How this scam typically works
There are two main variants, depending on whether you're buying or selling.
Fake sellers. You find an item — often a popular product at a price a little too good to be true — on a marketplace app or a social media page. The "seller" is friendly and responsive, but pushes you to pay outside the platform's own checkout: a direct bank transfer or DuitNow, often with the promise of a further "discount" or to "avoid platform fees" for paying this way. Once you pay off-platform, you've stepped outside the marketplace's buyer protection and dispute process entirely. The item never arrives, or what arrives is counterfeit, the wrong item, or empty packaging.
Fake buyers. You're the one selling, and a "buyer" contacts you claiming they've already paid — sometimes sending a screenshot that looks exactly like a bank transfer receipt or a "payment successful" notification. They then say they "accidentally overpaid" and ask you to refund the difference to a different bank account, or they simply ask you to ship the item on the strength of the screenshot alone. No money has actually moved. The screenshot is fabricated, and any refund you send is a real transfer out of your own pocket.
Warning signs
- You're asked to pay by bank transfer or DuitNow outside the platform's own checkout, especially for a "discount"
- The price is well below what the item normally sells for
- A "buyer" says they overpaid and asks for the difference back to a different account
- You're shown a payment screenshot rather than a transfer that actually appears in your own banking app
- Pressure to move the conversation to WhatsApp or Telegram quickly, away from the platform
If you're being targeted right now
Keep the transaction on the platform's own checkout and chat wherever possible — that's what preserves your buyer or seller protection and dispute options. Don't transfer money to "secure a discount" or to refund an "overpayment" until you've confirmed the money actually landed in your own account, checked directly in your banking app — never from a screenshot someone sends you. If a deal only works by moving off-platform or paying first with no protection, that's reason enough to walk away.
If you've already lost money
See Scammed in Malaysia? The first 24 hours for the exact steps to take — who to contact, in what order, and what to keep as evidence — while a transfer still has the best chance of being frozen.
FAQ
The seller has good reviews on the platform — does that make an off-platform payment safe?
No. Reviews on the platform reflect activity that happened on the platform. The moment payment moves off-platform, none of the platform's protections, dispute process, or review history apply to that transaction anymore.
How can I be sure a "payment received" is real before I ship an item?
Check your own banking app directly for the credit — never rely on a screenshot, a payment confirmation forwarded to you, or a caller telling you the transfer has gone through. Screenshots and forwarded messages can be edited or fabricated.
Is it safe to pay a deposit to "hold" an item before it ships?
Treat any request for an upfront deposit or full payment before shipping, especially off-platform, with the same caution as a discount pushed off-platform — it removes your recourse if the item never arrives.