Marktplaats scams: the tricks of buyers and sellers
Marktplaats itself is not the problem; it is where scammers meet the most people at once. Know the five tricks and you are done with them.
As a buyer you risk paying and receiving nothing. As a seller, being “paid” with a fake link, or shipping without money arriving. In both cases the scammer wants the conversation off Marktplaats as fast as possible — to WhatsApp or e-mail, where nobody watches.
The solution is almost boring: stay on the platform, use Marktplaats’ own payment and shipping, and never click a link the other party sends.
How to spot it
- 1“Verify your account with € 0.01.”A payment request you supposedly must pay in order to receive money. The link leads to a copied bank page; the € 0.01 is not the point.
- 2Straight to WhatsApp.“Message me there, it is faster.” Off Marktplaats, the platform cannot help you.
- 3Agrees too fast, no questions.A buyer who pays the full price without haggling and immediately asks for your details “for the shipping label”.
- 4Proof that proves nothing.A screenshot of a “payment” or “shipping label” — both made in thirty seconds.
- 5The seller has “moved” or is “abroad”.So they cannot meet and you must prepay. Listing, photo and story are copied from elsewhere.
- 6Payment outside the platform.Transfer to a private account, gift cards, crypto. Marktplaats has its own payment method for a reason.
A real example, taken apart
- You never have to “confirm” anything to receive money.
- The domain is not marktplaats.nl.
- Full price + urgency + link: the three ingredients.
What you do
- Stay in the Marktplaats chat.Does the other party move to WhatsApp right away? That is a signal, not convenience.
- Use “Gelijk Oversteken” or meet in person.With Gelijk Oversteken, Marktplaats holds the money until the parcel is delivered. In person: cash or Tikkie on the spot, after seeing the item.
- Check the other party.How long has the account existed, how many reviews, does the town match what they say? Look up the phone number in the checker.
- As a seller: ship only when the money is in your account.Not on a screenshot, not on a “confirmation e-mail”.
- Scammed? Report to Marktplaats and to the police.Marktplaats blocks the account; the police can follow the account number.
Never do this
- Open a link a buyer or seller sends “to pay” or “to confirm”.
- Send a copy of your ID to “prove you are real”.
- Prepay a seller who will not meet and does not accept Gelijk Oversteken.
Dossiers of this kind
16 dossiers in our database match this kind — counted by what they are, not estimated. A few:
See what is being checked now →
Questions people ask
Is Gelijk Oversteken really safe?
It is the safest option within Marktplaats: the payment is held until the buyer has received the parcel. Make sure you use the real flow — a seller who sends a “Gelijk Oversteken link” by WhatsApp is not using it.
I shipped my item and received no money. What now?
Contact the carrier: sometimes a parcel can still be stopped. File a police report with the chat, the address and the tracking code. Report the account to Marktplaats.
How do I recognise a fake listing?
Price far below market value, photos you find elsewhere via Google Images, a seller who only talks by e-mail or WhatsApp and a story why they cannot meet.
Paste it into the checker. Thirty seconds, and you know what others already saw.
Read next
Sources
Marktplaats — safe trading · Police — reporting online fraud