Online buy-and-sell scams: how to spot them and what to do

Almost every scam on classifieds sites is after one of two things: getting you to send money before you have seen the item, or getting your card details — the CVV code on the back of the card or the confirmation code your bank sends by SMS. Once you recognise these two demands, none of the five schemes below will work. As a seller, all you need to receive money is a card number or an account: you never need the CVV or the SMS code.

Short answer: the most common schemes are a deposit or prepayment before viewing, a fake delivery or "receive payment" link, a request for card details and the SMS code, "I overpaid, send back the difference", and fake rentals that ask for a deposit before a viewing. The rule is simple: never send money for something you haven't seen, never share your CVV or SMS code, and check your balance in the banking app, not by SMS. If money is already gone, call your bank at once to block the card and contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs "102" service.

Which scams are most common?

The names change but the structure stays the same: rush you, move you off the classifieds site to another channel (a messenger, a "courier" website) and get money or a code. The table shows the key sign of each scheme and the right response.

How do scams against sellers work?

Scams don't only target buyers. If you are selling, the "buyer" is usually in a great hurry, doesn't want to see the item and doesn't haggle — which is not how real buyers behave. Then they suggest moving to a messenger and send a link saying "I paid through a delivery service". The page looks like a well-known courier or bank site, but the address is different, and to "receive the money" it asks for all of your card details and then the SMS code. The moment you enter the code, money leaves your account.

The second variant is "I overpaid". You receive an SMS that looks like it came from a bank, or a picture of a transfer screen. Remember: an SMS can be sent from any number and a picture can be edited. The only reliable source is the statement in your bank's app.

How do scams against buyers work?

Buyers are most often lured by a low price. Genuine price cuts are usually moderate: on 27 September 2026, among the latest 300 cuts in Prayk's price drops feed, the typical (median) discount was 12.5%, and half of the cuts fell between 7% and 20%. An "urgent sale" 40–50% below the market is either an item with a serious defect or a trap — ask why, and don't send money before you have seen the item.

Other warning signs: the seller only writes and refuses calls and meetings; the photos look like catalogue images from the internet; the same listing has been posted several times under different names; the seller pushes you with words like "booking", "queue" or "deposit". These schemes show up more often in pets, phones and rental listings, where buyers decide emotionally.

How does Prayk protect you?

• Automatic warning in chats. When a message in Prayk chat contains a request for a deposit, prepayment and transfer, or a card number, both sides see a warning under it: never send a deposit or prepayment before you have seen the item — Prayk never asks for this. The message is not deleted; the decision is yours. More: scam protection in chats.
• Phone number protection. The seller's number is not shown as plain text in the listing, which makes life harder for bots that harvest numbers. More: how your number is protected.
• "Check a listing". Open the "Check a listing" report from the Deal Score line on the listing page: the report compares the price with the median of similar listings, shows the price history and lists seller signals — how many days the seller's number has been known to Prayk, whether "deposit first" messages in their chats have been flagged, whether their listings have received complaints, and whether the photos were first published in another seller's listing. If the price is far below the market, the report says so separately: don't prepay before you have seen the item.
• "Check a phone number". If you met the seller somewhere else — on WhatsApp, for example — enter their number on the Check a phone number page: Prayk shows how long the number has been known, how many listings it has, whether its listings received complaints, whether its chat messages were flagged for the "send a deposit first" pattern, and whether it has copies of other people's listings. No name or address is revealed and there is no "trustworthy/untrustworthy" verdict — these are facts, and the decision is yours. The listing page also has a short "Number history" card for the seller.
• Report button. Send a suspicious listing using the "Report" button on the listing page — it protects both you and the next buyer.

These signals are not accusations but reasons to check: a new seller can be honest too. But if several signals coincide, walk away from any deal without a meeting.

What if the money is already gone?

1. Call your bank immediately. Block the card, ask for the transaction to be marked as disputed and for the card to be reissued. The sooner you call, the better the chance of stopping the money.
2. Keep the evidence. Screenshots of the chat, the listing link, the link you were sent, the transfer receipt, phone numbers — delete nothing.
3. Go to the police. In its warning about online shopping, the Ministry of Internal Affairs advises anyone facing cybercrime to contact the ministry's "102" Service Call Centre or its official social media accounts.
4. If you disagree with your bank, you can use the Central Bank's consumer complaint channels (the hotline page is listed in the sources below).
5. Tell the platform. Report the scammer's listing and profile so others don't get hurt.

This is general information, not legal advice — check your own situation with your bank and law enforcement.

Safe deal checklist

• I don't send a deposit, security deposit or "delivery fee" before seeing the item or the flat.
• I never tell anyone my CVV, card expiry date or SMS code, and never enter them via a link.
• I check that money has arrived by my balance in the banking app, not by an SMS or a screenshot.
• Where possible I keep the conversation in the platform's own chat, where suspicious payment requests are flagged.
• If the price is far below the market, I look at the "Check a listing" report on the listing page and check the seller's number with the Check a phone number tool.
• I meet in daylight in a busy place and test electronics on the spot.
• I don't carry large sums in cash; I transfer money on the spot after checking the item. On transfer limits: card-to-card transfer limits.

Frequently asked questions

What should I give a buyer so I can get paid?

Only your card number (16 digits) or account details. Receiving money never requires the CVV code, the card expiry date or an SMS confirmation code — anyone asking for them wants to take money, not send it.

I got a message: "the courier service has paid, follow the link". What now?

Don't open the link. This is the most common scam against sellers: the link leads to a page that looks official and asks for card details and then the SMS code. A real buyer transfers the money directly or pays in person.

Is a deposit always a scam?

Not always, but it puts all of the risk on you. Don't pay a deposit for an item or flat you haven't seen. If a deposit is really needed, agree on it after the viewing, in writing and with a party you can identify.

Will Prayk ever ask me for a payment or a card code?

No. That is exactly what the chat warning says: Prayk never asks for this. A message in Prayk's name asking for a code or a payment is a scam.

I transferred money and the seller has gone silent. Can I get it back?

There is a chance, but it depends on timing. Call your bank at once and ask for the transaction to be marked as disputed, then contact "102" and hand over all the evidence. This is general information — check the procedure with your bank.

If the price is very low, is it always a trap?

Not always — the seller may simply need money fast. But on 27 September 2026 the typical discount among Prayk listings with a price cut was 12.5%; half price is the exception. Ask why, see the item in person and don't pay in advance.

Sources and methodology

The description of the schemes is based on scenarios common on classifieds platforms and on the Ministry of Internal Affairs' warning about online shopping: the ministry advises checking the authenticity of the seller and the page before paying, not sharing bank card details, the CVV/CVC code or SMS confirmation codes with third parties, and contacting the "102" Service Call Centre in case of cybercrime. Official sources: official website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Central Bank hotline and consumer complaints page, FinCERT, the Central Bank's financial sector cybersecurity centre. Prayk features are described as of the platform version on 27 September 2026. The price-drop figure comes from the "Price drops" feed of Prayk's public API on 27 September 2026: the latest 300 price cuts (all sections); the median is the middle value when cuts are sorted by percentage; the feed only includes cuts between 5% and 60% and larger than 5 AZN. These are asking-price reductions by sellers, not actual transaction prices.