If you have ever listed a lamp, a stroller or a box of old tools online, you have probably wondered whether the person messaging you is for real. The numbers say your caution is earned. According to the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, about 146,000 scams were published on BBB Scam Tracker in 2025, up from 81,000 the year before.
That is a big jump in one year, and it comes from ordinary people who took the time to report what happened to them. Behind every one of those reports is a neighbor, a grandparent or a busy parent who thought they were making a simple deal.
Where Online Purchase Scams Land
The BBB ranks scam types on what it calls the BBB Risk Index, which weighs how often a scam is reported, how many people who meet it lose money, and how much they lose. In that ranking, online purchase scams came in third, behind investment and cryptocurrency scams and employment scams.
Third riskiest is not a small thing. It means buying and selling online is one of the places where regular households are most likely to get burned. Anyone who shops secondhand, sells off clutter or hunts for a deal on a marketplace app is standing in that neighborhood.
The BBB’s 2025 figures are built from scam reports that consumers submit to BBB Scam Tracker, which makes them a strong warning sign about where the risk is concentrated.
How The Secondhand Scams Usually Work
Online purchase scams come in two flavors, and both matter if you are clearing out your house. In the first, you are the buyer. You pay for something that never shows up, or that arrives looking nothing like the pictures. In the second, you are the seller, and the “buyer” is the one running the trick.
Sellers get hit with fake proof of payment, checks that look real and later bounce, and requests to move the conversation off the marketplace app. Buyers get hit with sellers who want payment in a way that cannot be undone, or listings with stolen photos and a price that is just too good.
The common thread is pressure. The scammer wants you to move fast, skip the safe steps and trust them. A real buyer or seller will not mind if you slow down.
Smart Habits For Buying Secondhand
- Pay with a method that gives you some protection, such as a credit card or the payment system built into the platform. Be wary of anyone who insists on gift cards, wire transfers or payment apps meant for sending money to friends.
- Be suspicious of a price far below what similar items sell for. A deal that looks too good usually is.
- Look closely at the listing photos. If the same picture appears under several different sellers, or looks like a catalog image, walk away.
- Keep the conversation and the payment inside the platform. Once a seller asks you to move to text or email, you lose the protection the platform may offer.
- For big local purchases, meet in a public place and check the item before any money changes hands.
Smart Habits For Selling Secondhand
- Never ship or hand over an item until the money is truly in your account. A screenshot or an email saying “payment sent” is not payment.
- Do not accept more money than you asked for, and never send a difference back to a buyer. Overpayment is a classic setup.
- Do not share codes that get texted to your phone. A real buyer has no reason to ask for one.
- Take clear photos of the item before you pack it, and keep your shipping receipt and tracking number.
- For local sales, ask for cash or confirm the payment has landed before the buyer leaves with your item.
Red Flags That Show Up In Almost Every Scam
Whether you are buying or selling, a handful of warning signs repeat. Someone rushes you with a deadline. Someone refuses to talk on the phone or show the item in person. A stranger offers to pay more than your price, or asks you to pay through a channel that cannot be reversed. The story changes when you ask a simple question. Any one of these is a reason to pause, and two or more is a reason to walk away from the deal.
If You Think You Have Been Scammed
Do not feel embarrassed. These schemes are built by people who do this for a living, and smart, careful people fall for them. The faster you act, the better your odds.
Contact your bank or card company right away and tell them what happened. Report the listing or the account to the marketplace where you found it. You can also report the scam on BBB Scam Tracker, which is exactly how the numbers above get built. Each report helps other families spot the same trick before they fall for it.
The bigger lesson from the BBB numbers is simple. Secondhand buying and selling is still a great way to save money and clear out the closet, but it rewards people who slow down. Take a breath, check the details, and let the deal wait if something feels off. A missed bargain costs you nothing. A scam can cost you a lot.
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