How do I sell something online without being scammed?

Buying scams get all the attention, but selling is where the more damaging ones live, because the seller is the one being asked to give something up — the item, a refund, or a verification code. All of them start the same way: a fast, enthusiastic buyer who wants to move the conversation somewhere the platform cannot see.

Safety

Step by step

1. Refuse to move off the platform."Message me on WhatsApp" removes the record, the dispute process and the platform's protection in one step. Every seller scam begins here. If a buyer will not talk on the platform, they are not a buyer.
2. Never read out or forward a code.A buyer who says they will send a code to check you are genuine is using your phone number to create or take over an account, most often a messaging or voice-call account. There is no legitimate version of this request.
3. Check money has actually arrived in your bank, not in a screenshot.Open your own banking app and look at the balance. Screenshots, emails claiming to be from a payment provider, and "pending, will clear when you post it" messages are all fabricated.
4. Refuse a courier the buyer arranges.The standard version: the buyer insists on their own courier, sends a fake payment confirmation, and the item leaves before you notice nothing arrived. Either the buyer collects and pays on collection, or you post it yourself after payment has cleared.
5. Never refund an overpayment.A buyer "accidentally" sends too much and asks for the difference back. The original payment is reversed later or never existed; the refund is real. Cancel the whole transaction instead and let them start again.
6. Take cash or a cleared payment in person, and count it.For a face-to-face sale, cash is still the cleanest option. If they pay by bank transfer while standing there, check your own app shows the money in your balance before handing anything over.
7. Meet safely.Public place, daylight, someone with you for anything valuable. Some police forces run designated safe exchange areas in station car parks. For a car sale, never let a stranger test drive alone and check they are insured.
8. Keep the listing, messages and payment record.If it goes wrong, the platform's dispute process and any police report both start with evidence, and deleted listings are hard to reconstruct.

Tips

• A buyer offering to pay more than the asking price without haggling is not a stroke of luck. Every scam in this list opens with an unusually easy buyer.
• For high-value items, a bank transfer that has fully cleared into your account and shows in your balance is safer than a payment app, because app payments can be reversed after the fact.
• If you are selling a phone, tablet or laptop, sign out of your accounts and wipe it properly before it leaves — an activation lock left on makes the device useless to the buyer and generates a dispute.

Common mistakes

• Accepting "I'll pay when it's collected" from a courier — Couriers do not handle payment on a private sale. The item and the money leave in opposite directions.
• Treating a payment notification email as proof — They are forged constantly and look right. Only your own banking app is evidence.
• Giving a buyer your bank details plus your date of birth and address — Sort code and account number alone are needed for a payment. Anything more is an identity being assembled.

Questions people ask