To check whether an online seller is legit, reverse search the listing photos, ask for a fresh photo only the real owner could take, review the seller's profile history, and never pay in a way you can't reverse. Most marketplace scams fail at least one of those tests. This guide shows how to run each check on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and social media listings, and what to do if you have already paid.
Key takeaways
- A reverse image search that finds the same photos in older listings, other cities, or under other seller names is one of the strongest signs of a fake listing.
- Ask for a "proof photo" of the item next to a handwritten note with your name and today's date. Real sellers can do it in two minutes; scammers make excuses.
- Requests for gift cards, wire transfers, crypto, deposits to "hold" an item, or payment-app transfers to a stranger are the clearest red flags.
- Meet in person in a public place, ideally a police "safe exchange zone," and inspect the item before paying.
- If you've been scammed, contact your payment provider first, then report to the platform and the FTC.
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How online seller scams work
The most common pattern is simple: a scammer posts an attractive item at a good price, uses photos copied from another listing or a retailer's website, and asks for payment before you ever see the item. Once the money arrives, the seller disappears. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) recorded 56,478 non-payment/non-delivery complaints in 2025, with about $503 million in reported losses.
Variations include:
- Phantom items: concert tickets, puppies, game consoles, or cars that don't exist.
- Deposit scams: "Lots of people want this. Send $50 to hold it and it's yours."
- Fake shipping or escrow: the seller insists on shipping and points you to a "delivery service" or "escrow company" website they control.
- Hacked or bought accounts: a scammer posts from a real person's compromised profile so the account looks established.
- Counterfeits: the item exists but is fake, often designer goods, sneakers, or electronics.
The same tactics show up in housing. If you're looking for an apartment, see our guide to spotting rental scams that use stolen listing photos.
Step 1: Reverse search the listing photos
Scammers rarely photograph items they don't have, so they borrow photos. A reverse image search can reveal where those photos came from.
How to do it
- Save or capture the photo. On a computer, right-click the image and choose Copy image address or Save image as. On a phone, take a screenshot and crop it to just the photo so interface elements don't confuse the search.
- Search with Google Lens. In Chrome on a computer, right-click the image and choose Search with Google Lens; results open in a side panel. Or go to google.com, click the camera icon (Search by image), and upload the file. On a phone, use the Lens icon in the Google app.
- Search with TinEye. Upload or paste the image at tineye.com. Sort results by Oldest to see where the photo first appeared online, and use Compare to spot edits such as a cropped-out watermark or a changed background.
- Try Bing Visual Search as a third opinion. Different engines index different sites, so one often finds what another misses. Our comparison of reverse image search tools explains the strengths of each.
- Search every photo, not just the first one. Scammers sometimes mix one genuine photo with several stolen ones.
How to read the results
| What you find | What it likely means | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Same photo in an older listing in another city or under another name | Strong scam signal | Walk away and report the listing. |
| Same photo in several current listings with different sellers | Strong scam signal | Report all of them to the platform. |
| Photo matches a manufacturer or retailer product image | Common for new, boxed items; not proof of a scam | Ask for a real photo of the actual item. |
| Only match is the seller's own posts on other sites | Reassuring, if names and details match | Continue with the other checks. |
| No matches at all | Inconclusive | Request a proof photo. |
If you want to dig into where an image originated, our guide to finding the original source of an image covers more advanced techniques.
Step 2: Watch for red flags
One red flag is a reason for caution. Two or more usually means you should walk away.
- The price is far below market. Check sold listings for the same item. A deal that is dramatically cheaper exists mainly to rush you.
- Unusual payment methods. Gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or a payment app transfer to someone you don't know. Craigslist's own safety guidance calls wire transfers, gift cards, and cashier's check deposits scam signs.
- Pay before you see it. Requests for a deposit to "hold" the item, or full payment before meeting.
- Shipping only, even locally. The seller says they're traveling, deployed, or just moved, so they can only ship. Often paired with a fake shipping or escrow site.
- Moving the conversation off-platform. Requests to switch to text, WhatsApp, or personal email remove the platform's ability to see the conversation and help you.
- Requests for a verification code. Craigslist says requests for a "code" or "verification" are always scams. The FTC warns that sharing a Google Voice code can let a scammer set up a number tied to your phone.
- Overpayment or "my assistant will send a check." Any deal where you receive more money than the price and send back the difference is a fake-check scam.
- Pressure and stories. "Someone else is coming in an hour," or an emotional reason they must sell fast.
- Inconsistent details. The listing's location doesn't match the seller's profile, or the item description changes between messages.
Step 3: Check the seller's profile
A seller's profile won't prove they're honest, but it often exposes a throwaway account.
- Account age and activity. On Facebook, a profile created recently with few friends, no personal posts, and a burst of listings is suspicious. Be aware that scammers also hijack old accounts, so an older profile that suddenly lists many high-value items in a new city is also a warning sign.
- Ratings and reviews. Look at seller ratings on Marketplace or eBay-style platforms and read the most recent ones.
- Other listings. Ten identical "like new" phones, or listings spread across distant cities, suggest a reseller at best and a scammer at worst.
