Spot a marketplace, puppy or second-hand buying scam
Online sales scams lure you with a great price, then push payment off-platform before any goods exist. The bargain is the bait.
- Be wary of prices well below market, especially for in-demand pets, cars or electronics.
- Refuse to move off the platform or pay by bank transfer, gift card or crypto — those payments aren’t recoverable.
- Insist on seeing the item in person, or a live video call, before paying anything — scammers always have an excuse not to.
- Be suspicious of a seller pushing extra fees for ’insurance’, ’transport’ or ’vaccination’ before delivery.
- Reverse image search the photos — scam listings reuse pictures from elsewhere.
- Use the platform’s protected payment method and keep all communication on it.
Still stuck after those?
You’ve done the right thing by trying. Send whedo.it a quick note — what you tried, what you saw — and a senior pair of eyes will be on it the same business day.