untrappable

OfferUp scams: spot the fake buyer in one line

Editorially reviewed · Last updated July 29, 2026

Yes — this is a scam. OfferUp says it in writing: it does not send verification codes to verify listings. Anyone asking for one is logging into your account.

Text Message · Today 1:47 PM
from OfferUp · Dana R.
Hi! I want the couch but there are so many scammers on here. I just had OfferUp send a code to your number to confirm you're a real seller — read it back and I'll come pick it up today.
The Text message, as received

Other versions you might get: OfferUp lists the whole family on its own scam page: a link to "view an item" or "get paid" on a site that isn't offerup.com; a seller who'll deliver a sofa but wants a deposit first and won't let you inspect it; a brand-new iPhone at $50 with nothing but stock photos; a listing pitching an investment opportunity that needs money up front; a buyer who overpays and wants the difference back; a buyer who'd rather pay in gift cards. Different opening line, same finish: money or a code before you can verify anything.

What to do right now

  1. Never share a verification code or one-time password with anyone. OfferUp's guidance is explicit — it does not send verification codes to verify listings, and sharing a code leads to account takeover. The "buyer" is trying to get past two-step verification on your account.
  2. Don't follow links out of the app. OfferUp says all legitimate OfferUp links contain offerup.com in the URL, and that a link to view an item, make a payment or verify information on another site is likely a scam. If you already entered banking details on one, call your bank now.
  3. Keep your number and email to yourself. OfferUp recommends staying in its own messaging rather than giving out a phone number or email — that keeps your contact details private and out of reach of account-takeover attempts.
  4. Meet in public, take cash, inspect first. OfferUp recommends its official Community MeetUp Spots — often outside businesses or police stations — during normal business hours in daylight; you can check whether a location is one at safetradespots.com. Its advice to sellers is to accept cash only, and to decline last-minute requests to relocate, a tactic used to move people somewhere unsafe.
  5. Report it. Report the user to OfferUp through its report tools so it can act on the account, then file at [reportfraud.ftc.gov](https://reportfraud.ftc.gov). If you lost money or felt unsafe at a meetup, contact local law enforcement too.

How to make sure it never bites you

If you shared a code, clicked through to a look-alike login, or sent money, move fast — and expect more attempts, because a seller who responded once gets sold on. Lock down the accounts tied to your number and email: here's how.

Untrappable · Public service advisory

Stop the next one at the source

You got this because your details are on lists that get bought, sold, and leaked. You can't unspill that, but you can make it useless to a scammer. Start with the free steps — they do most of the work.

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If you'd rather have it watched for you, an identity-protection service monitors your accounts, SSN, and the dark web, warns you the moment something new appears, and helps you recover if someone gets through.

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Frequently asked

A buyer on OfferUp asked me to send them a verification code. Is that a scam?
Yes, every time. OfferUp addresses this one directly: if a buyer asks you for a verification code and says it's so they can verify your listing, it's likely a scam — they're trying to log into your account and need the code to get past two-step verification. OfferUp states that it does not send verification codes to verify listings, and that you should never share verification codes or one-time passwords with anyone. The same code is also how the Google Voice scam sets up a phone number in your name, so the damage isn't limited to OfferUp.
A buyer sent me a link to get paid. How do I tell if it's really OfferUp?
Check the domain, not the logo. OfferUp's rule is that all legitimate OfferUp links contain offerup.com in the URL, and it warns that messages asking you to click a link to view an item, get paid, or verify your info can look convincing with official logos and urgent language while leading to a fake site that harvests your login or payment details. Never log in from a link a buyer or seller sent you — open the app instead. If you think you already entered banking information on one of these sites, OfferUp's advice is to contact your bank immediately.
Is it safe to accept Zelle, Cash App, or gift cards on OfferUp?
No — OfferUp recommends cash only for in-person sales, and tells sellers to avoid checks, gift cards, wire transfers and cryptocurrency. Gift cards are a scam in both directions: a buyer offering to pay you in gift cards may be handing over fake or worthless cards, and a buyer asking for a refund in gift cards is simply asking you for free money. Cash apps work the same way as cash once sent — no buyer or seller protection for goods, and no way to claw it back.
A buyer overpaid and wants the difference back. What should I do?
Send nothing. OfferUp flags this one specifically: it's likely a scam when a buyer offers to pay more than the listed price and then asks you to pay the difference through a third-party cash app before meeting in person. The original payment is fake or will be reversed; the refund you send is real money you won't see again. Cancel the sale, keep the messages, report the buyer to OfferUp, and file at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
How do I meet an OfferUp buyer safely?
Use an official Community MeetUp Spot where you can — most sit outside local businesses or police stations, and you can check any address against the list at safetradespots.com. Failing that, OfferUp recommends a public place with plenty of people, good lighting and camera surveillance, during normal business hours and preferably in daylight; it advises against meeting at your home. Bring someone with you, or tell someone where you're going. And if a message arrives five minutes before with car trouble and a new address, decline — OfferUp names last-minute requests to relocate as a tactic used to lure people somewhere unsafe.

Related scams

Sources

A public service

Help protect someone else

Scams spread because people stay quiet about them. If this could have fooled you, it can fool someone you know — a parent, a friend, the family group chat. Passing it on is the easiest good thing you'll do today. It's safe to forward, and stands on its own as a record for a bank or the police.