How to spot a scam when buying through classified ads

Scams in classified ads are not especially clever — they are repetitive. Almost all of them rest on the same thing: getting you to pay, or hand over details, before you have seen what you are buying. Once you know that pattern, most of them are recognisable within two messages.

The most common schemes

• The reservation deposit. "Lots of people are interested, send 50 euros and I'll hold it for you." The item does not exist and the money does not come back.
• The item is abroad. It is supposedly with a relative or in another country and will be shipped once you pay. This is a scam in very nearly every case.
• Fake delivery. You are sent a link that looks like a courier service or a payment page, asking for your card details "to receive the parcel". No courier ever needs your card number to deliver a package.
• Overpayment. A buyer "accidentally" sends too much and asks you to refund the difference. The original payment is reversed later; the refund you sent is not.
• Payment "pending confirmation". You are sent a screenshot or an email that looks like a bank confirmation, and asked to hand over the item before the money has actually arrived.
• Links from outside. Any attempt to move the conversation quickly to another app and send you a payment link there deserves suspicion.

One rule covers almost everything: do not pay in advance for something you have not seen, and do not accept payment through a link the other party sent you. If someone insists on exactly that, you have your answer.

Signs already visible in the listing

• A price dramatically below the market for the same condition and year.
• Photos that look like shop or catalogue images, with not a single one taken at home.
• A description with few concrete details but a lot of urgency: "urgent", "I'm leaving", "today only".
• A seller who refuses to show the item in person or to speak on the phone.
• The same photo appearing across several listings — worth checking with a reverse image search.

At the meeting

• Meet in a public place, in daylight. For expensive items, bring someone with you.
• For large sums, arrange to meet at a bank — cash is best checked where it is withdrawn.
• Inspect the item before you pay, not after. Ask to power the device on, to drive the car, to see the receipt.
• For expensive items, ask for a signed note with the name, amount, date and a description of the item.
• If anything about the situation feels wrong, leave. No good deal is lost because you refused to rush.

If you are the seller

• Hand over the item only once the money is in your account — not on a screenshot, but confirmed in your own banking app.
• Never send photos of your ID or bank card to anyone.
• Be wary of a buyer who accepts your price without a single question and immediately wants to "send a courier".

If you have been scammed

Save every message, the listing, the profile and any payment confirmations. Report it at your nearest police station and tell your bank immediately — with some payment methods the transaction can still be stopped if you act fast. Report the listing through the report button as well, so the next person does not go through the same thing.