Bogus and Suspicious Ads

Most ads on MyHanap are posted by genuine sellers. When someone with bad intentions does come through the site, we have systems in place to try to catch them before any damage can be done. Despite these protections, any time you are buying or selling online it’s important to know how to recognize suspicious ads. There are a few warning signs to watch out for.

Too Good to be True Deals

In order to try and lure people into their scam, fraudsters will offer a deal that’s hard to refuse. They are likely to offer new or popular items at a fraction of the cost of similar ads. The advert may explain that the item is practically new, has all the best features, and has never had any issues. If any item, property, or vehicle seems to be too good a deal, be cautious.

If you’re the one selling the item, they may offer you more than asking price, or may want to buy everything you have for sale all at once.

Stock Photos

In most cases, fraudsters don’t actually have the item or property they’re offering. Instead, they pull photos from online. They often choose the best quality photos that are the most likely to convince you to buy. One quick method to check if the photos are genuine is to do a quick image search.

Note: While stock images can be a bad sign, they don’t necessarily mean an ad is a scam. Genuine sellers do sometimes use images from online, especially if the item is new. Don’t worry unless you see other red flags as well. If you’re unsure, you can always request original photos.

Email in Their Ad

Fraudsters will often request that you leave MyHanap and contact them through a different platform. This helps them to avoid our security systems. If they ask you to reply to their personal email address or transfer to Telegram, Viber, Messenger instead of using MyHanap Private Messages, be extremely cautious.

Tip: If for some reason a seller doesn’t want to use MyHanap messages to communicate, ask to give them a call. Fraudsters will rarely speak directly over the phone.