Courier Scams When Selling Online in Ireland

Courier scams when selling online can disguise a request for money or security information as a necessary step in receiving payment. Keep collection arrangements separate from payment verification. Check through your own trusted provider and use the official Irish reporting guidance below if information or money has been lost.

Before you start

• Do not use a stranger's link to sign in to your bank.
• Keep banking passwords, PINs and security codes private.
• Verify payment independently before releasing the agreed item.

Pause when the process changes unexpectedly

A buyer may reasonably ask about collection or postage. The concern is a new process that requires you to enter credentials or pay money before receiving the advertised price. A professional-looking page, courier logo or copied marketplace branding is not enough to establish that process is genuine.

Do not use a link sent by a stranger to access your bank or payment account. Open the provider through your usual trusted route and check directly. The Garda guidance on online scams explains phishing and how to report suspected fraud.

Distinguish contact details from security details

A legitimate collection can require an agreed location and time. It should not require handing over your banking password, PIN or a one-time security code to the buyer. Do not approve an unexpected account prompt because someone says it is necessary to receive money.

Only share information that is necessary for the agreed transaction, using an appropriate private channel. If you are uncertain about a provider's requested step, contact that provider independently rather than using the number supplied in the suspicious message.

Verify the item and the handover separately

Keep a record of the agreed item, price, included accessories and collection person. If someone else will collect, confirm that arrangement through the original conversation. A screenshot or forwarded email is not independent confirmation that funds are available.

ClassifiedAds.ie is a place for members to arrange transactions directly. It does not provide escrow, checkout or a marketplace payment-release service. A message claiming that the site requires a payment to unlock your sale should be checked with the site's support team.

Act promptly if information was shared

If you disclosed banking information or approved something unexpected, contact your bank or payment provider through its official channel immediately. Explain what happened and follow its guidance. Preserve relevant messages, links, timestamps and transaction records.

Report suspected fraud to your local Garda station and report the member through the platform where appropriate. Do not pay a second person who promises to recover the money without establishing who they are.

Read the safety centre before your next transaction. A missed sale is easier to manage than proceeding with a payment process you cannot independently verify.