Facebook Marketplace, Vinted and eBay scams before Christmas: fake payments, off-app deals and courier tricks

What's happening

Selling unwanted things to pay for Christmas, or buying presents second-hand, is a sensible way to save. It's also when online shopping fraud peaks. City of London Police figures put losses to online shopping fraud at £11.8 million over the last festive season, from 1 November 2024 to 31 January 2025. The year before, 43% of online shopping fraud reports to Action Fraud over the festive period mentioned a social media platform, according to the National Cyber Security Centre.

Most marketplace scams use one of three tricks. They work on buyers and sellers alike, on Facebook Marketplace, Vinted, eBay and similar sites.

At a glance

• Fake payment emails: a "buyer" sends an email or screenshot saying they've paid. They haven't.
• Off-platform payment: a seller asks you to pay by bank transfer or a "friends and family" payment instead of through the app. You lose the app's protection.
• Courier tricks: a "buyer" arranges a courier and sends a link to "confirm delivery" or pay "insurance". The link is a fake page that steals your card or bank details.
• The fix for all three: keep the deal, the messages and the payment inside the app, and check your actual balance before you hand anything over.

How each scam works

Fake payment. You're selling a games console. The buyer sends what looks like a payment confirmation from their bank, PayPal or the marketplace, and asks you to post today. Police in Derbyshire and Staffordshire have warned about sellers handing over items on the strength of fake screenshots and emails. Only trust money you can see in your own account, checked by opening the app yourself.

Off-platform payment. A seller on Vinted offers a discount if you pay by bank transfer. Vinted says that if you pay outside its system, without using the Buy now button, "your purchase won't be protected" and it can't help. The same goes for eBay: its Money Back Guarantee covers purchases paid for through eBay checkout.

Courier tricks. Wrexham Council has described a scam in which a "buyer" agrees an unusual collection method, takes the seller's details, then sends an email that looks like a courier firm's, asking for an "insurance" payment. No delivery has been booked and the link goes to a phishing site.

What it could cost: a worked example

This is an illustration, not a real case. Jo is selling a pram for £180. A buyer says they'll send a courier and pay through a "secure delivery service". Jo gets an email with a link and enters her card details to "receive" the £180. The next day £640 has gone from her account in card payments she didn't make.

Because Jo didn't authorise those payments, her bank should usually refund them under the Payment Services Regulations, though it can ask her to pay up to £35. If she'd been tricked into sending money herself by bank transfer, the reimbursement rules for authorised push payment scams would apply instead, with a possible excess of up to £100.

What to do now

1. Keep chats and payments in the app. Treat any request to move to WhatsApp, email or bank transfer as a warning sign.
2. Check your balance yourself in your banking or marketplace app before you post or hand over anything.
3. Never click a link to "receive" money. You don't need to enter card details to be paid.
4. See items in person for cash sales, in a public place if you can.
5. If you've been caught, call your bank on the number on your card or call 159, then report it to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040. Forward scam emails to [email protected].

Questions

Is Facebook Marketplace safe?

It can be, but many sales are paid by cash or bank transfer between strangers. With a bank transfer, the platform can't step in. Meet in person, inspect the item and pay when you've seen it.

Can I get my money back if I paid by bank transfer?

Possibly. Tell your bank straight away. Under the rules that began on 7 October 2024, banks must normally reimburse victims of authorised push payment scams, minus an excess of up to £100.

A buyer says their payment is "pending". Should I post?

No. Wait until the money shows in your account or the platform confirms the sale.

Ways to save

Buying new from an established retailer gives you full rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which second-hand buys from private sellers don't. Our Argos, Currys, Very and John Lewis pages list current offers, and our eBay page has deals you pay for through eBay checkout.

Sources: Vinted: how to shop and pay safely, NCSC: festive shoppers urged to be cyber aware, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner update (City of London Police figures), East Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre: Derbyshire Constabulary warning, Payment Services Regulations 2017, regulation 77, Payment Systems Regulator