Marketplace and payment scams
4 min readReviewed October 2026 · Internet Safety Australia Editorial Team
In short
- Only trust cleared funds in your own banking app — never screenshots or emails.
- Never refund an “overpayment” or pay a fee to receive money.
- Too-cheap big items (cars, caravans, puppies, rentals) with a deposit request: classic scam.
If you’re buying
- Inspect before you pay, or use a payment method with buyer protection. Deposits to strangers for unseen items are how most marketplace losses happen.
- Reverse-image-search listing photos — stolen photos mean a fake listing.
- Be wary of sellers who can’t meet, won’t video-call the item, or have brand-new profiles with generic photos.
- Puppies, cars, caravans, concert tickets and rentals are the highest-risk categories in Australia.
If you’re selling
- The only proof of payment is cleared funds in your own banking app.
- “I overpaid, refund the difference” is always a scam — the original payment never existed.
- Emails claiming you must “upgrade” or pay a fee to receive PayID/bank payments are fake.
- See our full alert on marketplace overpayment scams for the current variations.
Caught out?
Contact your bank immediately (number on your card), report to the platform, Scamwatch, and — if money moved — ReportCyber. Fast action gives your bank the best chance of recalling funds.
Common questions
Where to report this
Report to Scamwatch
All types of scams — phishing, investment, romance, shopping, impersonation. Reports help track and disrupt scam activity.
Go to Scamwatch (leaves our site — official service)Official sources for this guide
Reviewed October 2026 by Internet Safety Australia Editorial Team. Internet Safety Australia is independent and not a government website.