Buying & Selling · beginner · 10 min
Marketplace, Buying & Jobs Scams
Fake listings, overpayment refunds, and money-mule jobs — the everyday scams on Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, and job boards.
- Avoid payment-link and overpayment tricks when selling
- Recognise money-mule job offers and walk away
- Verify rentals and sellers before sending deposits
The listing that's too cheap
Marketplace scams are the everyday grind of Australian scamming: a PlayStation at half price, a rental that's suspiciously perfect, a "job" that pays you to receive money.
Buying & selling
- The too-good price is bait. Legit sellers don't discount 60% for a "quick sale".
- Never click a buyer's payment link. "PayPal is locked, click here to accept payment" — that's a phishing page.
- The overpayment trick. Buyer pays too much, asks for a refund of the difference, then the original payment bounces. Only refund via the platform, never a separate transfer.
- Meet in person or use the platform's official escrow. No exceptions.
The job that's actually money laundering
Money-mule jobs look amazing: "receive payments, keep 10%, forward the rest" — for a "logistics" or "transfer coordinator" role. What you're doing is moving stolen money through your account. It's illegal, banks will close your account, and you can face charges. Real jobs don't need your bank account to process payments.
The rental that's too good
Fake landlords list rentals below market, "can't show the property", and want a deposit to hold it. Never pay a holding deposit without seeing the property and verifying the landlord's identity. Reverse-search the photos and the address.