Online marketplace fraud
Learn how to help keep safe while using online marketplaces and how to get support. You can also report cybercrime to us online, by phone, or in person
Risks of online marketplaces
Online marketplaces (such as Facebook Marketplace or TikTok) let people buy and sell items to other people, usually in their local area.
Anyone with an account can sell on the platform. This creates risks.
Unlike a traditional retailer, there is often no:
- built-in payment system
- verification of the items for sale
- clear feedback or complaints system
- information about recalled or unsafe products
How to report an online marketplace fraud
If you want to tell us about an online marketplace fraud, you can report it online, by phone, or in person.
What to do if you think there’s fraud
As well as reporting any fraud to us, you can also :
- avoid buying anything that seems too good to be true or that you’re unsure about
- report the seller to the platform they're using (for example, Facebook)
- check Scam Share from Trading Standards Scotland to see current common scams
Get support from other organisations
You can get support from other organisations:
- Trading Standards Scotland for advice on consumer rights and scams
- Stop! Think Fraud is the UK government’s fraud advice service
- Take Five for tools and advice on how to avoid scams and fraud and what to do if it happens
- Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland for advice and tools to protect yourself from fraud
- Cyber and Fraud Hub for advice and self-help tools like scam checkers
- National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has tools and advice to help you stay safe online
- Cyber Scotland to report cybercrime and get advice on how to protect yourself or an organisation from cybercrime
- Get Safe Online for advice on how to protect yourself online
Ways to protect yourself from scams
Buying
To help protect yourself from scams when buying from online marketplaces, you can:
- avoid paying for anything you haven’t seen
- take screenshots of the listing before you buy
- check other sites to make sure you get a fair price
- check the seller’s profile to see if it may be fake
Signs a profile is fake can include:
- a recently created profile
- spelling and grammar errors
- if the seller has not been tagged in any photos
- few or no friends
- no friends in their local area
- someone you know who starts acting strangely (for example, they suddenly try to sell things to you)
Selling
To help protect yourself from scams when selling on online marketplaces, you can:
- check buyer profiles carefully
- ask for cash
- ask for a trusted payment method (if cash is not possible)
- look out for fake payment confirmation emails
- refuse to pay unexpected fees, such as courier insurance
- be wary of fake overpayments with a request to pay back the extra money
- report any suspicious activity to the platform you're using
- wait for confirmed payment before you send anything
- use websites that offer seller protection, such as eBay or Vinted