Online world is a beast; hence, cybercriminals are nothing new. As the online marketplace booms and becomes popular, the number of online scammers grows in size the same way.
Fraudsters lurk in many online shopping apps and sites, aiming to take advantage of either the seller or the buyer out of their earnings.
One of the fast-growing retail channels in today’s world, OfferUp, does not spare from these tricksters.
Defining OfferUp
What exactly is OfferUp?
OfferUp is a mobile-driven online sales app that allows you to buy and sell products, starting from clothes, household appliances, personal needs and even cars.
This online local marketplace, similar to the Facebook marketplace, Craigslist or eBay, was created in 2011 with no fees or commissions to list and assign safe “Community Meet Up Points” where transactions can happen.
OfferUp is currently one of the top online marketplaces for both buyers and sellers with over 45 million annual users.
Ultimately, it is a convenient way to purchase local products online and enable you to sell everything you like. Sellers can promote their product by paying a fee to make their items placed in the top search results, making it more visible to the consumers.
As mentioned, OfferUp is not exempt to the bad guys. Here are some of the OfferUp Scams you might encounter:
Fake Websites
Those online scammers can create a fake website and replicate logos that appear as an actual OfferUp website. They post phishing links and make faux advertisements, and then these links direct you to their site to make payment. Their website is full of fake items that may trick victims into thinking they can buy these items.
Once the buyer clicks their chosen item, these fake websites will install malware to your mechanism and it will take them to an online payment form asking them to pay via a gift card or wire transfer. The minute after buyers enter their personal information and other data, that’s the time that scammers steal their identity and extract their bank accounts.
Or when you send the payment to their site, the fraudsters will block and never send the item that you supposedly purchased.
To avoid this unfortunate event, never click on the links outside of the legitimate OfferUp website to complete your transactions. The original website of the OfferUp always provides purchase protection for your debit or credit cards if items are paid directly in their app.
Fake Check and Code Verification
For the seller, an OfferUp scammer will act as a buyer for an item that you are selling and might venture to get you or the seller’s contact number. That scammer set up with an excuse telling that the seller must send a code in order to verify that they are an actual entity. Afterwards, they will send malicious links quickly designed to sneak your OfferUp login, password and other important information.
The infector will send you a fraudulent check instead of paying directly through the app. Thereupon, when the bad check bounces, not only your item is gone but also the fake check becomes your responsibility to pay in the bank.
Remember that OfferUp doesn’t use verification codes to verify post, so if someone asks for your phone number to send a verification link, ignore this person ahead of time.
Fraudulent Rush Sales
In this manner, the fraudster pretends to be a sales agent in a hurry to sell a certain item. They will tell the victims that the item is in limited time only and need to pay for the rushed shipping as well. You will get the item at the most affordable price ever in return for purchasing the item for them.
And once you send the payment, they will automatically block you without giving your order. The photo on the list is usually stolen from another seller.
Beware of this modus and the “too good to be true” price range. Those lower than usual prices are the most common examples of scams not only in OfferUp but also in various marketplace and online apps.
Multiple Posting
This kind of scam where scammers make multiple accounts in OfferUp and then post the same listing. They tell people to email them about the listed item instead of hitting the buy button. At this instant, the scammer will demand the buyer to pay wire transfer, gift card or any other mode of payment that makes that buyer hard to get their hard-earned cash back.
This allows the scammer to sell the item over again without delivering even a single product. To avoid these circumstances, always resort to making purchases only in the app of OfferUp. Always check the seller’s profile, reviews, and feedback.
Final Thought
Although OfferUp provides an outstanding way to purchase and sell items at a lower price, many cybercriminals level up their games. The possibility of getting scammed and losing your money is still there.
However, being attentive and cautious can prevent this kind of modus operandi. Remember all the factors to avoid OfferUp scams, perform a thorough research, protect your account with the strongest password you could make and avoid suspicious posting.
