

It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.

The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
  • We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.
  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

Linette W
July 28, 2022

This is all great information. Can you provide tips on how the transfer of money in such transactions CAN be safely accomplished or how to recognize legitimate funds? Even cash can be counterfeit. Thanks!

LAWRENCE
July 28, 2022

THANK YOU FOR THE INFO

Ree Bebetu-Klain
August 08, 2022

Thank you!!!!!!!!! Your advice is so valuable.

Return to top