What are scams I should watch out for?
We detect most suspicious behavior, but it's still a good idea to know what to look out for.
Oops, I paid you too much! Overpayment
A buyer will send you a payment worth more than the value of the item and then ask for the surplus money to be returned to them or a third party, for example, "to pay for shipping or seamstress". The payment you receive will never clear, and you will have lost any payment made to the buyer.
Cheques
The cheque will clear into your bank, only to be stopped/refused weeks later. At this point, the Banks will take the full cheque amount back out of your account.
PayPal
You will receive a PayPal email confirming payment, which is faked by the buyer. At this point, you'll be notified payment is being held, and will only clear if you transfer the extra amount first - from your own pocket.
Tips:
- If you receive an overpayment cheque or money order, return it to the sender and ask for the correct amount.
- Wait for cheques to clear and cash in money orders before sending your product.
- Always sign in to your PayPal account to confirm the balance. PayPal never demands money to release a hold on a transaction.
- Never send payment of any kind to a buyer, especially through Bidpay, Western Union, or Money Gram.
