Common scams on Vinted and how to avoid them

Find out how to spot and avoid the top common scams on Vinted for safe and savvy online shopping. Plus, what do you do if it all goes wrong?

Don’t let scammers ruin your Vinted bargains!

Gain the knowledge to spot and dodge these scams, ensuring every penny you spend on Vinted is safe and worth it.

Read our easy guide now and shop confidently, keeping your hard-earned money safe from scammers.

Vinted scams

Too-good-to-be-true scam

You find an item, like a designer bag or fancy trainers, at a ridiculously low price.

The scam?

Once you pay, the item never arrives.

Check the seller’s history and reviews.

If they’re new or have bad reviews, be cautious. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Overpayment scam

A buyer wants your item and offers to pay more than the asking price, often with a story about why they need to pay extra.

The catch?

They’ll ask for the difference back, but their original payment will bounce or be fake.

Never accept overpayment.

Stick to the agreed price and use Vinted’s payment system.

Fake payment confirmation scam

You sell an item – yay!

But, then, you need to keep an eye out for trouble.

After you sell an item, you get an email that looks like it’s from Vinted, saying you’ve been paid.

But the payment isn’t in your account.

The scammer hopes you’ll send the item before realising the fake payment.

Always confirm payments in your Vinted account, not just via email.

Outside Vinted scam

Someone messages and asks to deal outside of Vinted, maybe through bank transfer or another app.

If you do, you lose Vinted’s protection.

Always communicate and make transactions within Vinted. It’s safer.

Phishing scam

You might get a message or email that looks like it’s from Vinted asking for your login details or other personal info, such as credit card proof or bank statement.

Never share your personal information.

You could have reached your payment threshold, and Vinted will contact you about this, but you are told to cover up sensitive details to protect yourself.

Vinted will never ask for your password or bank details via message.

If you get a message from Vinted, it will show a badge next to the name.

Outside of Vinted, their emails always end with “@vinted.co.uk”

Although the email might look like Vinted as it says it in the “From” bar, if you click this, it may show that it’s a Gmail account instead.

If you get a message with a link that redirects you to another site (you will get a warning pop-up if this happens) or an attachment, it is likely a scam, taking you to a spoof website.

The site may look like Vinted or the shopping provider, but it is actually fake and there to capture your banking or card details to further scam you.

Broken item scam

You buy something, but it’s broken or not as described when it arrives.

Great!

To avoid this happening, ask for lots of pictures and details before buying.

If something’s wrong when it arrives, report it to Vinted immediately.

Item doesn’t exist

Some unscrupulous sellers use items from other real Vinted listings or steal them from places on the internet.

An easy tell is that the photo in the listing appears mirrored, so any writing is shown as backwards.

If you are searching for a particular item, you may also notice photos exactly the same as those from other listings.

If you’re unsure, ask the seller to provide more photos to see if they own the item. If they’re a genuine seller, they won’t mind sending you more pictures.

How to steer clear of scams on Vinted

• Trust your gut
  If something feels off, it probably is.
• Chat smartly
  Use Vinted’s chat to talk to sellers. Be cautious if someone tries to move the conversation to another app or email.
• Report suspicious activity
  If you spot a scam, report it to Vinted to help keep the community safe.
• Keep records
  Save your chats and emails about your purchases. They can be super helpful if you need to prove something later.
• Stay informed
  Keep up-to-date with common scams so you can spot them.

By knowing these scams and how to avoid them, you can shop or sell confidently on Vinted, finding amazing deals or making a bit of extra cash while keeping your money safe.

What other scams have you come across?

Look at other social media scams, including WhatsApp scams and Facebook Marketplace scams.