OfferUp scams
Last updated September 18, 2026
The short answer
The signature OfferUp scam is the verification code: a "buyer" asks you to confirm you are real by reading back a code they have sent. That code creates a Google Voice number in your name, or takes over one of your accounts. No genuine buyer ever needs a code from you.
OfferUp is local and in-person by design, which removes the shipping scams that dominate other marketplaces and replaces them with two distinctive ones. The first is the verification-code trick, which has become the most common single scam on local selling apps because it costs the scammer nothing and works on people who have not heard of it. The second is physical: counterfeit notes and robbery at meetups, which is why where you meet matters as much as how you are paid.
How OfferUp scams work
- 1
The verification-code trick
A "buyer" says they have been scammed before and wants to confirm you are a real person. They send a code and ask you to read it back. The code is from Google Voice, creating a phone number registered to you, or from one of your own accounts, handing it over.
- 2
Counterfeit cash at the meetup
A buyer pays in cash that looks and feels convincing. The problem is discovered at the bank, and the loss is yours.
- 3
Deposits to hold an item
A buyer sends a deposit by Zelle or Cash App to hold something, then claims it was unauthorised and reverses it, or simply never appears while the seller holds the item off the market.
- 4
Fake payment confirmations
A buyer shows a screenshot of a completed transfer that was never sent, or a fake payment-app email, and collects the item before the seller checks their real balance.
Warning signs
- Anyone asks you to read back a verification code for any reason
- A buyer wants to pay before meeting, or asks for your phone number or email first
- You are asked to ship an item on a local-pickup listing
- A buyer shows a screenshot of payment rather than a balance in your own app
- The buyer insists on meeting somewhere private or late at night
- Payment is offered by cheque, money order or a payment app you do not use
- A buyer offers more than the asking price with conditions attached
Examples
"Just confirming you are real"
A buyer for a $300 bicycle says they have been scammed before and sends a six-digit code to confirm the seller is a real person. The code creates a Google Voice number registered to the seller's phone, later used to run scams that trace back to them. No bicycle was ever bought.
The screenshot
A buyer meeting for a $900 laptop shows a Cash App screenshot of a completed payment. The seller hands over the laptop in a car park and checks their own app twenty minutes later. Nothing arrived; the screenshot was edited.
What to do
- Never read out a verification code. There is no legitimate reason a buyer needs one.
- Meet at a police-station exchange zone — most departments have marked, monitored spots for this.
- Confirm payment in your own app on your own phone before handing anything over.
- Prefer cash for small items and check notes; prefer the platform's own payment for larger ones.
- Do not hold an item on a deposit. Sell to the person standing in front of you.
Report it to OfferUp
Report the user from inside the app. OfferUp acts on reported accounts, but a local cash deal carries no platform protection.
Getting your money back
A verification code you read out cannot be un-read: check myaccount.google.com for a Google Voice number registered in your name and reclaim or remove it, then check every account that uses that phone number for two-factor. Counterfeit cash is a loss to report to local police with the notes and any camera footage from the meeting spot — which is one more reason to meet at a police-station exchange zone. Payment-app transfers you authorised are not recoverable, so the protection is confirming the money in your own app before the item changes hands.
Frequently asked questions
Why would a buyer want me to read back a code?
To use your phone number. The code usually creates a Google Voice number registered to you — used afterwards for scams that trace back to your number — or completes a takeover of one of your own accounts. No genuine buyer has any reason to send you a code.
Where is it safe to meet for a local sale?
Most police departments have marked exchange zones in their car parks, monitored by camera, available at any hour. They are free, and they remove both the robbery risk and most of the counterfeit-cash problem, since few people try either under a camera at a police station.
Should I accept a deposit to hold an item?
No. Payment-app deposits can be reversed, and the item sits off the market while you wait for someone who may never come. Sell to whoever turns up with the money.
Other companies scammers impersonate
Scams reuse their scripts across brands. If you were contacted about OfferUp, these are the guides worth reading next.