- The profile picture. Reverse search it too. A profile photo that belongs to a model, influencer, or someone with a different name means the account is fake.
- Name, phone, and email. Search them in quotation marks along with words like "scam" or "fraud." Phone numbers and emails reused across scams often show up in complaint forums.
- Social media sellers. For Instagram or TikTok shops, check how long the account has existed, whether comments are turned off, and whether follower counts look inflated compared with engagement. Search the shop name plus "reviews" outside the platform.
Free checks should always come first. If you have a seller's name, phone number, or email and the free searches leave you unsure, a paid people-search service such as Social Catfish can look for matching profiles and records. Results can be incomplete or outdated, and a clean result does not prove a seller is honest, so it never replaces safe payment and meeting in person.
Step 4: Pay and meet safely
How you pay decides whether you can get your money back. Payments that work like cash are what scammers want.
| Payment method | Protection if something goes wrong | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Cash, in person, after inspecting | None needed, since you see the item first | Local pickups |
| Platform's own checkout (e.g., Marketplace checkout, eBay) | Usually covered by the platform's purchase protection on eligible items; check current terms | Shipped items |
| Credit card, or PayPal "Goods and Services" | Dispute or purchase protection available | Shipped items from a seller you've vetted |
| PayPal "Friends and Family," Venmo, Zelle, Cash App to a stranger | Little or none for purchases; transfers are hard to reverse | Only after you have the item in hand |
| Wire transfer, gift cards, cryptocurrency | Almost none | Never, for marketplace purchases |
Safe meetup checklist
- Use a safe exchange zone. Many police departments designate parking lots or lobbies, often under video surveillance, for online sale exchanges. Search your town's name plus "safe exchange zone."
- Meet in daylight, in public, and bring someone. Tell a friend where you're going. Don't invite strangers to your home or go to theirs, especially for high-value items.
- Inspect and test before paying. Power on electronics, check serial numbers, and make sure phones are signed out of the previous owner's account (an iPhone with Activation Lock still on is unusable to you).
- For vehicles, run the VIN through the free NICB VINCheck tool, which shows whether participating insurers have reported it stolen or salvaged (it is not a full history report), and make sure the name on the title matches the seller's ID.
- For tickets, buy through the venue or an official resale platform that transfers the ticket into your account. Screenshots of tickets can be sold to many people at once.
If you're the seller: buyer scams to know
Scammers also pose as buyers. According to the FTC, the common tricks are:
- Fake payment notifications: a screenshot or email claiming payment was sent, or a claim they "paid twice" and need a refund. Confirm payment inside your actual account, not via a link.
- Overpayment checks: a check for more than the price with a request to send back the difference. Banks must make deposited funds available quickly, but can take weeks to discover a check is fake, and then you're responsible for the full amount.
- Verification codes: "Send me the code I just texted you so I know you're real." This can let them hijack your accounts or create a Google Voice number tied to your phone.
The FTC's advice for sellers: sell locally, accept cash where possible, don't accept mobile payments from strangers, and never share a verification code.
What to do if you've been scammed
- Contact your payment provider immediately. Call your card issuer or bank, or open a dispute in PayPal or the platform's checkout. For payment apps, report the transaction in the app and ask for a reversal. For gift cards, call the issuer with the card number and receipt.
- Save evidence. Screenshot the listing, the seller's profile, every message, and your payment confirmation before the listing is deleted.
- Report to the platform. Use the listing's or profile's Report option. On Craigslist, use the "prohibited" flag on the posting and the site's scam-reporting page.
- Report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI at ic3.gov. Outside the U.S., report to Report Fraud (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland) or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
- File a police report if you lost a significant amount, met in person, or were threatened. A report number can help with bank claims.
- Watch for follow-up scams. Anyone who contacts you offering to recover your money for a fee is running another scam. Our scam recovery guide explains how these pitches work.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to pay a Facebook Marketplace seller with Zelle or Venmo?
Only if you are handing over payment in person after you have the item. Payments to strangers on Zelle, or Venmo and PayPal personal payments, generally aren't covered by purchase protection and are difficult to reverse. For shipped items, use the platform's checkout or a payment method with buyer protection.
The listing photos are stock images. Is it a scam?
Not necessarily. Some honest sellers of new, boxed items use the manufacturer's photos. But it means you can't tell anything about the actual item, so ask for a photo of the real thing next to a note with your name and the date before going further.
What if the seller says they're out of town and will ship it?
This is one of the most common scam setups, especially for cars, pets, and big-ticket items. If you can't see the item, use only a payment method with buyer protection, and never use a shipping or escrow company the seller recommends.
Can a reverse image search prove a seller is honest?
No. It can expose stolen photos, but a scammer can also use their own photos or photos that aren't indexed anywhere. Treat a clean result as one check passed, not as a guarantee.
Sources & further reading
- FTC: Selling stuff online? Here's how to avoid a scam
- FTC: What to do if you were scammed
- Craigslist: Avoiding scams
- FBI IC3: 2025 Internet Crime Report (PDF)
- Google Search Help: Search with an image
- NICB: VINCheck free vehicle lookup
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