Classified ad scam
In plain terms
You're selling an item, and a very eager buyer sends you a link to "release the payment." The link leads to a fake page of your bank: it's not money you're receiving, it's your account you're opening up.
Definition
The classified ad scam targets people selling to one another: the attacker poses as an interested buyer and steers the conversation toward a fake payment scheme, in order to obtain banking credentials or a transfer.
How it works
The attacker replies quickly, accepts the price without negotiating, and offers to have the item picked up by a carrier. They then move the conversation off the platform, where nothing is monitored anymore, and send a link supposedly needed to "validate" or "release" the payment. The page imitates the seller's banking portal or the platform's payment service. The request is counterintuitive, and that's what makes it work: people don't suspect a process that claims to make them receive money, even though the form asks for information that's only ever used to send money out. A mirror variant targets the buyer, with a fake proof of transfer and an item that's never shipped.
Warning signs
- Buyer who accepts the price immediately, with no question about the item
- Conversation moved off the platform within the first messages
- Link sent to "validate," "release," or "confirm" receipt of a payment
- Request for your banking credentials or a code received by text to "cash in"
- Proof of transfer sent as an image rather than shown on your account
- Pressure to conclude before an announced deadline
How to verify
Receiving money never requires logging into your bank account from a link, entering a card number, or sharing a code. A payment received shows up on your account, which you check by your own means. Stay within the platform's messaging: it's the only place a dispute can be handled.
What to do
Don't follow any payment link received in a conversation. Don't ship the item based on a proof sent as an image: wait to see the funds in your account.
If it already happened
If you entered banking credentials, contact your bank immediately to block the card and your online access, then change your passwords. Keep the conversation and the listing, report the account to the platform, and file a police report.
Frequently asked questions
- Why would they ask for my banking information to pay me?
- That's the decisive signal. A payment only needs an account number (IBAN), which you can share without risk. Any request for a card number, password, or code received by text is used to charge, never to pay out.
- The buyer sent me a screenshot proving the transfer.
- An image is made in minutes and proves nothing. The only proof that matters is the funds appearing on your account, checked from your banking app.
Related attacks
Official sources
This article is part of the Financial fraud family. Last updated: 2026-09-02.