AliExpress scams
Last updated September 18, 2026
The short answer
AliExpress scams almost always involve leaving the platform: a seller who asks you to pay by bank transfer, PayPal Friends & Family or crypto, and then does not ship. AliExpress Buyer Protection only covers orders paid for and disputed inside AliExpress.
AliExpress is a marketplace of independent sellers, so the platform is real and the seller may not be. Buyer Protection genuinely works — refunds for non-delivery and significantly-not-as-described are routine — but only for orders that stay inside the system. Every serious AliExpress loss involves a seller who found a reason to move the payment somewhere Buyer Protection cannot reach.
How AliExpress scams work
- 1
Off-platform payment requests
A seller offers a discount for paying by bank transfer, PayPal Friends & Family, Western Union or crypto, often citing platform fees. Payment outside AliExpress is outside Buyer Protection, and nothing arrives.
- 2
Tracking that moves but never delivers
A seller ships an empty envelope or a worthless item to a nearby address to generate valid tracking. The system reads the order as delivered, and the dispute window can close before the buyer realises.
- 3
Lookalike storefronts
Sites copying AliExpress branding and catalogue take orders with no connection to the marketplace at all.
- 4
Customs and delivery-fee texts
Because AliExpress parcels genuinely do clear customs, a text claiming a small fee is outstanding is unusually plausible. The linked page captures the card.
Warning signs
- A seller asks you to pay outside AliExpress for any reason
- You are offered a discount for paying by transfer, crypto or Friends & Family
- A seller asks you to confirm receipt before the item arrives
- Tracking shows delivery to a city that is not yours
- A text asks for a customs fee with a payment link
- The site is not aliexpress.com or the official app
- A seller messages you off-platform on WhatsApp or Telegram to complete the sale
Examples
The 20% discount for paying direct
A seller offers 20% off a $600 camera lens for paying by bank transfer instead of through the platform, explaining that it saves commission. The money goes to a personal account abroad. Nothing ships, the account vanishes, and Buyer Protection does not apply because no AliExpress order exists.
Delivered, to somewhere else
An order shows as delivered with valid tracking. Nothing arrived. The tracking, examined closely, shows a 30-gram item signed for in a city 200 miles away. The dispute succeeded, but only because it was raised inside the protection window — five days later it would not have been.
What to do
- Keep every payment and every message inside AliExpress. That is what Buyer Protection is.
- Never confirm receipt until the item is physically in your hands.
- Open a dispute inside the protection window if anything is wrong — it closes, and it is not extended.
- Check tracking details, not just the status. A mismatched destination city is the giveaway.
- Pay by card so a chargeback remains available if the dispute fails.
Report it to AliExpress
Open a dispute in the order itself and report the seller through the AliExpress app. Disputes must be raised inside the Buyer Protection window.
Getting your money back
Inside the platform, the dispute process works and is the fastest route — open it against the order before the protection window closes, with photographs and the tracking detail. If the dispute fails or the window has passed, a card chargeback for goods not received is the fallback, which is why paying by card matters. Money sent outside the platform by transfer or crypto is effectively unrecoverable, and that is the specific loss to avoid rather than to remedy.
Frequently asked questions
Does AliExpress Buyer Protection actually work?
Yes, for orders paid for and disputed inside AliExpress — non-delivery and significantly-not-as-described refunds are routine. It covers nothing paid outside the platform, and it expires, so the two ways to lose are paying elsewhere and disputing too late.
A seller offered a discount for paying outside the platform. Is that ever safe?
No. The discount is the price of your protection, and it is the single most reliable predictor of a loss on this platform. There is no legitimate reason a seller needs payment off AliExpress.
My tracking says delivered but nothing came. What now?
Open a dispute immediately and look closely at the tracking detail — sellers generate real tracking by shipping something tiny to a different address in your region. A destination city that is not yours, or a weight that cannot be your item, is what wins the dispute.
Other companies scammers impersonate
Scams reuse their scripts across brands. If you were contacted about AliExpress, these are the guides worth reading next.