Scams on classifieds websites: "I will pay with delivery" and links to "receive money"
You are selling something, and a "buyer" is ready to pay at once and sends you a link so you can "receive the money". How this scam works and why you never need a CVV code to receive money.
This scam targets sellers. You post an ad, and almost at once a buyer writes to you. He does not even care what the item looks like. He is ready to pay right now, with delivery.
How it works
- The "buyer" writes to you in a messenger app, not in the website's own chat.
- He says he has already paid for the item and sends you a link so you can "confirm that you received the money".
- The link opens a page that looks like the classifieds website or a delivery service. It asks for your card number, expiry date, CVV code and the code from an SMS.
- Instead of receiving money, you confirm a payment from your card. Sometimes a second link "for a refund" follows, and money is taken again.
Similar versions
- "Go to an ATM". The buyer asks you to go to an ATM and follow his instructions to "accept the transfer". An ATM can only give out and send money. It cannot receive a transfer because someone asked you to do it.
- A fake email or SMS from the platform. "Your item has been paid for, confirm the delivery using this link".
- Scamming buyers. A seller asks for advance payment to a card for an expensive item at a very low price, for example a new phone for a third of its value, and then disappears.
The main rule
To receive money, your card number is enough. The expiry date, the CVV code on the back, SMS codes and your bank password are only needed to take money from your card. If someone asks for them "so you can receive the payment", it is a scam.
How to sell and buy safely
- talk only in the website's own chat;
- use the official delivery and safe deal options inside the app, not links from messages;
- check the page address: scammers use similar domains with an extra letter or a hyphen;
- do not pay in advance to sellers you do not know, especially new accounts with no reviews;
- compare prices: an item that is too cheap often does not exist.
If you entered your card details
Block your card at once in your banking app or by calling the number on the back of the card. Tell your bank about the fraudulent payment and report the account to the platform's support team. Check the "buyer's" number in our [registry](/), and if it is not there, add it.