It should be simple to buy or sell an item, especially on sites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy or eBay. One side has something, the other side wants something. But not surprisingly, if there’s a way to part someone from their hard-earned money, they’ll take it.

In this case, the victim - either seller or buyer - is convinced to essentially leave the platform. For example, a seller on a site that does not require disclosing their email address may be requested to do so in order to facilitate fraud. Or they might request to pay off platform - either for the item itself or throwing in a gift card. The whole idea is to take the victim off a secure platform to one they control - for example, convincing the victim to give their email or enter their credentials on a fake site for easier account takeover. Maybe to convice them to use a fake website for the payment.

The main goal is to get around protections that certain platforms put in place to keep their users safe so that the victims have little to no recourse or have to deal with an account takeover.

How to protect yourself
If you are on a platform with a built in messaging and/or payment system, do not allow yourself to be taken off of it. The other person does not need to know your email address, and the payment system is there to cover both buyer and seller.

Always be aware of fake sites and make sure you’re on the correct one.