Short answer: The common scams aimed at Marketplace sellers all need you to do one of three things: send money to the buyer, share a code or contact detail, or trust a payment you haven't seen in your own app. Refuse all three and most of these scams have nothing to work with.
Scam warnings usually focus on buyers. Sellers are targets too, and the scams aimed at them are built to look like normal buyer behavior: an eager message, a quick offer, a "small problem" with the payment. Here are the ones to know, how each one works, and the habit that stops it.
1. The fake "business account" payment email
A buyer asks to pay with Zelle. Then you get an email that looks like it's from Zelle, saying the buyer paid through a "business account" and you need to upgrade before the money is released. The buyer offers to cover the upgrade, sends "extra," and asks you to refund the difference. The email came from the scammer, no money was ever sent, and the refund you send is real. The Better Business Bureau has warned sellers about this one (KWCH), and versions of it were still being reported in 2025 (NBC 10 WJAR). The same trick can be dressed up as Venmo or Cash App.
The habit: no buyer needs your email to pay you, and you never send money to a buyer. Check payments only inside your own app.
2. The overpayment
"I'll send $300 for the $200 table. Can you send $100 back for my mover?" Whether it's a check, a payment that gets reversed, or a payment that never arrived, the extra money isn't real. Your refund is.
The habit: anyone who offers more than your price gets a polite decline and a block.
3. The verification code
A "buyer" says they want to make sure you're real and asks for your phone number. A code arrives by text, and they ask you to read it back. That code can set up a Google Voice number tied to your phone, which the scammer then uses to hide their identity. The FTC has warned sellers about this one (FOX 9).
The habit: never share a code you didn't request, and keep every conversation in Messenger. A real buyer doesn't need your phone number.
4. The screenshot "payment"
The buyer grabs the item, then shows or sends a screenshot of a payment. It might be faked, scheduled, or canceled after they leave.
The habit: a sale is paid when the money shows in your own Venmo, Cash App, or bank app, or when you've counted the cash. Not before.
5. The "my cousin will pick it up" or "I'll send a courier"
Some are legitimate. Others are a way to get an item handed to someone you never screened, often paired with one of the payment tricks above, or with a request to ship it using a label they provide.
The habit: screen the person who will actually show up, keep payment coming from the account you agreed on, and keep local sales local.
6. The link to "confirm your listing"
A message says your listing was flagged, or your payment is on hold, and asks you to log in through a link. It's after your Facebook or payment-app login.
The habit: don't log in through links in messages. Open the app yourself.
The three rules that stop most of them
| Rule | What it shuts down |
|---|---|
| Never send money to a buyer | Fake business-account emails, overpayment refunds, "send back the difference" |
| Never share a code, your email, or your phone number | Verification-code takeovers, fake payment emails, phishing |
| Only trust money you can see in your own app | Screenshots, canceled payments, "I already sent it" |
If you think you've been scammed
- Report the buyer through the Messenger conversation and on Marketplace.
- Contact your payment app or bank right away. Speed matters.
- If you gave out a verification code, follow Google's steps to reclaim your number.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Screening helps too. A buyer with a solid rating, years of history, and real questions about the item is rarely running one of these. The free buyer check below is the screen I use.
Start with the screen
The free 60-Second Buyer Check is the one-page screen I run on every buyer before they get my address. The full Porch Protocol guide covers the rest: the two-message pickup setup, every script, printable porch signs, and pickups while you're home behind a locked door, plus when an away pickup makes sense.
Related: How to get paid on Facebook Marketplace · Are porch pickups safe?