Avoid Scams

Protect Yourself

At Oodle, we believe classifieds are best done locally. The easiest way to ensure that you're getting what you want is to go see it in person. These pages contain basic safety guidelines when using online classifieds, which include some basic precautionary measures we recommend taking to ensure a positive and successful experience.

To see up-to-the-minute coverage of scams, see our breaking scam news. To learn about the most common scams, click here.

Basic safety guidelines

"Do it in person and do it in public."

If you follow this mantra, you should be safe. But sometimes a scammer will have a convincing scam up their sleeve, which is why you should also follow these additional precautions.

Buyers

» Don't send money to someone you haven't met in person: through Western Union or Moneygram
through wire transfer
through Paypal unless they are a verified Paypal member or they have a positive online reputation (note: contrary to popular belief, Paypal will not reimburse you if you don't receive your item unless you were buying an eligible item directly on eBay read more here -- so don't assume that a Paypal payment makes everything safe)
to foreign countries

» Don't fall for fake protection programs.
There is no service provided by Oodle, Paypal, or Facebook, that "holds the payment until the item was shipped". There are escrow services out there, but scammers sometimes pretend to be one, so you should research an escrow service and its reputation before using one.
eBay does have a Vehicle Protection Program, but only for items purchased directly on eBay.
Oodle does not provide a "Bill of Sale" or any other transaction assistance.

» Read more in our Buyer Guide; through wire transfer
through Paypal unless they are a verified Paypal member or they have a positive online reputation (note: contrary to popular belief, Paypal will not reimburse you if you don't receive your item unless you were buying an eligible item directly on eBay read more here -- so don't assume that a Paypal payment makes everything safe)
to foreign countries

» Don't fall for fake protection programs.
There is no service provided by Oodle, Paypal, or Facebook, that "holds the payment until the item was shipped". There are escrow services out there, but scammers sometimes pretend to be one, so you should research an escrow service and its reputation before using one.
eBay does have a Vehicle Protection Program, but only for items purchased directly on eBay.
Oodle does not provide a "Bill of Sale" or any other transaction assistance.

» Read more in our Buyer Guide; through Paypal unless they are a verified Paypal member or they have a positive online reputation (note: contrary to popular belief, Paypal will not reimburse you if you don't receive your item unless you were buying an eligible item directly on eBay read more here -- so don't assume that a Paypal payment makes everything safe)
to foreign countries

» Don't fall for fake protection programs.
There is no service provided by Oodle, Paypal, or Facebook, that "holds the payment until the item was shipped". There are escrow services out there, but scammers sometimes pretend to be one, so you should research an escrow service and its reputation before using one.
eBay does have a Vehicle Protection Program, but only for items purchased directly on eBay.
Oodle does not provide a "Bill of Sale" or any other transaction assistance.

» Read more in our Buyer Guide; to foreign countries

» Don't fall for fake protection programs.
There is no service provided by Oodle, Paypal, or Facebook, that "holds the payment until the item was shipped". There are escrow services out there, but scammers sometimes pretend to be one, so you should research an escrow service and its reputation before using one.
eBay does have a Vehicle Protection Program, but only for items purchased directly on eBay.
Oodle does not provide a "Bill of Sale" or any other transaction assistance.

» Read more in our Buyer Guide
» Don't fall for fake protection programs.: There is no service provided by Oodle, Paypal, or Facebook, that "holds the payment until the item was shipped". There are escrow services out there, but scammers sometimes pretend to be one, so you should research an escrow service and its reputation before using one.
eBay does have a Vehicle Protection Program, but only for items purchased directly on eBay.
Oodle does not provide a "Bill of Sale" or any other transaction assistance.

» Read more in our Buyer Guide; eBay does have a Vehicle Protection Program, but only for items purchased directly on eBay.
Oodle does not provide a "Bill of Sale" or any other transaction assistance.

» Read more in our Buyer Guide; Oodle does not provide a "Bill of Sale" or any other transaction assistance.

» Read more in our Buyer Guide
» Read more in our Buyer Guide

Sellers

» Beware of checks. It takes a few weeks for your bank to notify you that you deposited a fake check. It's best to go to the bank with the buyer and get a cashier's check issued in person.
» Never accept extra payment with complicated excuses.
» Never send a portion of the money back to the buyer, a shipping agent, or any other person.
» Read more in our Seller Guide

Job Seekers

» Don't accept checks sent to you for purposes other than salary.
» Don't trust any scheme where you have to send money to someone, or buy goods from some specific place.

Renters

» Never send or accept any payment before seeing the place and meeting the landlord.

Safety & Fraud Center