Avoiding classifieds scams: 8 common tricks

Classifieds scams are nothing new, but the tricks keep changing. Buyers lose deposits, and sellers can lose goods or the money in their account just by clicking a link. This guide covers eight tricks seen on classifieds sites, how to recognise them and how to protect yourself, whether you trade on Thanh Hoa classifieds by ward or anywhere else.

1. Pressure to pay a deposit to "hold" the item

The item looks great and costs far less than elsewhere, and the seller says lots of people are asking so you must send a deposit now. Once the money arrives, they block you. The fix: pay only after you have the item in your hands. Real sellers can wait for you to come and look.

2. Strange links to "receive money" or "confirm the order"

A scammer posing as a buyer says they have paid through an intermediary and sends a link for you to "collect the money". The page imitates your bank to steal your login and password. The fix: receiving money never requires logging in through a link a stranger sent.

3. Requests for an OTP code

Anyone who asks for your OTP, even if they claim to be from your bank, your mobile network or a classifieds site, is a scammer. An OTP confirms your own transactions; sharing it hands over the power to take your money.

4. Fake transfer screenshots

The buyer shows a screenshot of a successful transfer and asks to take the goods. Such images can be faked in minutes. The fix: open your own banking app and only hand over the item once the money is really there.

5. Goods unlike the photos, or a swapped device

You inspect a good phone, but at handover the seller gives you a different one in the same colour. The fix: keep the item in your hands from inspection to payment, and note the IMEI of a phone when you check it. See buying a used phone.

6. Motorbikes with fake or missing papers

A low price comes with "no papers, fine for village roads" or a registration card that has been altered. Buying a stolen bike can cost you the bike and land you in legal trouble. The fix: only buy with the original registration, matching frame and engine numbers and a sale paper.

7. Phantom rentals

Lovely photos copied from elsewhere, a "landlord" who is away and asks for a deposit before sending the keys. The fix: view in person, ask the neighbours and meet the real owner. Read renting a room in Thanh Hoa.

8. Impersonating the site or a friend

Someone messages claiming to work for chothanhhoa.com and asks for a fee to "approve" or "boost" your listing. We charge no listing fees and never message asking for money. Scammers also hijack friends' social media accounts to ask for loans, so always call to check first.

Habits that keep you safe

Meet in daylight in a busy or camera-covered spot, bring a friend if you are carrying cash, and save the seller's number and a screenshot of the listing before you go. For expensive items, take someone who knows the product to help you inspect it. If anything feels rushed or wrong, it is fine to leave without buying.

What to do if you are scammed

Call your bank's hotline straight away and ask them to freeze the transaction if there is still time. Keep the messages, account numbers and screenshots, then report it to the police in your ward. Tell us on Zalo so we can remove the scam listing. At home or in a shop, a camera facing the door gives you evidence if something goes wrong; see cameras and locks.