Guides / Safety

How to spot a scam when buying music gear on Marketplace

The scams people run on second-hand music gear in the UK, the signs that give them away, and what to do if you've already paid. Updated October 2026.

The short answer: see the gear, test it, then pay. Almost every Marketplace scam needs you to pay before you've seen the item: a deposit, a bank transfer for postage, or a "friends and family" payment. If a seller won't let you see it working, walk away, however good the price looks.

It's a real problem, not a rare one. When TSB checked 100 Marketplace adverts in November 2023, it judged about a third of them likely scams, and Marketplace made up 73% of the purchase fraud cases its customers reported (TSB, January 2024). Music gear suits scammers: it's valuable, easy to photograph from someone else's listing and hard to check from a photo.

Six signs a listing is a scam

• The price is far below what it sells for. A Roland TR-8S usually goes for £360-£500 used. One for £150 is not a lucky find. Check the model's usual range before you message; the price guide has 60 popular models.
• The seller wants a deposit to "hold" it. Genuine sellers sell to whoever turns up with the money. A deposit by bank transfer for something you haven't seen is a classic Marketplace scam, and it's often the last you hear of the seller.
• Postage only, paid up front. "I'm away with work, I'll post it" with payment by bank transfer means you pay and hope. If you must buy something posted, pay a way that gives you buyer protection, and never use PayPal "friends and family" for a purchase: it has no buyer protection.
• The chat moves off Messenger. "Message me on WhatsApp" or an email address moves you somewhere Facebook can't see. Keep the conversation on Marketplace.
• Stock photos, or someone else's photos. Ask for a photo of the item with today's date written on paper beside it, or a short video of it switched on. A real seller can do it in a minute. A reverse image search often finds the original listing.
• A brand-new profile, or none. A profile created last month, with no friends and a dozen expensive items for sale, is a warning sign. So is a seller in a hurry: "lots of interest, first to pay gets it".

Scams aimed at sellers

If you're selling gear, watch for these:

• The verification code. A "buyer" says they need to send you a code to check you're real, and asks you to read it back. The code is really for your WhatsApp or another account. Once you share it, they take the account over and ask your contacts for money. Never share a code sent to your phone.
• Fake payment proof. A screenshot of a bank transfer or an email that looks like it's from PayPal, saying the money is on its way. Check your own banking app or PayPal account directly before you hand anything over. Never use a link the buyer sends.
• "Someone will collect it for me." The buyer sends a friend or a driver to pick it up and promises the money is coming. It never arrives. Don't release anything until the money is in your account.
• Overpayment. They offer, or claim, to pay more than you asked and want the difference sent back. Only accept the agreed amount, and only once it's in your account.

Fakes and stolen gear

Not every bad buy is a scam in the criminal sense. Two more things to check:

• Counterfeits. Shure microphones are widely faked, and Shure has had counterfeits seized around the world. A genuine SM58 sells for about £40-£80 used, so a "new" one for £25 is the giveaway. Here's how to spot a fake SM58. With guitars, check the serial number matches the model and year the seller claims.
• Stolen gear. Ask where it came from, and whether the seller has the receipt or box. Note the serial number: CheckMEND checks serial-numbered items against lost and stolen reports (the first check is free). Owners can register their own gear free on Immobilise, the property register police search. A seller who won't let you see the serial is a reason to leave.

The safe way to buy

1. Check the price against the model's usual range before you message.
2. Ask for a photo or video that proves they have it, working.
3. Meet in person: somewhere busy for small gear, or the seller's home for big items like amps and pianos. Take someone with you for anything expensive.
4. Test everything: power it up, every key, knob and input. Our used synth checklist takes 15 minutes.
5. Pay only once you're happy, in cash or by bank transfer while you're standing there.

If you've already paid a scammer

• Call your bank straight away, on the number on your card or in its app. If you paid by bank transfer, you may be able to get your money back: since October 2024, UK banks must refund bank transfer scam victims in most cases, up to £85,000. The sooner you report it, the better.
• Report it. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, report to Report Fraud (which replaced Action Fraud) at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
• Report the listing and profile to Facebook, so it can be taken down before someone else pays.
• Watch for a second scam. Some victims then get a call from someone claiming to be the bank or the police, offering to recover the money. Hang up and dial 159, which connects you safely to your own bank.

Sources

• TSB, Over a third of adverts on Facebook Marketplace could be scams (January 2024)
• PayPal, Friends and family or goods and services payments
• City of London Police, Report Fraud service goes live (December 2025)
• Which?, How scam refund rules are reducing fraud (July 2026)
• Stop Scams UK, 159
• Derbyshire Constabulary, Marketplace payment scam warning, and Lincolnshire Police, fake buyer warning (via the East Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre)

The flipper extension flags the usual warning signs on a Marketplace listing (deposit requests, "message me on WhatsApp", stock photos and prices too low for the model) and puts the model's usual used range beside the asking price. Free while in testing: join the testers. Not affiliated with Meta or eBay.