P2P Marketplace Scams
A buyer sends you a fake payment screenshot or overpays 'by accident' and asks you to refund the difference. Your item is gone, your bank account is drained. Sellers also get hit — fake escrow services, bounced checks, stolen credit cards.
How it worksThe anatomy of the scam
Every case follows roughly the same playbook. Recognize the pattern, stop it early.
1. The over-eager buyer/seller
They'll meet you anywhere, pay any price, in a hurry.
2. The 'payment sent' screenshot
Looks real but is photoshopped. Your account doesn't actually show the money.
3. The overpayment trick
'Oops, I sent too much, can you Zelle back $200?' The original payment never clears.
4. The shipping redirect
Buyer asks you to ship to an address different from the account address — so the platform's protection is void.
Warning signsRed flags to watch for
If you're seeing two or more of these, assume it's a scam until proven otherwise.
Buyer moves off-platform
Any request to text, email, or WhatsApp instead of platform messages.
Pressure to ship immediately
Before the payment has fully cleared in your actual bank account.
Payment 'screenshots'
Only trust what you see in your actual banking app.
Protect yourselfDo this. Not that.
✓ Do
Only ship after the payment has posted to your real account, not 'pending'.
✗ Don't
Don't accept checks for more than the sale price.
✓ Do
Keep all communication on the platform — it's your proof if you need to dispute.
✗ Don't
Don't ship to addresses different from the buyer's account.
RelatedIf this happened to you, also check
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