On classifieds sites, private individuals buy and sell to each other. Before Christmas, toys, consoles and electronics also change hands there. The scams hit both sides. Buyers pay for goods that do not exist. Sellers ship goods and get no money, or enter their card details on a fake page.
This article presents the scams described by the police, the consumer advice centre and the German platform Kleinanzeigen itself. We name the platform’s pages because they explain its own security rules. The scams occur on all similar platforms.
Triangle fraud: two variants
Under the name triangle fraud, police and consumer advice centre describe two processes. Both have in common that a perpetrator stands between two honest people.
You are buying
The perpetrator offers goods they do not own. At the same time they negotiate with a genuine seller about the same goods. You transfer money to the genuine seller’s account, and the perpetrator has the goods sent to their own address.The German police crime prevention service (ProPK) sums it up: “The fraudster then receives the goods from the unsuspecting seller, while you come away empty-handed.” A warning sign according to the police: you are buying from a private person, but the goods, often new, are to come from a third party such as an online retailer.
The consumer advice centre describes a related scam: criminals change the bank details in the profile or in messages. The money then goes directly to them and, in the centre’s assessment, usually cannot be recovered once the transfer has been executed.
You are selling
A prospective buyer pays, the payment is credited, you ship the goods. According to the consumer advice centre, the money comes from a hacked account. Shortly afterwards the bank reverses it because the account should not have been debited. You lose goods and money.The Lower Saxony State Criminal Police describe a PayPal variant: the perpetrator asks for your PayPal details to pay and at the same time offers your goods for sale. Their buyer pays into your account, you ship to the perpetrator.
Fake payment links and “secure payment”
A widespread scam targets sellers. A supposed buyer sends a link through which you are to “receive” your money. The page looks like the platform or a shipping service and asks for card details or bank access. Kleinanzeigen states that its “Sicher bezahlen” (secure payment) function is integrated exclusively in the messages on the platform. A payment via PayPal is not part of it.
The link may also arrive in a message that appears to come from the platform. On 9 September 2026 the Düren police reported on a 19-year-old who wanted to sell a bag. The supposed buyer first wanted to pay with PayPal. When that supposedly failed, the platform’s payment function was to be used instead.The seller received an email that looked like a message from the platform, with a link through which she was to “authorise” herself. Shortly afterwards she found a real-time transfer of 485 euros to an unknown account in her online banking, which she had not made herself.
Instead of a link, a QR code may be sent. The consumer advice centre describes an image with a QR code presented as a payment confirmation. Scanning it leads to a fake page that asks for credit card details.On 16 September 2026 the Rhineland-Palatinate State Criminal Police pointed out that fraudsters also lure users to external sites by text message or email. With “secure payment”, according to the police, all steps take place directly in the platform’s chat.The consumer advice centre writes: “With genuine payment services you receive money without having to confirm anything.” If a page asks you as a seller for a transfer, a code or an approval in online banking, stop.
This leads to three rules named by the platform and the consumer advice centre. Communicate only through the platform’s messaging function. Do not open links from WhatsApp or other messengers. Do not enter card or bank details to receive money. The consumer advice centre writes: “Pay and communicate exclusively via the platform. Do not use links, QR codes or external sites.” More on the technique behind such pages is in the glossary under phishing.
Phone calls and approvals in online banking
Not every scam ends on a fake page. On 5 August 2026 the Mainz police headquarters reported a rise in fraud reports linked to Kleinanzeigen over the preceding months, mainly through phishing.Besides payment or shipping links sent by chat, email or messenger, the police describe cases in which victims are phoned and persuaded to approve transactions or hand over security codes. The Düren police advise checking, before every approval in online banking, which transaction you are confirming.If a caller asks you for a code, hang up and call your bank on the number printed on your card.
PayPal “Friends and Family”
If a seller asks you to pay using the PayPal function “Friends and Family”, you are not protected. The consumer advice centre writes: “The PayPal Friends function is not intended for online shopping. That is why Buyer Protection does not apply.”PayPal itself calls it a possible sign of fraud when a seller encourages this option for buying goods. PayPal Buyer Protection applies to payments for goods and services. Deadlines and conditions are under PayPal Buyer Protection.
Transport costs and prepayment
In the transport cost trap, a prospective buyer explains that they will also cover the transport costs. You are to advance these costs or transfer them via an external service. The consumer advice centre writes that these costs are never reimbursed and the goods are never paid for.
As a buyer, prepayment to an unknown private person is the greatest risk. The consumer advice centre describes payments via cash transfer services such as Western Union as practically impossible to recover.Before a transfer you can match the seller’s IBAN against reported fraud cases in the IBAN check. Since October 2025 your bank also shows you whether the name you entered matches the account. This helps against swapped bank details.Whether the seller is honest is not checked by this comparison.
What the platform classifies as safe and unsafe
Kleinanzeigen publishes a classification of payment methods on its help page.
- Named as safe: cash payment on collection, “secure payment” within the platform, PayPal goods and services, credit card with chargeback option.
- Named as unsafe: bank transfer without protection, PayPal Friends and Family, vouchers or prepaid codes, cryptocurrencies.
The platform also advises uploading a product photo to Google image search. If the same image appears on other sites, it may be copied or stolen. If the seller’s location and bank do not fit together and there is no plausible explanation, be careful. If someone accepts only bank transfer and refuses all safe options, end the contact.
No right of withdrawal between private individuals
Under Section 312c of the German Civil Code, the statutory right of withdrawal for distance contracts applies to contracts between a trader and a consumer. When buying from a private person this right generally does not exist, as Kleinanzeigen explains in a press release with a lawyer. If you buy privately, you cannot simply send the goods back. That makes it all the more important to see the goods beforehand or to pay with a method that has buyer protection.
Warning signs for buyers
On its help page, Kleinanzeigen lists situations that often occur in fraud attempts. They help you assess an offer before paying.
- No collection possible. The seller is supposedly travelling and can only ship the goods. The platform calls this a typical excuse.
- Low price with time pressure. There are supposedly many interested buyers and you must decide quickly. According to the platform, this is a bait offer meant to force quick action.
- Name on the IBAN does not match the profile. This may indicate a fake or hacked account.
- Evasive answers. Impersonal or evasive answers to specific questions may indicate automated or copied messages.
- Hijacked account. A profile suddenly offers many new, expensive items or entirely different goods than before.
- ID photo as proof of trust. The Rhineland-Palatinate State Criminal Police state that photos of ID documents sent to you offer no additional security. They may come from identity theft.
What you can do as a seller
- Decide the payment route yourself. The Lower Saxony State Criminal Police advise that the seller determines how payment is made.
- Ship only after the money arrives. Check receipt in your own bank or PayPal account. An email about a supposed payment is no proof.
- Document the shipment. Get proof of postage. The consumer advice centre recommends filming the packing and having a person present as a witness.
- Do not hand over data. You never need card details or bank access to receive money.
If it has happened
- Inform your bank or PayPal.
For a payment with buyer protection, open a dispute. For a bank transfer, ask the bank for a recall immediately. If you entered card details or login data, have the card and online banking blocked.
- Secure the evidence.
The ad, messages, the other party’s profile, payment records. More under Securing evidence.
- File a police report and inform the platform.
The Lower Saxony State Criminal Police advise reporting to the police and notifying the platform. Your online police station is listed under Reporting offices.
The order of steps in detail is explained in the article Reporting a fake shop. If you are selling a car, also read the article Fake vehicle report, where a supposed buyer demands a report from a fake website.
