Vinted Buyer Scam UK: Spot Fake 'Payment' Cons
Scammers are targeting Vinted sellers with fake buyer profiles and payment tricks—here's exactly how to spot and stop them.
What a Vinted buyer scam looks like
Vinted is a genuine UK resale app, but sellers are targeted by fake "buyers". The usual con: a buyer asks to pay outside Vinted, sends a fake "payment received" email, or gets you to click a link to "release" or "confirm" your funds - which really steals your card or bank details. An example of the style is: Vinted: your buyer has paid £48. To release the funds to your account, confirm your card details here: vinted-payout.example.
The goal is to make you ship the item or hand over card details before any real money has moved. This guide shows the warning signs, how to sell safely, and what to do if you have already been caught out.
Why these scams work
A sale is exciting, and a convincing "payment received" email or a Vinted-looking page lowers your guard. The scammer adds pressure - they "need it posted today" - so you act before checking.
The rule that protects you: on Vinted, seller payments go through Vinted and are transferred to your Vinted Balance after the parcel is delivered and no issue is reported. A buyer should not need you to enter card or bank details into a link to release payment. If a buyer wants to pay or talk off Vinted, or a link asks for card details to get paid, treat it as a scam.
Signs a Vinted buyer is a scam
- The buyer wants to pay outside Vinted, such as by bank transfer, PayPal "friends and family", or a courier they arrange.
- You get an email or text saying payment is "held" until you click a link or confirm card details.
- You are pushed to post the item quickly before the sale is visible in the Vinted app.
- A "buyer" overpays and asks you to refund the difference.
- They move the chat to WhatsApp, Instagram, or email.
- A link goes to a lookalike address, such as
vinted-payout.example, not the Vinted app. - The buyer's account is new or has no history.
How the scam works
First, a buyer agrees to purchase your item. Second, they push to pay off Vinted, or send a fake "payment received" email. Third, a link asks you to "confirm" or "release" the funds by entering card or bank details. Fourth, you either post the item for a payment that never arrives, or your details are captured for fraud. Finally, the buyer disappears.
Selling through Vinted, and checking the Vinted app rather than an email or text, breaks the chain.
How to sell safely on Vinted
Keep the whole sale inside the app.
- Only accept payment through Vinted, and post an item only once the sale shows in the app.
- Do not enter card or bank details into a link sent by a buyer to "release" a payment.
- Ignore emailed or texted "payment received" messages; check the Vinted app itself.
- Use Vinted's own postage and label options, not a courier a buyer arranges for you.
- Refuse requests to move off Vinted, and be wary of an "overpayment" refund request.
If you are unsure whether a linked page is genuine, our guide on Is This Website a Scam? A Practical Checklist Before You Buy helps, and our Vinted Scams UK: Warning Signs for Buyers and Sellers and Depop Scams UK: Spot Fake Sellers & Off-App Payment Cons guides cover related resale cons.
If you have been caught out
If you entered card or bank details on a fake page, contact your bank or card issuer immediately using the number on your card, tell them it was a scam, and ask them to secure the account and about disputing any payment. If you sent money by UK bank transfer on or after 7 October 2024, mandatory APP fraud reimbursement rules may apply to Faster Payments and CHAPS transfers. The PSR rules include a 13-month claim window, a maximum claim amount of £85,000, possible exclusions, and a possible excess of up to £100.
Report it to your bank as soon as possible.
If you posted an item and were never paid, report the buyer to Vinted. If you shared identity details, consider Cifas Protective Registration at cifas.org.uk and monitor your credit reports with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Keep the buyer's profile, the messages, and any emails as evidence.
How to report a Vinted buyer scam (UK)
Report the buyer in the Vinted app and to Vinted support with screenshots of the profile and messages. If a scam link reached you by email, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk; if by text, forward it to 7726 so your mobile provider can investigate.
If you lost money or shared card or bank details, report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040 if you are in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. In Scotland, report to Police Scotland on 101. Tell your bank as soon as possible if money moved.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vinted safe to sell on, or should I avoid it?
Vinted is a genuine marketplace; the risk is off-app payment and fake "payment" links. Seller payments should go through Vinted and then to your Vinted Balance, so treat off-app payment requests or card-confirmation links as scams.
A buyer sent a 'payment received' email asking me to click to release funds - is it real?
Treat it as a scam. Check the Vinted app itself; if the sale is not there, do not post the item and do not enter card or bank details into the link.
A buyer wants to pay by bank transfer or arrange their own courier - ok?
No. Keep payment and postage inside Vinted. Off-app payment removes platform protection, and a buyer-arranged courier can be a trick to get the item before you are really paid.
I confirmed my card details on a Vinted-looking page - what now?
Contact your bank using the number on your card, ask them to secure the account, and ask about disputing any transactions. If you shared personal details, consider Cifas Protective Registration and monitor your credit reports.
How do I report a Vinted buyer scam?
Report the buyer in the app and to Vinted support, and if you lost money or shared details, report it to Report Fraud in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, or to Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland.